Customer Reviews

Edges of the Lord

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

EDGES OF THE LORD is a film that, once seen, creates in the viewer the need to call every friend and recommend their seeing it. As conceived and directed by Yurek Bogayevicz and by using primarily a Polish cast shot on location in various areas of Poland, this film appears to be a simple tale of courage of a young Jewish boy Romek (Haley Joel Osment) whose parents wisely see the encroaching genocide by the Nazis and out of love, teach their son the basics of Catholicism so that Romek can pass as a Catholic and be placed with a Catholic family in order to save him from the Nazi exterminations.

Romek lands with a family whose children include an older child Vladek (Richard Banel) and a younger Tolo (Liam Hess). The family understands that Romek is a Jew and even the young children incorporate that fact into their cohabitation. The village priest (Willem Dafoe) likewise takes Romek under his wing and in a touching scene while the priest is cutting the 'hosts' for Catholic communion from a wafer sheet, he tells Romek that the uneven portions are the 'edges of the Lord' and therefore Romek may eat them as a Jew without betraying his own religious beliefs.

The boys are part of a circle of preadolescent friends which includes one girl Maria (Ola Frycz) who slowly warms to Romek. In the priest's cataclysm class the children are assigned roles as Apostles and Tolo assumes the identity of Jesus. It is this assumption of the life of Jesus (sneaking a crown of rose thorns under his cap, tying himself to a tree ('cross'), and ultimately making a sacrifice for Romek in imitation of Christ's mission) that provides some of the more exquisitely beautiful moments in this lovely film.

The story can be watched and absorbed on many levels: the effect of the atrocities of the Nazi occupation on Polish Jews, the sanctity of the family unit and the terror of living in an occupied country in the time of war, the delicate line children tread to become adults, the inhumanity of man as contrasted to the profound humanity of man - all of these threads are woven into this Polish tapestry of tremendous emotional impact.

While the performances by Osment and Dafoe are expectedly fine, the roles of the Polish actors - especially the incandescent Liam Hess as Tolo - are extraordinary. This is truly a masterful work that deserves a very wide audience. Highly Recommended! Grady Harp, January 2005

I just finished viewing this picture, ORDER IT TODAY! It's rated "R", but we watched it with our children, to help them to understand the evil of that time in world history. To reinforce the drive to avoid this at all costs. We wanted to be there to answer the question that inevitably comes up, "why are they so mean".

Buy this picture and view yourself, but don't pass it up. It was released in Poland 2 years ago, but not in the US until now, thank you for having the courage to do this.

This is yet another triumph for Haley Joel Osment, this young man has the ability to turn you on and off like a switch. Haley where does you talent end, each picture is better than the last? Please, please keep up the outstanding work.

I felt that the subplots weaving thought the picture were just perfect, the Priest who handed Haley an unblessed wafer at their first communion, (he understood that the boy did not feel comfortable and made it possible for him to continue his disguise), the your girl who wanted the have sex with him, the youngest brother how believes he is the Christ, and wants to suffer and die to return the world to where it was before the war, and many more. You will want to watch this one 3, 4 or more times.

As a Jew I found his performance string and stunning. The plot set against Word War II and Nazi occupation of Poland brings on memories of the holocaust, people murdered in cold blood, the trains, Oh those trains of helpless Jews going to their death, the tears rolled down my cheek. I pray that we shall NEVER see such a thing happen again. This is one of the most powerful holocaust pictures I have ever seen it is as powerful as "The Pianist" and "Schindler's List", it must be seen to be believed.

Addendum: 6/19/2011

As suggested below I have removed the description of a key seen from my review. Now I have watched the movie again for the 5th time and I find its significance MUCH more relevant than some vignette from a bye gone era where most of us were not alive or like me to young to remember.

TODAY, Right now this movie MUST be seen by every American, NO every citizen who enjoys freedom, yes it is even more relevant now than it was back in the 1940's. How quickly we forget, how quickly we put things behind us, 1000's of people are enduring the very same oppression and torture TODAY in the Middle East! WHY DO WE LET IT HAPPEN, over and over again?

I urge you to buy it NOW before it goes out of print, watch it with your kids; yes I said your kids, your friends, your neighbors, and anyone who will come. Then think about the kids who are dyeing today NOW in Syria, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc. Oh GOD how can we stop this?

I made this selection based by "judging the book by its cover" so to speak. I saw Haley Joel Osmont on the cover, saw William Dafoe as a priest, quickly read the summary on the back and took no notice of the rating. I expected a kindly story about a young Jewish boy "rescued" by Christians in Poland during World War II and expected it to be moving and probably perfect for family viewing. Well, all I needed was one viewing to know I made wrong assumption, but making this wrong assumption and expecting a different film may be why this film moved me so.

