| Actors:
| Bolek Polívka, Csongor Kassai, Jaroslav Dusek, Anna Sisková, Martin Huba | | Director:
| Jan Hrebejk | | Format:
| Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC | | Language:
| Czech | | Subtitle:
| English | | Number of Discs:
| 1 | | Studio:
| Sony Pictures Home Entertainment | | Run Time:
| 117 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| November 27, 2001 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 26 reviews |
|
Average Customer Review:
 ( 26 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
41 of 45 found the following review helpful:
 We must help each otherMar 27, 2001
By Marek Vojtko
"marco1475"
I don't think that "Divided we fall" was such a good choice of translation of this movie's name. I personally come from Slovakia, the neighboring country to the Czech Republic, and we understand each other languages - and as my title says, the true meaning is "We must help each other". And that's what is the movie about - about people, their will to help each other, the strenght and weakness of the human character. The DVD is already out in Europe and what I can say is that the movie hasn't lost any of it's charm with the transfer to the DVD. However, as for Europe usual, the DVD had just little to no extras, because of all the different languages they have to pack on the DVD. We will see, if the US-version is better. Of course, you will be able to check it, just look a little bit higher on your screen, there you'll find it ... As I said, we must help each other. Didn't I help you now?
18 of 19 found the following review helpful:
 Gripping Story of the HolocaustJun 15, 2004
By David Anderson
"Divided We Fall" is a great Czech Republic film from 2000, starring Bolek Polivka, Anna Siskova, and Csongor Kassai. It earned an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film. It desplicts a couple, Josef and Maria, from Czechoslavakia (now Czech Republic and Slavakia) who's devastated that they are unable to bear children. Josef begins losing all hope in life. Little do they know that their lives will become affected by the Holocaust. Suddenly, David, one of his ex-employee's family members and a lone survivor of a Polish massacre, enters their apartment in search of help. They risk their lives to hide him from the Nazis. Through these intense chain of events, the hard-hitting impact is always present. Such powerful theme keeps audiences watching closely. This powerful film desplicts the Holocaust's hardships wonderfully, brutal and beyond heartbreaking. The emotion aspect builds as lives change forever, namely Josef's renewed life outlook. The unique camera effects in certain scenes dig deeper into the characers' surroundings. Such film quality gives the brilliant plot its viewing enjoyment up to the surprising conclusion. The performers add their own sense of emotional value to this, namely Polivka, Siskova, and Kassai. Kassai's captivating performance as David alone offers the unforgettable experience through his character's life threatening struggles. "Divided We Fall" is yet another great Holocaust-based film that will continue pleasing its audiences. This will not be forgotten by any of them.
14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
Delightful!Dec 29, 2002
This is a terrific, warm, and beautiful film. It successfully examines a cross section of the Nazi occupation period in Eastern Europe. It lovingly narrates the WWII experience of a handful of seemingly ordinary people. It elaborates on the troubled evolution of the complex relationship between people and things Czech, German and Jewish. It is endearing and uplfiting. The film subtly confronts and employs some of the stereotyped character types of the war and occupation era. But does so only to undermine and overturn them eventually, ever so gently. "Divided We Fall" is immensely funny in a traditionally Czech bittersweet manner. The entire cast is wonderful. The quirky soundtrack complements the film very well. Photography makes more than excellent use of dreamy natural light, and the movie is a visual joy as well. A highly recommended cinematic pleasure overall!
9 of 10 found the following review helpful:
Heartbreaking AND funny at the same timeMar 31, 2005
By Barbara B.
Most films about the Nazis and the holocaust are unrelentingly depressing and hard to watch (although we need to). A few are ultimately uplifting. But this one is the only one I can think of that is both heartbreaking and funny at the same time. That's what puts it far above the rest.
The "moral" of the story -- that we must help each other survive through the hard times -- is never heavy handed, but it a natural extension of the situation the characters find themselves in. The ending is a treasure and one that doesn't feel contrived or unnatural.
The only fault I could find is that the first five minutes seem somewhat irrelevant, since I never could figure out for sure who the people were in the "pre war" clips. And it doesn't really matter. You can pick the film up when it reaches "the present" time of the action.
9 of 10 found the following review helpful:
Humanity greatly filmedJan 15, 2002
What a wonderful movie! We enjoyed the true signs of humanity throughout the movie. It is refreshing to see, how the struggle, just to survive during the cruel WWII is filmed in such a true but understanding way. And instead of revenge in the end, which would only follow a boring "good vs. evil" plot, people not only forgive each other, they FEEL, that they actually always will somehow belong together. In the end, David Wiener, who was 2 years hidden in a small closet space says about Mr. Prohaska, the Nazi-collaborator "He was a decent man", because he never denounced on his friends. Divided we fall.
A big congratulations to the director & the script - details and traces always find a fitting match later in the movie. And for once we have liked the various camera effects. A different kind of film material enhances in some scenes their surreal existence, supporting the distorted view of the protagonists in this human drama. A highly recommended WWII drama, which is higher rated from us than "Holocaust" or "Schindler's list".
See all 26 customer reviews on Amazon.com
|
