The Grey Zone

This is truly one of the most disturbing films I have ever seen. If the goal of a great movie is to make its viewer changed forever, "The Grey Zone" certainly has succeeded. Yes it is not "Schindlers List". It has no uplifting theme, other than that in the face of no hope, doomed individuals tried desperately, if for nothing else, to save one life among millions of doomed. In the end even that effort is futile.

It's images are haunting.

Do to its depressing topic and even more disturbing ending others have criticized this movie as not being "entertaining". In fact it is entertaining. It is a horror movie of the real kind. The horror of human evil based on prejudice and hatred.

Everyone needs to see this movie, with the exception of those who lived through it, as they already know!

No punches pulled in this one. "The Grey Zone" is to "Schindler's List" what "Menace II Society" was to "Boyz N The Hood". Tim Blake Nelson gives an incredibly moving account of men and women who know they're dead, but are simply looking for clear consciences on the way out. The performances are excellent (with the possible exception of a miscast Keitel), and the lack of sentiment gives a much more realistic depiction of what these human beings actually had to go through. Be prepared: the last 10 minutes of this film are completely unsettling.

Tim Blake Nelson takes his stage play--an adaptation of a book by Miklos Nyiszki--to the big screen,and what a story it is!

An unthinkable,unconscionable deal has been worked out between a certain group of Nazi death camp inmates and their captors: in order to avoid the ovens(in all likelihood,only temporarily),these inmates would use their talents(among them,musical) to placate and ease along the funneling of other Jews and "undesirables" into the death chambers. A strong cast and an even stronger screenplay/script is augmented by very intelligent cinematography. Particularly good turns by David Arquette,Steve Buscemi,Daniel Benzali and Mira Sorvino as the inmates,all desperate,all convinced of what they have to do to survive and in Arquette's character's case,not even certain if it is even worth it.

It would be tempting to slam "Schindler's List" after seeing this,but I won't. SL is meant as an epic,a tribute,a story of the upside of surviving through the most dense of human tragedy,whereas GZ is a decidedly darker exploration of what happens to people in the same situation but are pushed into much less noble,much more selfish and desperate devices. Both are strong examples of the genre,but where GZ triumphs is that that it explores the most damning actions through the consciences of people faced with decisions that nobody should have to make. It is an unflinching portrait of a dark chapter in human history,rife with detail and completely lacking of lecturing. THis film is for anyone who wants to see an unvarnished and stark portrayal of the human condition brought to its lowest denominator. A must-see for college classrooms and Holocaust museums anywhere!

This is an important film because it depicts an event and an aspect of life in the extermination camps that is little-known. It is not meant to be a tear-jerker, or a film on the level of Schindler's List, especially since it does not tell the same story. What it does tell is the brutal reality of the only armed revolt staged by the Jews in Birkenau (the extermination camp attached to Auschwitz). The Sonderkommando ("Special Detail") were the prisoners that were forced to assist in the annihilation of their own people by taking the bodies from the gas chambers to the crematoria. In order to keep their crimes against humanity a secret, the SS liquidated each Sonderkommando every six weeks. This is the story of a group that stashed away weapons and explosives and revolted just before they were scheduled to be liquidated.

After having read Eyewitness Auschwitz, written by a member of the Sonderkommando, and "Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account" by the completely self-absorbed doctor (in reality, not the movie) upon which this film is based, I'm glad this project was undertaken. It is a well-made movie that tries to portray too many of the complicated issues that involved with the subject. It has received some harsh criticism, especially by some who claim to be interested in the subject, but obviously missed many points in the movie. Since I don't know of any other films about the revolt of the twelfth Sonderkommando of Birkenau, I think this one is very good.

One final note: Some people seem to think that the title refers to some moral dilemma faced by the characters. While that certainly was an issue for some who were there, and while the movie title may convey a double meaning, the main reason Birkenau was referred to as the Grey Zone was due to the coating of ash from burned human corpses that covered everything, including those who lived and worked there. It was on the ground, on the buildings, and on their clothing. They literally ate and breathed it 24 hours a day.

I was a little wary of this film because of the cast - but David Arquette was surprisingly good. I happen to like films that have a theatrical uality - so that was fine with me. At first I wondered why Harvey spoke with an accent, and no one else did - then midway through the film I got that the idea was that the Jews HEARD his German accent - and since the story was from THEIR perspective, they had no accents from their point of view. To convey this to an American audience, they spoke like Americans. I despise Shindler's List . That film turned a horror into a feel good event. Disgusting. THIS movie doesn't manipulate you with sappy speeches and ridiculous violin crescendos, nor does it get sweet and sentimental like Saving Private Ryan. This movie is about horror - and it ends horribly. It doesn't cheapen the death, it forces you to feel all of the terrible weight.