Alfréd Radok directed this Czechoslovakian film about the Holocaust and how it impacted the Jews of Prague. While it did not impress me nearly as much as another Czechoslovakian film about the same subject I saw a few years ago ("The Shop on Main Street"), it was a very good but grim film about the folks waiting--waiting until they, too, were called up for deportation. In particular, it focuses on a young Jewish lady who only recently married a Gentile--and how difficult this persecution is on their marriage. And, ultimately, the husband is sent to a work camp for marrying a Jew and she is sent off to Theresienstadt--one of the 'nice' camps (relatively speaking)--though life is pretty brutal there nevertheless.
While "Distant Journey" is a good film, there are MANY exceptional films about he Holocaust (such as "Shadows and Fog", "Schindler's List", "The Shop on Main Street" and the mini-series "Holocaust"). And, I sure doubt if people will watch them all. So, it comes down to whether or not this one should be among your 'must-see' list or one in the 'see it if you get a chance' list--which I would say about this film. The acting is good, the story unique and informative--but the film also seemed a bit sanitized. The wretchedness of the camp internees wasn't especially vivid--and the leading lady entirely too well-fed.
By the way, these may not be mistakes, but I was surprised when early in the film Jews were talking about not wanting to be sent off to Auschwitz and they talked about the Germans gassing Jews. Was this really common knowledge? I thought (perhaps incorrectly) that this was more or less kept secret and most of the doomed people didn't know exactly what was in store for them.
