This is Part I of the HBO production Sometimes in April on the war in Rwanda (see Friday’s post) starring Idris Elba and Debra Winger. As I said, I haven’t seen it yet but it looks as if the whole movie has been posted in bits on YouTube. It seems well worth watching.
Tag Archives: War Movies
Some Actors of The Wire and their Roles in Recent War Movies
I am not the most avid viewer of series but there are some I did or do enjoy a lot. Six Feet Under was just excellent and so is True Blood. I also quite like Dexter. One of the best series however is The Wire, pretty awesome. Maybe you liked The Wire too and were wondering what some of the excellent actors did after the The Wire has ended.
Set during the British Civil War, The Devil´s Whore is a very convincing historical drama. Dominic West, Detective Jimmy McNulty in The Wire, stars as Oliver Cromwell. This mini series is a must-see for everybody interested in British history. It does take some liberties with some facts but still it is more than just good.
Idris Elba who played the unlikable baddie Russell “Stringer” Bell in The Wire can be seen in the leading role in Sometimes in April. I have not seen this yet but I read that it is the best movie that has been done on the war in Rwanda. Far better than Hotel Rwanda. It is a TV production, maybe that is the reason why it is not widely known. Unlike Hotel Rwanda it really looks into the history of Rwanda and the reasons for the conflict.
Last but not least, James Ransone, who played the annoying character Ziggy Sobotka, stars as Cpl. Josh Ray Person at the side of Alexander Skarsgard in Generation Kill. A very good performance.
Ok, it is slightly off topic, but what series do you think are outstanding? Any preferences? Suggestions?
Holocaust Movie Quotes Film Quiz 6
Today´s quiz is an addition to the post of yesterday about Triumph of the Spirit. The quotes below are all taken from Holocaust movies.
The following movies are hidden behind the quotes: La vita è bella aka Life is beautiful, Schindler´s List, Sophie´s Choice, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Pianist, Triumph of the Spirit, and Holocaust. Do you recognize the quotes? The solutions are just above the respective movie.
“I could have got more out. I could have got more. I don’t know. If I’d just… I could have got more.”
“Oskar, there are eleven hundred people who are alive because of you. Look at them.”
“If I’d made more money… I threw away so much money. You have no idea. If I’d just… ”
“There will be generations because of what you did.”
“I didn’t do enough!”
“You did so much.”
[… looks at his car]
“This car. Goeth would have bought this car. Why did I keep the car? Ten people right there. Ten people. Ten more people.”
[removing Nazi pin from lapel]
“This pin. Two people. This is gold. Two more people. He would have given me two for it, at least one. One more person. A person, Stern. For this.”
[sobbing]
“I could have gotten one more person… and I didn’t! And I… I didn’t!”
It’s an official decree, no Jews allowed in the parks.
“What, are you joking?”
“No, I’m not. I would suggest we sit down on a bench, but that’s also an official decree, no Jews allowed on benches.”
“This is absurd.”
“So, we should just stand here and talk, I don’t think we’re not allowed to do that.”
“Listen, I’m only going to say this once. For those who can hear me tell the rest. First come the SS, our lord and masters. Then comes our block health manager, Kyr. Then come the assistants, Otto and me. Then come the rats. Then come the lice… and then come you.”
“There is no hope! Karl is in prison and Rudi ran away! Never a word from him! And Papa, in Poland, where it’s like they came after him! Mama, you’re acting as if this is a play. Writing letters. Talking about Papa’s patients.”
“It does no harm.”
“You always had that notion that you were someone special, so fine, so educated! The Nazis would never hurt you or your children! And look! Look what’s happened to us!”
[sobs hysterically]
“Anna, your mother can’t be blamed.”
“New Year’s Eve! And who knows if any one of us will be alive for the next New Year!”
“No Jews or Dogs Allowed.” Why do all the shops say, “No Jews Allowed”?
“Oh, that. “Not Allowed” signs are the latest trend! The other day, I was in a shop with my friend the kangaroo, but their sign said, “No Kangaroos Allowed,” and I said to my friend, “Well, what can I do? They don’t allow kangaroos.”
“Why doesn’t our shop have a “Not Allowed” sign?”
“Well, tomorrow, we’ll put one up. We won’t let in anything we don’t like. What don’t you like?”
“Spiders.”
“Good. I don’t like Visigoths. Tomorrow, we’ll get sign: “No Spiders or Visigoths Allowed.”
“You’re so beautiful. I’d like to get you in bed. Are you a polack? You! Are you also one of those filthy communists?”
[walks away]
“I am a pole! I was born in Cracow! I am not a Jew. Neither are my children! They’re not Jews. They are racially pure. I am a Christian. I am a devout Christian.”
[the officer comes back]
“You are not a communist? You are a believer.”
“Yes sir, I believe in Christ.”
