This is a must of Haley Joel Osment fans, of course, though some might be disappointed in the Polish accent that the film requires from HJO. He is the star of the film, no doubt, but the other kids (both boys and girls) are just as much a part of the story, and are wonderful young actors. Willem Defoe as the priest is fine, though he's not a very good pig-chaser (okay, that's an inside joke, for those who've seen the film). Liam Hess, who plays the younger brother in the family that the Haley character is living with to avoid being rounded up by the Nazis, is the best of the group, and the most sympathetic of the characters. Some of the plot situations he goes through seem a bit far-fetched, but the underlying allegory that his character embodies is mostly effectively drawn, and comes to an emotional conclusion. All of the Nazis portrayed in this movie are monsters as human beings, with no attempt made to find even one sympathetic German character in the group. There is some balance in the Polish characterizations, though, as some are good people, and some are bad.
As for the reason this hasn't been released in the U.S. yet, I found nothing that should keep it out of the theaters. The one nude scene with young Liam Hess is certainly innocent enough, and the rape scene involving a couple of the other young actors/actresses was emotionally moving, without being too graphic for anyone who's not running for office somewhere and trying to make a name for themself. The dvd is a first rate product.
As for the reason this hasn't been released in the U.S. yet, I found nothing that should keep it out of the theaters. The one nude scene with young Liam Hess is certainly innocent enough, and the rape scene involving a couple of the other young actors/actresses was emotionally moving, without being too graphic for anyone who's not running for office somewhere and trying to make a name for themself. The dvd is a first rate product.