The Number on Great-Grandpa's Arm (2018) User Reviews

Heartbreaking

[Bialzibub · 9/10 · 1 May 2018]

This is the same story my grandmother went through and it's heartbreaking. I never managed to speak to my grandmother about the holocaust so it's nice to see this short film.

"They didn't call my name, they call my number."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 27 August 2019]

In this short, nineteen minute film, an elderly man coveys his thoughts and emotions to a great grandson regarding Hitler's holocaust and life in a Nazi concentration camp. Some seventy five years after the fact, the story comes across almost as a sanitized version of the horror experienced by the Jewish victims of Hitler's regime. Some of that is conveyed in Jack Feldman's narration about being reduced to a number, 'A 17606' tattooed on his arm a present day reminder of an involuntary life that could have ended in his death. He also describes being being force marched for six months with virtually nothing in the way of food, simply a daily drink of water and an occasional piece of bread. As a way of making this somewhat comprehensible for a target audience of young children, the story is mixed with historical photo montages and an assortment of animated pastel images to supplement the narrative. The man's reminiscences do make an impression on young Elliott Saiontz, who professes his concern that something like this should not be allowed to ever happen again. As an introductory tool to teach young children about the Holocaust, this short would be a good starting point, as it makes it's point without bringing out the grim horror of Nazi brutality, although that may also be it's down side.

Short,live action,animations....beautiful!

[gustavojensen-98259 · 8/10 · 23 August 2022]

A documentary told in a different way, as if it were a boy's conversation with his great-grandfather, where he tells his story, a story that should be heard by everyone, a story of the greatest human barbarism, passing through the yellow star and Auschwitz .

With cuts of beautiful and colorful images of this dialogue full of life, with photos and videos of the time, mixed with animations as if they were painting ( so beautiful that they won the emmy ) often continuing the great-grandfather's souvenir prints, the short film holds us from the beginning, holds us back and moves us .

A short of survival and overcoming. A life lesson!

Amazing

[saiontz-18525 · 10/10 · 31 August 2018]

The second this movie started I could tell it would be amazing. Just the act of incorporating children into a holocaust (WWII) was an outstanding idea. The watercolor photos over real images was a great idea too. Not only that but Jeff Scher's drawings were simply amazing. I encourage anyone out there, child or adult, to watch this movie and be blown away by this heartbreaking survival story of Jack Feldman.

Charming, But Much Too Simplistic

[neener3707 · 7/10 · 1 February 2018]

Well it was a charming little short film about a Holocaust survivor telling a simplistic version of a his story. I understand this was made for children, but World War 2 is so much more of an immensely complicated subject to just describe 19 minutes. Leaving the film putting a over-simplified stamp on this film saying Hitler wanted to kill Jews and nothing more, nothing about the surrounding geopolitics involved. And since the people narrating area 10 year old child and victims of WW2, I feel like we get their opinion on what happened and not a scholars objective explanation.

But as I said, this was made for children, so obviously it will be simplistic. No history buff should come here looking for detailed analysis of World War 2, what they will enjoy a quaint little story told from the perspective of a young boy and a charismatic old man. Children this young can't fully grasp the immensely complicated issue of the deadliest war in human history, its normally something reserved for middle school or high school. Personally I wouldn't have my children watch this because I wouldn't want them to think such an immense issue was so simple, but it is always great to see kids interested in history, so I applaud the children involved in this.

I'd say I would recommend it, not if your looking for something detailed though.