Varian's War

Varian was not known to me before this movie and I was disappointed that the movie didn't bring out more about him and his motivations. However, both Hurt and Ormond gave fabulous performances. He had that strange "Roosevelt" gait that you see so much in the 40's and was very understated. This had the look of pretty standard Made-for-TV fare. Usually Showtime kicks it up a notch, but not this time.

In the midst of the Nazi madness when goons hunted down artists, thinkers, and other "misfits" or "queer ducks," Varian Fry was a man who decided to prevent the intellectual and artistic soul of civilization from going into a new dark age. He rescued people who would have otherwise been sacrificed to neutrality as well as to madness.

This is an excellent TV-film that is a memorial to the people who fought against fascism before the armies ever mobilized. The mind is mightier than the explosive and the bullet.

I recently stumbled across the name Varian Fry, and was intrigued by the fact that he is one of only 3 Americans to be named "Righteous Among The Nations" by Israel -- which is an award given to non-Jews who saved Jews during the Holocaust. (Such as Oskar Schindler).

When I saw that a movie had been done about his experiences, I decided to rent it, even though it was made-for-TV.

Unfortunately, I don't think this film did justice to the emotional intensity of this period of history, or Fry's remarkable achievements. Fry's real-life story seems like it would be really juicy, but is portrayed in this film without much of the juice.

Right off the bat, I sensed that this was a cheap production. I noticed an extra who was walking in one scene, and then is seated in a wheelchair in another scene. I noticed the same prop (a photo with Joseph Kennedy) used in the background in 2 different offices. Of course, these minor goofs are not important, but they give you a sense of the low-budget flavor.

Ultimately, I give Varian's War a rating of 5 because it is hard to totally destroy this interesting tale, and because there are at least a few decent scenes and moments of genuine emotion. But overall, it lacks the charm, excitement and thrills that I am sure accompanied Varian Fry's actual adventures in France.

By the end of the film, my thirst for knowledge about this heroic American had not been quenched.

"Varian's War" tells of Varian Fry, an American citizen who sets about to liberate the great minds of Europe in the years prior to American involvement in WWII. An entertaining historical drama built for Showtime, this well made but somewhat scripted and theatrical film illuminates the mechanics of Fry's mission but is more stilted than engaging, more mechanical than compelling, and possibly bit off a piece of history bigger than what it could chew. Worth watching more for historical than dramatic value.

This man is something of a Schindler, if you will, but he focused mainly on saving artists. Beautifully played by William Hurt, with great supporting actors all around him, this film was obviously made on the cheap, but that doesn't cheapen the content which is worthy. A good family film. I recommend it.