La rafle

In the summer of 1942 more than 12,000 French Jews were delivered to the Nazi. They were locked at the Vélodrome d'Hiver for several days without food or water or sanitation.

It was up to Red Cross nurses, like Annette Monod (Mélanie Laurent), and Dr. Sheinbaum (Jean Reno) to care for the prisoners and mitigate their suffering.

La Rafle is not a film about the deportation of Jews and the horror of the concentration camps with Hitler's Final Solution. This film is powerful testimony to the denaturalization of French Jews, the appalling conditions of the Vel d'Hiv, the lack of resistance of the French police as well as the existence of the French camps.

On 06 June 1942, the government of Vichy makes a deal with the Nazis and delivers thousands of Jewish families to be sent to the concentration Camp of Beaune-La-Rolande, Loiret and then to the crematories.

"La Rafle" is another touching and heartbreaking film that shows the fate of some Jewish families that are removed by force from their homes to the final destination of a crematory. The cruelty of the fate of the Jewish in occupied Europe in the 40's is composed of millions of tragic stories; therefore films about this theme are always extremely sad and usually well-produced, shaking with the emotions of any sensitive viewer.

This new approach of the Holocaust, based on what happened in France under the complacence of the French politicians and authorities, is very sad since it shows the destiny of thousand of children that are first separated from their mothers and then send to death. It is cruel but never comparable to the "Sophia's Choice", for me the most depressive film about mother and children relationship ever made. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Amor e Ódio" ("Love and Hate")

Once in a while, pictures like this one make you understand and see things you don't want or did not want to see : here's a example of why cinema is so important. A forgotten drama in France 1942 that you can read in books of history but not actually see. Like the Schindler's list, La Rafle is a touching art of work and the fact that the kids are taking a big place in the movie give the all thing a unforgettable moment of emotions... and cinema. Cannot say more : you have to watch this movie to be sure you have the right image of what what France was in that period of time. Especially because the director show that french people, unlike their police, behave in a very human way (helping families and children). Great movie !

The theme is far to be new. In strange way, this is its basic virtue. Because, starting from an event of the year 1943 , in Paris, it gives , in brilliant manner, the portrait of a profound tragedy, in right and precise manner. It represents one of most inspired films about Shoah. For performances of children, for the cinematography, for the script who gives different angles of tragedy, for the feeling of viewer to remind the weakness of human nature. A great film. Useful in deep sense. For remind. And for define the essence of the way to discover the other as only object.

Beautiful French, poignant, moving film. Actors play their roles very well, the action is poignant but relentless and it discovers with horror all the misfortune which was shot down on all of these families during the second world war. The action takes place in France but could takes place in Greece or Hungary where happened the same thing. The difference is that many French helped French Jews to hide and avoid this horrible mass arrest of Jews requested by the Nazis but performed, with zeal, by the French police. Sad moment in the history of France which was strangely rarely shown at the cinema. This film repair this oversight with dignity, accuracy, rendering justice to all those who have behaved with honor, and in particular those they call "the just", these men and women taking risks to help their Jewish compatriots, often at the peril of their life. in line with the "Schindler's list", this film worth seeing many times.