La guerra di Varian

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.

The comparisons to Schindlers List are to be expected here- William Hurt plays, rather well, a man who saves the persecuted artists and intellectuals of WWII. You know where the story is going, and yet the marvellous acting of Hurt and Julia Ormand manage to hold your attention. Fine supporting roles as well- Alan Arkin all but steals the movie. Maury Chakin has a rather unfortunate suit to overcome, and here's where the lack of money affected the story for me. It's so obviously made in Canada for a dime, and yet it's a vast story. Why do it if you can't do it right? I wasn't wild about the music either, it was very 'on the nose' and told us how to feel every step of the way. I expected more from producer Barbra Striesand. The actors, however, transcend all the cheapness and sentiment and make it very watchable.

"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.

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.

Varian Fry (William Hurt) is an American who witnesses the cruel treatment of the Jews in Nazi Germany. He advocates for helping the artistic lights of Europe to escape the Nazis. He enlists the help of many including Mrs Roosevelt. In Vichy France, he finds the help of Miriam Davenport (Julia Ormond) but the situation starts to deteriorate.

This is a smaller TV movie based on the true story. However there are a lot of big name actors including Alan Arkin and Lynn Redgrave. The actors in this is enough to make this a reasonable movie. The subject matter is very compelling. Varian's mannerisms can be very stiff, and the dialog can be a little bit unnatural. However the story comes with a good dose of international intrigue. Also this movie needs to be made.