I was reluctant to watch this, having read the book about 10 years ago and vividly remembering all the horrible details. When I finally took the time to watch it, it took me some time to get used to the fact that this is not a film in the traditional sense. It feels a lot more like a play, a monologue delivered on a very stage-like set. But this for me is also the strong point of this film. With the simplest of means the grey, hopeless feel of a death camp is created; grey walls, doorways, a wooden chair, a table, light and sound. Antony Sher moves solemnly through these sets and somehow, through the magic of his acting, the whole of Auschwitz comes alive (a strange phrase for such an utterly dead place, but you know what I mean). You can almost feel the cold, the despair, the death, the hunger. This certainly does not make for easy viewing, least of all because Mr. Sher is often looking directly at you while delivering this horrible tale. Still this film, like the book, carries a very strong message: never again.
There was also a film made of Primo Levi's second book, The Truce, about his journey home to Italy. I was less impressed with that one but it may be worth watching after this, one to get a sense of the aftermath of the war for the survivors.
There was also a film made of Primo Levi's second book, The Truce, about his journey home to Italy. I was less impressed with that one but it may be worth watching after this, one to get a sense of the aftermath of the war for the survivors.