Change Your Image
jb-160
Reviews
Train de vie (1998)
How to make a Holocaust film...
Mihaileanu was disappointed with both Spielberg's ("Schindler's List") and Benigni's ("La vita e bella/Life is Beautiful") portrayals of the Holocaust, although he does credit Spielberg for admitting that he thought that his effort was a failure.
The Holocaust poses a monstrous challenge to film makers - how can one make a film about the Holocaust without insulting the memory of those who perished?
Rather than attempting the arguably impossible task of realistically portraying the gloom and horror of the Holocaust, Mihaileanu uses humour with great effect. For example, viewers will be surprised at how amusing they find an orthodox Jew acting as a Nazi officer, complete with a tinge of Yiddish accent.
Despite the use of humour, Mihaileanu does not fail to import the gravity of the Holocaust. He achieves this through a delicate yet powerful mechanism that cannot only be experienced by seeing the film.
Occasionally the humour is a little trying - perhaps this is cultural, and it would have been more rewarding to see the film in the local language rather than French. Otherwise, the film is excellent.
JB