“You believe in Christ the redeemer?”
“Yes.”
[looks at the children] “Did He not say… “Suffer the children, come unto me?” ”
[…remains silent]
“You may keep one of your children.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You may keep one of your children. The other must go away.”
“You mean, I have to choose?”
“You are a Polack, not a Yid. That gives you a privilidge, a choice.”
“I can’t choose. I can’t choose!”
“Be quiet.”
“I can’t choose!”
“Make a choice. Or I’ll send both of them over there. Make a choice.”
“Don’t make me choose! I can’t!”
“Shut up! Enough! I’ll send them both over there! I told you to shut up! Make a choice!”
“I can’t choose! Please! I can’t choose!”
[to an officer] “Take BOTH children away!”
“I know it’s terrible trying to have any faith when people are doing such horrible… But you know what I sometimes think? I think the world may be going through a phase, the way I was with mother. It’ll pass. Maybe not hundreds of years, but someday. – I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are really good at heart.”
If you liked this quiz, don´t miss some of the others:
Triumph of the Spirit (1989) or The Story of Salamo Arouch and how he survived Auschwitz
Salamo Arouch, a young Greek of Jewish descent became middle weight boxing champion of the Balkans in 1939. All his 24 fights ended with a KO. An absolute record. Surely he would have had a stunning career. Instead after Germany invaded Greece he and his family were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau together with thousands of other Greek Jews in March 1943.
While the women of the family were gassed on the first day of their arrival, Salamo, his father and his brother were coerced into forced labour. Once the guards found out that he was a famous boxer they forced him to fight other prisoners for the entertainment of the Nazis. The loser would be gassed mercilessly. Somehow Arouch survived Auschwitz winning 208 fights by KO. After the liberation he emigrated to Palestine and witnessed the foundation of the state of Israel.
This incredible story, starring Willem Dafoe (at his absolute best) as Salamo Arouch is told in Triumph of the Spirit. Shot on location at Auschwitz this is one of the most impressive movies on the Holocaust I have ever seen. It feels spooky to know that we are actually seeing the very place where all this happened. Salamo Arouch came back to Auschwitz as an advisor during the shooting of this movie. He died in April 2009.
I had so many questions while watching this… So many thoughts… What was it like to go back there after having endured all this? What was it like for the actors to play in such a movie in such a place that was saturated in pain? Can you still feel this? And what was it like to play a prisoner of Auschwitz? I think this must be one of the hardest roles for any actor. I was also wondering if this movie would not be good material to teach Auschwitz and the theme of the concentration camps in schools. And I was wondering, once more, how all this could have happened. When you see the guards, hit the prisoners, see how malnourished they are, so hungry that they would almost kill their own for a tiny piece of bread. The way they had to sleep with such little space. When you watch how thousands are forced to take showers but were ultimately gassed. When you see the piles of clothes, shoes, hair, jewelry… and the piles of bodies that had to be cremated. How could anyone help in any of this? How could that happen? I think we need to have such movies, we need to know what humans are capable of, and stay alert and never let this happen again.
Another question I was asking myself was: Would I like to visit Auschwitz? I must admit, I wouldn´t. I believe that places can store pain. I would not want to get this close to it. What about you? Would you want to visit Auschwitz?
Oliver Stone: One of the Greatest Film and War Movie Directors
When I watched Savior the other day, knowing it was produced by Oliver Stone, I thought of all the outstanding anti- war movies this man has done. Many film directors have chosen to do war movies but there are just a few that we associate more with the genre than others.
His trilogy of Vietnam war movies is probably known by almost anyone. Platoon is one of my Top Ten favourite ones, but I think Born on the 4th of July is equally powerful. Heaven and Earth, the third one, may be a bit less accomplished but maybe we have to see them all together as three different points of view of one war.
His name stands for many other extremely good movies that often circle around the themes of war and violence. War movie purists would not mention Alexander when speaking about war movies, I think it is debatable. What is not debatable is that Alexander is highly watchable.
Salvador is without any doubt a further war movie. The Doors has a look at the Vietnam war, politicians like JFK and Nixon have to be associated with war. You could say that Wall Street is the war of the brokers and Natural Born Killers a personal war.
And even World Trade Center could be called a war movie (actually the only one I have not seen because of the obnoxious Nicolas Cage).
For me The Doors is Oliver Stone´s only failure. As much as I normally like Val Kilmer, as Jimmy Morrison he was just sacrilegious.
Be it as it may, Oliver Stone is an interesting film director.
I posted two tributes to him, both from Film Festivals, one from Austin and the other one from Zürich.
They are a bit different in as much as the Zürich one also shows some bits of interviews with Oliver Stone whereas the Austin one is purely dedicated to his movies.
Do you have a favourite Oliver Stone movie? I must admit that apart from Platoon I have watched Alexander more than once.
All About War Movies 