Categories: films
Date: 05 August 2008 13:58:45
Always on the cutting edge of culture, your film reviewer now brings you a piece on Europa, Europa, a film by the Polish director, Agnieska Holland, first released in (ahem) 1991.
It tells the incredible (largely) true story of Solomon Perel, a German Jewish boy, who was 13 when Germany invaded Poland in 1939. Following an anti-Semitic attack on his home which resulted in the death of his sister, Solomon and his older brother Issac are sent by their parents to escape to a safer area. The brothers become parted from one another and the story follows the amazing story of Solomon who lives on his wits. His main concern is to hide his true identity in the various situations he finds himself in. Speaking fluent Russian and German, he is able to act as an interpreter and change his national allegiance when necessary in his attempt to survive.
In a society which prided itself on the purity of its “Aryan” roots, Solomon manages to pass himself off as one of the majority but is never able to rest for fear of being found out. In the twists and turns of this young boy's astonishing life, there are one or two characters who guess his identity but do not reveal it to the authorities. There are however a few nail-biting moments when all Solomon's best efforts seem to be doomed to failure - and death. There is one episode which has probably been added for cinematic effect but seems to me to conflict with a later situation. Watch the film and decide for yourself.
The film underlines Europe's dark 20th century history and reminded me that today's relative sanity was bought at high price.