Regie:
Costa-GavrasCamera:
Patrick BlossierMuziek:
Armand AmarActeurs:
Ulrich Tukur, Mathieu Kassovitz, Ulrich Mühe, Michel Duchaussoy, Ion Caramitru, Marcel Iures, Friedrich von Thun, Hanns Zischler, Sebastian Koch (meer)Samenvattingen(1)
WO II, Duitsland. SS-luitenant Kurt Gerstein werkte mee aan de ontwikkeling van het gas Zyklon B. Wanneer hij ontdekt waar men het gas voor wil gebruiken, is hij diep geschokt. Hij probeert diverse instanties te waarschuwen en weet zo de aandacht van de jonge jezuïet Riccardo Fontana te trekken. Samen proberen ze paus Pius XII te overtuigen om de holocaust publiekelijk af te keuren. (Upstream Pictures)
(meer)Recensie (2)
Over the years, I’ve seen World War II films that were far more shocking than this one. Here, the premise itself is meant to shock, especially with its direct critique of the church. The execution, though, is pretty standard and traditional, lacking any real dynamism. If you're into movies from this era, you'll appreciate it, but if you're looking for an exciting movie for the evening, this might not be the one for you.
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From a director like Costa-Gavras, I expect more than from a run-of-the-mill filmmaker, and for a film for which I would be willing to give a weaker 4 stars if it were directed by someone else, I will only give Costa-Gavras 3. Above all else, his Amen. reminds me of another drama by a famous director, namely Katyn by Andrzej Wajda. It is an exceptionally powerful work, an attempt to deliver the best possible result, but in the end, something is lacking. Especially in the case of Costa-Gavras' drama, there is too much talking in some parts, and the film flows too slowly in others. And in some cases, there are not enough charismatic actors appearing in the film. In short, the result is just an average drama that is elevated by the theme. From a historical perspective, it is certainly interesting to look at the involvement of the Catholic Church during World War II, in which it had its bright moments but also very dark ones. The genocide of the Jews could not have been prevented, but many things could have been said more boldly, and above all, the papal seat has had blood on its hands since the 1930s, paving the way for the Nazis to power by maneuvering the Catholic Center as a political pawn in cooperation with the NSDAP... Overall impression: 65%.
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