User reviews

Films set in Nazi extermination camps are always confronted by certain production problems. Will the Jews look thin enough? Will they look like they're eaten by lice and other vermin? How to convey their interaction in such a wretched and desperate place? A place that most of us cannot begin to imagine. This drama succeeded (against my expectations) because it doesn't feel naturalistic. Of course Anthony Sher and Stellan Skarsgård and the others look like well-fed actors. But this does not detract from their performances because the emphasis in this film is on the arguments. How can anyone affirm a belief in God in Auschwitz? It's a good question, and many approaches and interpretations of God's actions are offered. The production could be criticised for feeling a little like a stage play. A bit wordy with many monologues. But the acting, the direction, and, above all, the writing are first class.

Most television dramas are a complete waste of time. This is not the case with God on Trial which is one of the best films I have ever seen on TV. The questions asked throughout the 84 minutes are right on target. A group of prisoners at Auschwitz; some of whom are awaiting execution, the others unsure of their fate, debate the meaning of God's supposed covenant with the Jewish people.

I am not Jewish & I don't believe any one group of people are chosen above all others because of their religion. I was told that the Catholic Church was the one true one in my childhood. Muslims are taught that Allah is the true path. Hindus believe in another God. It leads us all on a dangerous path.

This film is made for people not afraid to search within themselves no matter what they believe. I was very impressed.

In a freezing, filthy, overcrowded hut in Auschwitz a group of emaciated Jewish prisoners await their fate. Around half of them will be selected for the gas chamber within a couple of hours and most seem paralysed by fear, hunger and despair - but one angry inmate rails against God. His anger provokes reactions and soon the men - they are all men - agree to put God on trial, quickly organising a kind of tribunal in the traditions of their religion.

This drama confronts one of the central issues of human existence - the basis of faith - and sets it in a time and place that has become a by-word for inhumanity. With writing that is emotive, intelligent and unflinching throughout complimented by a series of utterly convincing and moving performances from all the principals, this was one of the most absorbing and challenging pieces of TV drama I have witnessed in years. In fact I would go further: This ranks as one of the finest TV productions I have ever seen.

For me the almost real time context lifted this play beyond another testimony to the Holocaust. The characters all know the past - indeed, they acknowledge several hideous near genocidal atrocities by their Jewish ancestors - but they don't know the future.

I won't spoil the outcome but, please, seek this out. If it doesn't make you think and doesn't touch your heart, you may not be alive.

I watched the TV drama not knowing anything about the story of the trial of God. I found the writing to be emotive, considered and intelligent. The acting was of the highest quality, and the setting was perfectly geared to make the viewer feel, as much as possible, the oppressive environment in which the men found themselves. The way the story unfolded and the polarising views to be found were impressively handled. There are a lot of references made to Jewish history, however, when taken as a whole the need to know and understand Jewish history is not essential to the telling of the story and the explanation of our beliefs. I thought the drama was excellent. I would like to see this drama shown to pupils in school, I believe it would be an excellent educational tool, not only about the holocaust but about religion in general and where we place God in our lives.

This is not a movie you need popcorn for, neither doubly surround nor a big screen. But it is the movie I chose to make an IMDb account for.

Indeed, "movie" is somewhat the wrong term, "play" is more accurate.

Facing their death in Nazi gas chambers, a group of Jews put God on trial. The charge: violating the covenant. The story portrays differing characters, from the fearful believer, to the scholar, from the scientist to the simple man - everyone with differing views and arguments. The lively debate with strong arguments on all sides in front of this horrible setting is what makes this film so great. To get the most out of the play one probably should have a (little) knowledge about the Jewish faith or the Old Testament and allow oneself to enjoy a religious-philosophical debate.

I watched his TV drama with interest and felt as though I understood a little bit more about Jews and their beliefs.Based on a true story,it tells of imprisoned Jews in Auschwitz awaiting death and deciding to have a trial to decide if God is guilty for their living hell.It is pretty compelling and also a history lesson as various men argue their case for or against God.I did struggle at times to follow the stories the men told as they related moments from Jewish history but there can be no doubt that there was a lot of research done.

There is an impressive cast including Jack Shepherd,Stellan Skarsgard and Stephen Dillane.All of the cast act their roles very well and special mention must go to Eddie Marsen as Lieble who tells the heartbreaking story of his three boys being taken from him by Nazis and giving him the impossible choice of saving one of them.Very impressive also is Antony Sher as Akiba.He says nothing for well over an hour but it is well worth the wait when he decides to speak.What he has to say comes as a shock and pretty much decides the outcome of the trial.

This is a well made drama.Perhaps there is a too much to take in and it is a bit too long.But it does show the agonies of men nearing certain death,desperate to make some sense of the horror they have lived through.

an expected film. because it propose a solution to an old doubt. Where was God in the Shoah time ? the film does not gives answers. but it is an impeccable solution of the question who defines the conscience of humanity after the WWII. and this is the huge virtue of film. the realism. the exposure of doubts and slices of certitudes. the need of answer. the entire Jew tradition front to one of the basic fears. and the trial. as a form of prey or as form of exorcism against fear. it is one of films who must be seen by everyone. not for understand. not for know. but for remind. to feel. and to discover the Holocaust more than a Jew problem.

The best thing about this movie is that is claustrophobic, it's everything set in one place to feel what they are feeling.

The performances are fine with good actors, but sometimes this is very hard to watch, you have to be patient because it's not fast. It's all about argue between them and sometimes it gets though

A movie running in the length of 90 minutes from almost a single set with a strong message. I would recommend it to those in a dilemma about the existence of God and HIS actions. God was put on Trial in Absentia. In day-to-day life, many questions why God did do that or Why God didn't do certain things for them. The film is based on Wiesel's book by British writer Frank Cottrell-Boyce. The discussion put forward by the Jewish Prisoners who were terrific and, without spoiling it, certainly changed your thoughts about the existence of God and their actions.

