Review of The Grey Zone (2001) by Lori B — 24 Sep 2013

If you have seen Shoah, you know how this movie will end. But knowing is not the same thing as wanting, and I watched this entire movie, rapt at the thought that this time it might be different. Of course, it isn't, and, as Ebert notes, this is one of only a couple of holocaust movies that doesn't have some kind of happy or at least hopeful ending.

I'm not sure if I agree with Ebert's assessment that this is "great" though. For one thing, Keitel's accent is offputting. I see why it is there (to separate him linguistically from the Hungarians), but it's still annoying. And there are some odd tonal jumps that did not entirely work for me.

Regardless, it is at least very good, well worth seeing. It is an interesting counterpoint to The Pianist, which was released in the same year (2002) in the US.