The Boy in the Striped Pajamas-This movie is from Ireland and is in English. A warning...you will have a hard time sleeping after this one. I compare it to Schindler's List. This story is about the son of a Nazi concentration camp commandant. He, naturally, was totally oblivious to what his dad actually did. He befriended a boy who wore "stripped pajamas" near his house, who always say behind a fence (you can put the pieces together). The total innocence of that kid, well...I won't ruin it. You may need to watch an episode of I Love Lucy afterwards. I do recommend it though.
Pan's Labyrinth- This Spanish film is another movie about a kid, and another which some Nick at Nite is a must after watching. It is all sorts of weird. The main character in this movie is a young girl, who's mother married a Spanish officer during the Spanish civil war. The man, obviously abusive, and the war really effected the child. She escaped it all through a wild fantasy world. Yes, I know it seems weird, but you will be glad you watched it.
Au Revoir Les Enfants- Just watched this one the other day on Netflix streaming.Okay, so I love foreign films...especially those revolving around either WW2 or the Cold War. So, here are some I recommend. Netflix has them, I am sure the library will too. I was unsure about it, previews looked boring. The story is about a Jewish boy who is sent to a Catholic boys school in France to escape Nazi capture. He pretends to be Catholic, but it become obvious to many of the boys that he is not. The school staff knows, something that they risk their lives to keep secret. The other star is one of the Catholic boys who eventually befriends the Jewish boy. There is not a whole lot of action, but the thing I liked about it was the honesty of the kids (not always pleasant) and the ability to see what it may have been like to be a French kid in Nazi occupied France anticipating the Allied Invasion. You have to remember that the world did not know about the Holocoust. I would hope that these kids would have been a bit more understanding had they known what he was escaping. This movie is in French, with English subtitles.
Burnt By The Sun- I cannot even remember where I watched this movie. It may have been while studying in Prague, or perhaps my History of the Soviet Union course in college. This movie, in Russian with subtitles, is about a Soviet colonel (Nikita Mikhalkov, famous Russian Actor) and his family under Stalin. He is a bit paranoid. It gives good insight into life under "comrade Stalin". There is a bit of humor in here too. I am about to watch this again, ordered it on Netflix. I remember it being good enough to watch again, so I recommend it for all.
Sophie Scholl- The Final Days- I really enjoyed this movie. It was in German with English subtitles. This true story is about a brother and sister (both college students) who are arrested for distributing anti-national socialist (anti-Nazi) leaflets as part of the White Rose movement.Having just come back from another trip to Germany, where I saw Dachau concentration camp, Nazi Party Rally Grounds, and other Nazi sights...I was really intrigued to see this film. It is really all about the dialog, as most of the film is of interrogations between her and Gestapo investigators. One of the most eye opening scenes is when they are in their (show) trial. The room was filled with Nazi party members. The judge, a man dressed in a bright red robe sitting in front of a huge Nazi Swastika, yelled and berated her...of course not letting her defend herself. Her "lawyer" had nothing to say either. Their parents, not even allowed in. This scene (as well as a similar scene in the move "Valkyrie") really makes one appreciate our fair court system and general freedoms in America. Watch an episode of Judge Judy and compare it to how these judges were...
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