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Tells the story like truly was. Detailed. Lost most of my family thanks to those CRIMINALS. Up to now haven't been able to recover my families belongings, properties, paintings etc thanks to SS, Gestapo and very especially the German "government". Remember Terezinstad, Buchenwald, Auschwitz. Remember the cattle wagons, segregations. I still have the memory of the so called soup spoons. If anyone needs my father's number let me know. Remember German butchers how is to gas an 18 month old baby
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
PLOT: EXCELLENT STORY from BOTH the German and the Jewish side from 1935 and leading into World War 2~~~ WINNER OF 8 EMMY AWARDS~ ON DVD AT LEAST ...OUTSTANDING~ IN 1978 this was one of the highest rated TV movies of it's time~ We see the happy occasion of the Jewish Weiss Family on the marriage of their son to (Inga) Meryl Streep a Christian~ the year is 1935 and the story sets up POLISH born Dr. Weiss (Fritz Weaver ) and his family with 2 sons and daughter live in Germany. At the same time the story moves to the German side of Erik Dorf a lawyer drawn into the SS for Fame and fortune~ this starts the story from 2 sides. GREAT fiction blended with Historic Fact~ We see the Weiss Family affected by the changes in German Law which forbids Jewish Doctors to treat NON Jews~ and laws restricting the ability to keep homes and jobs~ the Weiss Family are eventually separated by Dr. Weiss being deported back to Poland as yet more laws moving at removing all rights of all Jews living in Germany. Dorf on the other side is moving up the command and favor with Heidrick one of the most die hard Nazis who later comes up with the 'idea of the final solution" (the deportation and eventual extermination of Jews." Dorf quickly finds his mind can look the other way when horrible atrocities are committed and even Aids the Nazi movement toward the final solution in points of Law stretched to meet the Nazi need to make all their plans "Legal." Oldest son Married to Inga is moved to Theresienstadt~ excellent acting by James Woods~ Daughter Anna is Gased. Steep is excellent. We see the movement of the Jews into Jewish Communities called Ghettos which is a way to herd them in one place so they can be guarded and eventually sent to the East where they are told is resettlement but the truth about the Death Camps is seen~ Dorf continues to move upward and for every step UP he takes in advancements and power the Weiss Family loose more rights and freedoms. Dr. Weiss and his Wife are reunited and end up in Auschwitz which is of course a death camp. SON Rudi managed to escape and found freedom with a young Jewish freedom fighter. 7 1/2 hours of this movie and you will want to see it all in ONE night. The story flows along and even when we see "VERY" disturbing acts of violence like a Jewish Synagogue burned with men alive in it or violence against the Jews with Krystal Nacht (the night of broken glass) where Nazis attacked and broke windows in all Jewish Businesses and HOMES increases the violence aimed at the JEWS.... the steady movement to the horrible Final Solution is looming. We see the Weiss Family destroyed "one by one" LIKE SIX millions Jews killed by the Nazis in the War. But when we see how it affects ONE family it gives us a "FACE" to the MILLIONS lost~~~ excellent writing, directing and acting~ Emmys went to costume, directing, editing, music art direction, OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES = MINISERIES...MICHAEL MORIARTY AS DORF WON FOR OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES AND MERYL STREEP WON AS INGA WEISS OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES~...Moriarty is EXCELLENT as the Nazi willing to HELP millions die but not want to get HIS hands dirty~ THIS MOVIE WILL HAUNT YOU~ this was made before Shindlers List and many people knew about the Holocaust but DID NOT know THE TIME FRAMES AND occurances LEADING UP TO IT~ I GIVE IT 10 OUT OF 10~ IF YOU FOUND THIS REVIEW HELPFUL PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE~Read full review
The series is set in Germany right about the time Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party are in power [the period covered is about 1935-45]. The series focusses on the trials of the Weiss family, a prominent Jewish family with the patriarch being a decorated war veteran, a grandmother, two sons, Dr Josef Weiss [Fritz Weaver] and his wife Berta [Rosemary Harris], a pharmacist Moses Weiss [Sam Wanamaker], and three grandchildren, an artist Karl [James Woods], a rebel Rudi [Joseph Bottoms], and young Anna. The series begins with the celebration of the marriage between Karl [James Woods] and his Aryan wife Inga [Meryl Streep]. The Weiss portray the assimilated Jewish family, they are not particularly religious yet proud to be Jewish, and are at ease with their Gentile friends. Yet, dark clouds are starting to gather over them and the rest of Germany's Jews as the Nazi party's anti-semitic policies are about to be put into action. It begins with little things like Dr Josef Weiss not being able to treat his Aryan patients anymore and things get worse from that point on. Kristallnacht [Night of the Broken Glass] sees the destruction of Jewish property and businesses and worse is to come. The series tries to portray the gradual persecution of the Jews before the escalation into the horror that became the Shoah. Dr Weiss is deported to Poland, where he ends up with his brother Moses in the Warsaw Ghetto. The other members of the family are also to suffer as Karl the artist is sent off to a concentration camp, leaving his wife Inga desperate to hear news of him. Rudi leaves home to join the partisans, and his mother and sister are left to fend for themselves. There are some truly horrifying scenes in this series and may not be suitable for younger viewers. Mass murder, such as Jews being burned alive, the Babi Yar Massacre in the Ukraine, and of course the gassings are all portrayed with a high degree of realism that makes one flinch and grieve at the same time for all the innocent lives lost. The series not only focusses on the Weiss family, for there is a parallel storyline involving a German named Erik Dorff [Michael Moriarty], an unemployed lawyer who at the behest of his wife decides to join the infamous SS, reporting directly to Reinhard Heydrich[ David Warner], the blond beast who was responsible for implementing many of Hitler's sadistic policies against the Jews. We see how Erik keeps justifying the murder of innocents ["We must keep killing them, don't you see? If we stop it's an admission of guilt!], and how he turns out to be such a cold-blooded human with no feelings whatsoever [a brief attack of conscience is soon forgotten]. This is very reminiscent of many of the high-ranking SS officers in history, as Rudolf Hoss, the Commandant of Auschwitz himself remained unrepentant till the end. I am very glad that this amazing series of such important historic significance is to be finally made available on DVD and i hope that it will portray the series in its entirety with preferably added features such as interviews with the cast etc. A must-have for anyone interested in the Holocaust!Read full review
I watched this move when it first aired in 1978 and I was only 6yrs old and I think it aired a second time and we watch it a few years later. But even as a 6 yr old child I found this movie to be so moving and truthful that it really changed my life because I had heard about the holocaust but this movie was as if I lived through it. I could connect even at that age with the Jews and their struggle. I learned a lot from the movie but was left always wondering why were 4 million Jews willing to walk into those death camps. They out numbered the German 100-1 any type of a united stand and they would have destroyed the Nazi’s and ended their persecution.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
The Holocaust was and is a true stain on human history. This magnificently done “Made for TV movie showcases the talents of Meryl Streep, Fritz Weaver, James Wood and a great supporting cast. The movie chronicles the Holocaust from the perspectives of the oppressed and the oppressors. It’s excellent!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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