Only challenge you might face is that Movie is not available on most OTTs. It took me a while to find it out.

I only watched the first 30 minutes but gave up because it was clearly a play not a film. I accept that films can be set as plays, but it wasn't what I wanted. A valid theme, to be putting god on trial, but it just didn't work for me.

The actors looked and sounded perfectly healthy, and nothing like the reality of a concentration camp.

The stage would be a much more suitable medium.

Despite opening with a rather clumsy narrative device for framing the story, this film is almost entirely set in a dormitory block in Auschwitz. The Jewish men in the block have already been divided into who will die tonight and who will not, while new arrivals are poured into the block a day earlier than expected. What comes out of this environment is a sort of trial where God is in the dock accused of breaking his covenant with the Jewish people – a debate about his actions, inactions and motivations if you will. It doesn't sound like a lot of fun to watch and indeed it sat on my HDR for quite some time before I recently got round to being in the mood for it (on a Saturday night weirdly enough, which probably says a lot about me). Seeing for myself I must admit to not being as won over by it as most other viewers seem to have been and I'm not sure if it me "not getting it" or others reviewing their feelings on the Holocaust generally rather than this film.

You see, the film is moving towards the end for reasons that should be obvious given the subject but for the vast majority the focus is on the discussion/trial between the men. This aspect is not as emotive but it did have the potential to be challenging and insightful. Mostly it is, and I found my attention easily held as different opinions were raised and evidence examined. The problem with it is that it is never as good or thought-provoking as I expected it to be. At times it is challenging but at others it seems less coherent and the "trial" structure weakens at these points. It is very good at times though and it was a shame that in some regards the final bookend scene felt like too neat a summary of the questions considering the emotion that had gone before, not quite a cop-out perhaps but not a million miles away from it either.

Where the film doesn't have a single problem is with the cast because every one of them is excellent. To pick one out would be unfair and Skarsgård, Dillane, Sher, Sheppard and all others are passionate and convincing. DeEmmony directs well within such a tight space – keeping it part of the story of course, but not letting it constrict the ability of the camera to get in and around the characters; although the material remains the feel of a play in regards the dialogue, the film certainly doesn't look like filmed theatre.

So mostly God on Trial is excellent, full of passionate performances, engaging dialogue and a real sense of place. It is not a massive problem that it feels like it doesn't deliver in the end and that the final scene itself just feels weak and convenient, flying in the face of everything that had gone before. Not as perfect as some have suggested here but still a very good piece of television drama from BBC2.

A very engaging piece of work, I was particularly impressed by the outstanding performance by Ashley Artus playing Ricard. Artus performance shone above the rest, who although good actors seemed less committed to their characterization, some of them a little too healthy and composed looking to be in a concentration camp in Auschvitz. Ashley Artus in particular displayed both immense talent and dedication to his craft, with clear signs that he was fully immersed in the character of Ricard from the edgily moving displays of varying levels of emotion right down to the weight loss undergone. Somebody ought to give this man the recognition he deserves!

The scenario is a stinking, overcrowded unheated blockhouse in Auschwitz during the war. Earlier in the day the prisoners have been divided in two groups by a smiling doctor; the next morning, the group of those deemed fit for work will presumably be allowed to live, at least for a while, while the others will be taken to the gas chambers (to complete the horror, prisoners are not told which group will survive). New inmates arrive; their bunks will be those left by the condemned.

One of the prisoners proposes to convene a rabbinical court where God is accused of doing nothing to prevent the horrors in which they live and of betraying the covenant with His people. Some prisoners like the devout Kuhn find the idea senseless and blasphemous, (Gods's ways cannot be questioned) but his secular son Mordechai offers his services as chief prosecutor. Arguments are put on the table in favor and against. Among the first, a French scientist suggest that there may be uncountable planets where life exists and that God cannot pay much attention to all; among the second, God is accused of abandoning His people and making a covenant with their enemies. The discussion proceeds, first rambling and unfocused (the three judges keep it on subject) and ends with a spirited argument by the prosecution that decides the trial.

The film opens in modern times, with a group of tourists whose guide flippantly explains what ticket is necessary to visit this or that part of the camp. Auschwitz is now tidied up. The guide tries to interest his group in the happenings during the war but we sense some polite skepticism; somebody comments how human beings could do this to each other.

I was enthralled by this film. I find arguments on religion fascinating, if rarely conclusive; at the end, we are left with more questions than the ones we began with. The movie is filmed theater, but of the best quality. Acting is first rate, cinematography does justice to the squalid settings and direction paces the tale flawlessly. Highly recommended.

Bet you're great at parties you insufferable potato. You are mad because they didn't have the discussion YOU wanted them to have. Write your own script mate, then you can make any argument you want.

at first sigh, a lesson. about Shoah, faith, Judaism, resistance, hope. at the second - seductive film with a splendid performance of each actor. in fact - only a form of definition of sense in a Nazi camp. a form of fight for survive. the atmosphere, the dialogs, the tension of acting. all as parts of an admirable circle. a story who may be a parable. but, in essence, it is only slice of reality. and not just reality of Holocaust but measure of each day from each life. a terrible film. for its questions and for the images from a hell. and for precise - delicate manner to remember one of many trials in which God was not only defendant but, in same measure, prosecutor.

A silly movie. A silly debate and a bad acting. I don't like the movie, the Idea, they didn't do anything but blaming the god while they can face the soldiers and live or die.