The film tells the story of Romek, played by Osmont, who is sent to the Polish countryside to avoid being captured by the Nazis. The village may be remote, but it is hardly immune to the World War that is taking place. Romek has the expected scuffles with the village's children but eventually find his place. Yet he also experiences the horrors that cannot be avoided in such a story.

Perhaps what makes this film outstanding is that it is not a typical Holocaust survival film. The film accurately portrays the moral ambiguities that were very much a part of life during the Second World War, especially for Europeans. We see a different type of Catholicism, not the often stereotypes Catholicism that is all too often seen in films, but the unique strain of Polish Catholicism. There is plenty of conflict in the film on many different levels. There are tensions between Romek and the other children that are typical of children's interactions, yet we also know that some of the conflicts are at a deeper level when people suspect why Romek is living in the village. We see the atrocities of war, but we see it through the beautiful acting and writing of the film and not through graphic gimmicks.

There are a number of elements in this film that will catch the viewer by surprise and in the end, make the viewer think. It is worth watching and without question will cause the viewer to think about the bravery of so many during the Second World War, the atrocities that were all too much a part of it, and how easily we can take human rights for granted. Yet surprisingly, while it can have all these elements, and not have the happiest of endings, it is in the end uplifting because in its own way, the human spirit triumphs.

The movie is as powerful as 'The Pianist' and 'Schindler's List'. It deals with children losing their innocence during the Second World War. The plot is excellent and the acting is superb (we have here not only Haley Joel Osment, but also another very talented young actor - Liam Hess; the Polish children did an excellent job as well).
I am a Pole and I am proud that such a good movie was shot in Poland, as Polish-American co-production. The crew itself is a mixture of Polish, British and American people - this fact itself makes the movie interesting to see.
I am happy that the movie has finally reached the States (in Poland it was issued on DVD two years ago).

Similar to Pay It Forward, the boy (Haley Joel Osment) does a wonderful job of making one truly feel for the boy and the specific situation the boy is in. As the story winds on, how people treat other people is what impacted me the most. In other movies, I have seen horrible things done to the Jews during those times. I'm sure there were many more things done than I can imagine. However, this movie went way beyond zeroing in on how the Jews were treated.

The movie shows us that brutality was inflicted on not only the Jews, but many others too. Many know that the Jews were treated horribly back then and some people may even insincerely shake their heads and say "Tsk tsk" and think how it would not have affected them. If the insincere people saw this movie, they would understand that their own selfish selves would also be in danger and would hate the whole situation itself. The movie shows a place that is a Hades where evil actions were common. I am certain that many people shed tears during this awesome movie.

Although hate, a lack of respect for life, and murder ran unchecked, the movie also showed characters that had an understanding of how precious life is. These good people supported life and did the best they could at great risk to themselves. Their actions went way beyond religious tolerance. The actions showed a respect for people and their beliefs.

Words cannot do justice to this movie.

I just finished watching "Edges of The Lord", and I must say that I found it to be an incredible story about the life of a Jewish boy who had to move in with a catholic family in order to survive the time of the Holocaust. I'm not an expert but in my experience this movie was one of the best I've seen that was related to one of the worst times in history. I would recommend this movie for anyone interested in Period Drama.

Edges of the Lord received very little publicity when it was released, and the American release went straight to DVD. Yet this is a film that demands watching and more than once. Haley Joel Osment gives possibly his best performance ever, and that says a lot considering his outstanding efforts in The Sixth Sense, Pay It Forward, A.I., and Second Hand Lions. He portrays a young Jewish boy in Poland during the Nazi occupation, who is sent to live with a Catholic family in rural Poland, where he must pose as a Catholic in order to survive. The only person, besides the family he is living with, who knows his true identity, is the village priest played by William Dafoe who gives an understated yet excellent performance. The drama is intense throughout, but it builds to an even more intense climax. All of the children in the movie give remarkable performances which further serve to show the true nature of what it was like to live under Nazi occupation whether a Jew or a Christian. This is a movie not to be missed, and it is a movie that should be watched together by families with children above age 12

If you are a Christian or a Jew you will be satisfied with the amazing ending to this movie where integrity and respect make a road through the Valley of the Shadow.

I hate this time in OUR world history, but this is a good story. I only gave it 3 stars because its a familiar theme but the actors did a good job and film quality is top notch. If one considers the price I suppose you could add another star for "less expensive" entertainment.

This movie is what I consider quality viewing, something I like my children and grandchildren to watch - and learn!