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Reviews
Salam Neighbor (2015)
The White Man's Burden heads to a Refugee Camp
This film, although it highlights an important humanitarian crisis, purportedly focuses on Syrian refugees in the Jordanian refugee camp Za'atari, but the filmmakers insert themselves into the narrative so much that the documentary loses its way. These young documentary filmmakers, both white American men, have no knowledge of the region or language, but plan to "live like refugees" in the camp for a month. This is simply not possible - the men arrive with a translator, a camera crew, and backpacks full of clean clothes. They immediately make connections with the "locals," but often open old wounds because they lack a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by refugees. In all, there are most informative and complex films that depict the refugee experience.
Welcome (2009)
History 277 Review - Depressing film about depressing topics
Welcome, a film that tells the story of a young Kurdish boy trying to get from Calais to England, does a nice job of depicting an illegal alien's struggle to establish himself in a new world, but has a great deal of white-washing common in "hollywood" style films. The film's main pitfall is its relatively implausible plot: a French divorcee training an illegal immigrant to swim across the English Channel and reunite with his girlfriend from home. Although the characters themselves are deeply moving, the plot felt a tad trite. The film's depiction of women as more emotional, humanistic, and ancillary was disappointing as well. The French swim coach made for a nice character and developed a meaningful relationship with Bilal, the young migrant, but his "sad divorcee" storyline felt like a stale trope. Regardless, the film's tragic ending was both moving and relevant in an increasingly global world.
The Way Back (2010)
Implausible Nature Film full of Gulag
This film, which tells the semi-accurate story of gulag escapees, is beautifully filmed and does a nice job of depicting the basics of "gulag life," but the script, accents, and acting leave much to be desired. I found myself extremely bored - this film needed an editor. The plot is fairly basic - men escape the gulag and walk from Siberia to India. However, the script was dry and I did not find myself attached to any of the characters. Perhaps this is a personal opinion, but I do not understand why a director would cast a british actor and then ask them to speak in a Polish/Russian/Latvian/etc accent. If the viewer knows the character is from a specific country, why must we suffer through two hours of terrible accents. This is a frustrating element of the film. As for the acting, there is not much dialogue, but one can only make walking so interesting. The film's depiction of the gulag, a camp of little cinematic fame, is pretty accurate in terms of how people were interned, how long their sentences lasted, the psychological effects of the gulag, the social dynamics of the camp, and the terrible weather in Siberia. They only spend the first ten or fifteen minutes of the film in the actual camp, so I would not consider this a "camp film."
Come See the Paradise (1990)
Trash Film about Trash American Policies
Yes, the American supreme court made a grave error in judgement when they ruled that the internment of Japanese Americans was legal under the U.S. Constitution. However, this film, Come See the Paradise, is (see apt title of this review) trash. While this film makes an obvious effort to highlight the widespread prejudice and violence against Japanese Americans in the mid-twentieth century, it relies on racial stereotypes and a pathetic love story. As a character, Jack/Dennis Quaid (one of the few white actors in the film) is completely unnecessary to the storyline, and makes leaves the impression that the story is only significant because it affects the life of a good ol' American boy. There is great potential in the concept of this film, but would need a new director/script/plotline and much less Dennis Quaid.
As If I Am Not There (2010)
As If I Am Not There Review - History 273
This film, although often difficult to watch, is an unflinching look at ethnic internment during the Bosnian War. There is little dialogue, and the film's message is conveyed through a variety of techniques, the first of which is lighting. Before the war, Samira (the main character) is framed with natural light, soft tones, and sunlit backgrounds. After her capture and subsequent internment, the lighting becomes stark and harsh. The main actress, Natacha Petrovic, is also able to convey Samira's thoughts and feelings through her carefully calculated facial expressions. The lack of dialogue allows the viewer to interpret much of the story, and also avoids contrived/overstated dialogue. The director is not Bosnia, but she seems to be intuitive and sensitive in presenting the material so that it does not feel exploitative. She also does not explicitly mention which ethnic group in interned and which group is interning (as it were), which is an excellent choice in that it allows for a wider variety of experiences to be represented. Although it is hinted that this specific film focuses on Bosnian Muslims being interned by Serbs, there is some wiggle room for other groups to be included as well.
La vita è bella (1997)
LFM History 273 Review
This film, though not historically accurate, provides a moving account of the power of familial love. Although it is strange to describe a Holocaust movie as "heartwarming," this film focuses on the human cost of genocide by following a couple's courtship, marriage, and life together in pre-war Italy. When the couple, who now have a young son, are taken to a concentration camp, the father makes the whole experience out to be a game in order to shield his son from the reality of their situation. In most depictions of the Holocaust, one is left with unsettling images of hungry, sick, broken bodies and the credits include a tally of the lives lost to camps. This film, however, chooses to focus on survival, the invaluable relationship between parent and child, and the lasting impact of loss (this last bit is felt mostly through the viewer's interpretation). Although it is to be taken with (more than) a grain of salt, it is a worthy member of our cultural canon regarding the Holocaust.