Uprising

I always have very low expectations of made for TV movies as they tend to be poor in comparison to feature films. But this one actually impressed me. The focus of the film was not the entire holocaust, but it focused on the Warsaw ghetto uprising of the Jews (the previous reviewer might have saved themselves some trouble had they simply read that beforehand) so the writing and characters were focused and good and it was all based on true people and events. The sets were well-constructed. I had forgotten I was watching a TV movie. A good cast. Good acting. Much of the cast was unknown, most of them not even Jewish. Donald Sutherland and Cary Elwes gave outstanding performances as did John Voight. Definitely worth viewing. Many good extras on the DVD as well.

On the night the Emmys awarded "Anne Frank" the best miniseries of 2000-2001, NBC began airing yet another WWII-era epic which has to be the odds-on favorite for the trophy next year. This is as fine a miniseries as I have ever seen. David Schwimmer, Leelee Sobieski and Hank Azaria are all highly believable in their roles as Jewish resistance fighters. Donald Sutherland and Jon Voight turn in fine performances in lesser roles. And director Jon Avnet delivers a compact, credible piece of little-known history regarding the Warsaw ghetto uprising. For a small screen effort, one has to be amazed at how closely the style resembles that of big screen efforts like "Saving Private Ryan" and "Schindler's List". All in all, a well-done miniseries that deserves a second viewing. How often can one say that about any miniseries.

WWII, and the Holocaust in particular, is a very interesting subject. There has probably never been more interest from the public towards everything that concerns this war, which started already more than 65 years ago. Every week new books, documentaries,... are published with new theories, with evaluations of some important (often Nazi) personalities, with information about the concentration camps,... Because most of the survivors have already died or will die soon, the stories of the last eye-witnesses will get lost if not registered on tape or camera. But all these stories are also a good base for movies and mini-series like this "Uprising".

"Uprising" tells the story of the Nazi oppression of the Jews in the Ghetto of Warshaw and their rebellion against it, which started in 1943. It all begins in 1939 with the growing list of prohibitions and regulations leading to the virtual imprisonment of about half-a-million Polish Jews in an old district of Warsaw. Their daily struggle against hunger and disease is made even worse when the Nazis demand for "deportations to the east". Many begin to suspect that the deportation of these groups of laborers are actually camouflaged mass murders and at the end of 1942 they start to realize that they are all doomed. They decide that, if they have to die, they better die in honor by taking up the arms against their oppressors. They start building hidden shelters and bunkers in the basements and cellars of the buildings, often with tunnels leading to other buildings and start collecting arms and ammunition for the battle which will begin on 19 April 1943...

Even though I must say that overall I liked the series, I can't say that it was always very convincing. There were a couple too many problems with it that really bothered me. One for instance is the way all the people are depicted. The heroic Jews don't have to expect any help from the arrogant and anti-semitic Polish Catholics who know exactly what is going on, but don't care. The Poles only want to help when offered enormous amounts of money and even then are very reluctant. In reality the Poles also suffered a lot under the German oppression and without their help there would probably never have been a Jewish Uprising. And no, I'm not a Pole myself, so I'm not saying this to justify my people's actions, it's just the way it was.

Another thing that I really didn't like was the use of the languages. The Germans speak English most of the time, except for when they are giving some short orders, than you'll hear them talk German. The producers and director have to make a choice, either they all speak German or English, but not a mix of the two. And about the language I also have another remark. Can someone please tell me why those purely American actors, who all know how to speak normal English, speak with that funny, but also incredibly annoying accent? Do they really believe I will not recognize Leelee Sobieski, David Schwimmer,... when they talk in a slightly different way? I'm not asking that they speak Polish, I'm sure they can't, but don't make a fool out of yourself by trying to convince people that you are talking another language, just by adding such an accent, it can never work...

Still, even though the series isn't always historically accurate, uses a range of annoying accents and is too stereotypical when it comes to the roles of the different people, not everything about it was that bad. The acting for instance is good. In my opinion this was the best role I've ever seen Leelee Sobieski play and all the other actors did a nice job too. I certainly liked Jon Voight as Major General Jurgen Stroop, but it is Cary Elwes, who played Fritz Hippler (the director of "Der Ewige Jude" or "The Eternal Jew"), who certainly deserves to be mentioned as well.

All in all this isn't a bad series. If you try to see it as a drama based on actual events, rather than to see it as a 'documentary reconstruction', than you certainly should be able to enjoy it. There are some nice action scenes, some good acting and other interesting features. You just will have to try to see past some major flaws... I give this series a score between 7/10 and 7.5/10.

A masterpiece of sorrow and shame. No this does not mean it lacked the qualities of a exceptional movie but rather it means that it made me feel sorrow for the Jews during World War II. This made for TV "movie" is beyond any another of its kind in the making today. Uprising has no limits in its ideas and messages. It does not hold back the truth but rather tells the story of a group of Jews in the ghetto, using a naturalistic style. The plot is intriguing from the beginning and never fails to keep you sliding up instead of down in your lazy-boy. Moreover, the message is what needs to really be looked at in this film.

So, what makes this film have such an impact? The actors and the characters they played are the answer. Leelee Sobieski is simply incredible and on the contrary to many of David Schwimmer's TV shows or movies, he plays the part of a serious, brave, and invincible Jew, who is looked at as a leader among his people. Many new faces are seen in this movie and they all do a fantastic job.

The entertainment value is beyond comparison with any other made for TV movie. This was not a cheap movie to make and the actions scenes are not little exploding apples on an indoor movie set. Buildings are blown to pieces, Jews and Germans are slaughtered throughout the movie and tortured. You will not walk away from this movie without learning more about World War II and the Holocaust. Uprising is implicit in its message and entertaining to the very last second. If you are a history buff, an action fan, or someone who just simply likes Leelee Sobieski or David Schwimmer, I highly recommend Uprising for you. When it comes out on DVD on December 18, 2001, I would for sure get it, and watch it over and over again.

I really do hate to say that any movie comes close to Saving Private Ryan, but Uprising does, and ironically, it is a made for TV movie which makes it even that much better. Take the time to rent this or buy the DVD when you can, it is well worth the purchase.

I saw this film in Australia with a relative who survived the Ghetto uprising. He said that, in spite of some inconsistencies, it was as accurate as film could portray it. While it is true that there was more than one resistance faction, and sometimes they were at odds, the essence of the event is portrayed well. The Polish Resistance's attitude was mixed, but my relative, who was a courier in and out of the Ghetto said that many individual Poles risked their lives to hide him. The woman who escaped with the baby at the end of the film is also related to me. Her husband, who was killed in the first days of the uprising, was a major planner and organizer. Of course, it affected me greatly since my mother originally came from Warsaw and I lost many relatives.