Ein Tag - Bericht aus einem deutschen Konzentrationslager 1939 (1965 TV Movie) User Reviews

Ein Tag 1939(Nur Ein Tag) A Classic

[george-85040 · 9/10 · 1 July 2017]

This is the best Holocaust/concentration camp film I ever saw. It describes one day from roll call in the dark of early morning to the dark of evening all in the freezing cold as the prisoners are forced to stand for interminable lengths of time. I am not Jewish and have no special interest in Holocaust films. But this film is a classic that cannot be allowed to disappear. I'm surprised that there is not more attention around this film. One reason may be is that is not about Jews. The prisoners to my perception are all, with one exception, non-Jewish political and others. If a prisoner commits an offense he is sent "down" to work with the Jews in some unimaginable inferno.

I saw this film 40 some years ago and it is impossible to forget. I have been searching for it ever since and finally found it on YouTube this week but only in German. I haven't been able to find an English language or sub-titled in English version.

This film should be in the Holocaust Museum. It shows the horror of the camps like no other film I have ever seen. It's a must for Holocaust archives.

Harrowing,political prisoners,face terrible times in a German concentration camp

[amunastra · 10/10 · 15 December 2005]

This is probably the best film i have ever seen.From the moment the film starts you can feel for the prisoners in the camp. Scantily clad political and religious prisoners so harshly treated and in what seems to be such a cold and desolate place. With just a thin prison garment and many having no shoes,with the sleet coming down almost constantly.The prisoners are constantly being beaten for trying to keep warm but wear anything under your prison garment even a newspaper and you are savagely and mercilessly beaten. Even for having a religious view one prisoner for not penancing god was hauled up on a post by his hands that were tied behind his back. Show that you are a bit frail and the guards will work you to death. As the sleet falls one prisoner dies and there is a scramble for his wooden clogs.If you ever want to see a film that is Drama of the very best then watch Tag you will never forget it and it will be etched in your mind forever.

A Concentration Camp from the Inside

[Motion-Picture-Watchmen · 27 January 2024]

In many instances, a movie of this nature can no longer be considered a purely artistic or purely entertaining work. In this case, we are dealing with both an educational duty and an educational work.

Soberly shot, without music and in cool black and white, the film is about political prisoners in a German concentration camp in 1939.

The movie is shot realistically and without much pathos. It shows the typical events of a concentration camp in a shocking and repulsive way: forced labor, humiliation, hatred of the Jews, crematoria, participation of some prisoners and sadistic SS men.

The words alone underline the general cruelty of the time. The cinematic staging, however, translates this amazingly well - to the detriment of the viewer's well-being. But this lack of inhibition, which was surprisingly low for the year 1965, is necessary to fully understand the story.

It makes you feel sick to your stomach when you realize that the hardship shown in 1939 is milder in comparison to the war years.

What I also found particularly striking was the contrast between everyday life and the political events of the time. The final scene illuminates this approach very well. The commander's visit to the pub is set to the gruesome sounds of the concentration camp.

All in all, this is a film worth seeing and one that is aware of history.