It's important for the film to establish the concentration camp as a hell on earth from the start, but Schlöndorff has more in mind than creating another reminder of the inhumanity of fascism.
75
New York PostV.A. Musetto
New York PostV.A. Musetto
It doesn't measure up to Schlondorff's 1979 Oscar winner, "The Tin Drum," but it's compelling nevertheless.
A grim meditation on faith and betrayal that focuses on a relatively obscure corner of Holocaust history: the fate of the Catholic clergy under the Third Reich.
50
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
The film is thought-provoking but not terribly involving.
50
Village VoiceMichael Atkinson
Village VoiceMichael Atkinson
Plays best as a dry exercise in historical doublespeak and rationalization.