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Divided We Fall 2000 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Jan Hrebejk
PG-13, 117 min. (violence, some sexuality) |
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Starring: Boleslav Polivka, Anna Siskova, Jaroslav Dusek, Csongor Kassai, Jiri Kodet, Vladimir Marek, Richard Tesarik
Producers: Ondrej Trojan, Pavel Borovan
Screenplay: Petr Jarchovsky
Cinematography: Jan Malír
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Released: 6.08.01 (Limited)
(In Czech and German with subtitles) |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
Nominated for the Best Foreign Picture Oscar last year, Divided We Fall deals with the tragic circumstances that surrounded
occupied Czechoslovakia during World War II, and how one couple decides to live when confronted with an escaped Jew
that they knew before the war. Instead of relying heavily on countless Jewish casualties, the film centers on one character,
and his fight to survive regardless his sacrifices. There is humor, tension, anger, and most of all, compassion that is
encapsulated into the film's tight two-hour running time. Competently directed and wonderfully acted, Divided We Fall
is a fresh look at the brutality that many people faced during the nightmarish years of Nazi occupation.
Josef and Marie Cizek (Boleslav Polivka and Anna Siskova) are the average Czech couple during the war. They watch
as their friends and neigbors are taken away by the Nazis, fearful that they might be next. Suddenly their own character
is tested when David Wiener (Csongor Kassai), a Jew who escaped from a prison camp, shows up at their doorstep needing
a place to hide. After an argument, they decide to hide him in their cellar, while also befriending a Nazi sympathizer,
Horst (Jaroslav Dusek), who's unaware of their secret. Soon the pressures of keeping David safe and themselves intact
in their volatile neighborhood are almost too much to bear, coupled with their own relationship threatened by their inability
to have a child.
The tension that is ratcheted up between the three main characters is considerable - only periodic moments of humor keep
the film from becoming overbearing, a wise decision by director Jan Hrebejk. His ability to showcase these characters as
average persons, struggling with their decision to hide David, is the highlight of the film. He doesn't make Josef and Marie
into heroes, but rather visits the issues of doubt and undeniable fear that constantly surround their every move. Josef is
a conflicted man, at times willing to help David, at others ready to get rid of him. Marie is more sympathetic, but also
unsure of their decision - remember, there's no guarantee the Nazis would eventually fall. Their courage is readily rewarded
when David is able to repay their kindness not once, but twice.
The performances are strong. Polivka and Siskova are completely believable in their roles, delving deep into the shoes of
their characters, resulting in a striking balance between a husband and wife dealing with such dangerous circumstances. And
Kassai as David is equally adept at playing the frightened but resilient Jew that must survive to keep his family name in
existence. In a film such as this, the actors are critical, and this cast doesn't disappoint.
Divided We Fall is a very natural film, with much of the tension coming from the film's down-to-earth dialogue, both poignant
and ordinary. You can easily put yourself in the shoes of either character, making the film's message even more effective.
Although there have been better similar period pieces (Schindler's List), it's power is still considerable once the end credits
roll. It proves that sometimes self-sacrifice results in the unequaled satisfaction that comes from obeying one's own
conscience.
© 2001 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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