Customer Reviews

Spring 1941 [Blu-ray]

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

 

 

Having watched numerous Holocaust-themed dramas, I was surprised to find this new title pop up on a movie rental website I subscribe to. Though many movies have been made on the subject, I find myself learning something new from each movie. "Spring 1941" or "Aviv 41" is directed by Israeli film director, Uri Barbash, based on stories written by Polish Jewish author Ida Fink who had survived the Holocaust using Aryan papers. Though one can tell the movie is not a big budget production, I was impressed by the credible performances by the lead actors.

The story is set in Poland in 1941 as the Nazis take over Poland and almost immediately begin suppressing the Jewish population. Caught in this dangerous web is a young Jewish doctor, Artur Planck (Joseph Fiennes), his cellist wife, Clara (Clare Higgins), and their two young daughters. Fearing the worst, Artur begs the local produce supplier, Emilia (Maria Pakulnis) to shelter them at her remote rural farmhouse. Emilia refuses, for she knows death awaits any Polish Gentile caught sheltering Jews. But one desperate night, Artur makes the decision to make the dangerous journey (with his family) to Emilia's farmhouse in the country. Tragedy strikes along the way, but the now diminished family make it to the country and Emilia has no choice but to take them in.Here's where things begin to take a strange twist - Emilia, feeling lonely (her husband who was off fighting the Germans, is presumed dead) begins to develop a strong attraction to Artur, and Artur responds to her overtures. Clara, who senses what's going on becomes predictably resentful but also realizes they are at Emilia's mercy.

The movie is told in two narrative strands - one focuses on an older Clara who is visiting Poland to perform in a concert (30 years after the events of the Holocaust), the other is told via Clara's flashbacks to the past involving her younger self, Artur, and Emilia. The switch between the past and present is done quite well, without any jarring effects. The lead actors are credible in their portrayal of individuals driven to make difficult choices under extraordinary and difficult circumstances. Joseph Fiennes is credible as the conflicted husband who feels guilty on the one hand for betraying his wife, but also feels a sense of gratitude and duty towards Emilia. Maria Pakulnis is compelling in her portrayal of a Gentile woman who feels so utterly alone that she contemplates the unthinkable, i.e. having an affair with a married man and hoping to beget children with a Jew, all the more startling given her devoutness. Clare Higgins delivers a finely-nuanced performance as the tortured wife.

There are some disturbing scenes in the movie, involving violent acts towards children and a mass shooting. The movie effectively captures the desperate nature of the time - the depravity of the Nazis (laughing soldiers clicking away with their cameras as they watch the doomed Jews being marched off to be executed), how people are driven to do the unthinkable under harsh circumstances, etc. It was heartening to see some Poles being portrayed in a positive light - there's a scene where Emilia does all she can to prevent German soldiers from discovering Artur's family in the attic, and another where a Polish Gentile refrains from denouncing Artur to the Germans. There's always the good and bad in people and I felt the movie struck a good balance here in the portrayal of the Poles. "Spring 1941" is a well-told human drama which will appeal to those keen on Holocaust dramas.

I didn't know what to expect as this topic is difficult to portray accurately sometimes. This film had good acting, writing, and sets. Based on true stories, the way it went from present to past was seamless and effective. Once again, when seeing these horrors, it's hard to wrap my mind around the suffering that so many endured.