Tuesday October 11, 2011

The Murderers Are Among Us- Outside of sounding like an old 50s B-movie or an episode of the 'Twilight Zone', this is a solid movie about the struggle of the mind after tragedy. It's kind of like 'Ordinary People' but with the holocaust being the role of the brother. In that, I mean it's about a Doctor who drinks and atones for the sins of his past horrors, so he mopes around for an hour and a half. But it's a good mope. Although the chick character's involvement could have been better. She was in a concentration camp but she falls in love with the ex-nazi doctor like she was put in a different movie entirely. We are in 'Crime and Punishment' but she is in some random love movie. I think they really gave up a chance to explore her character although she is a strong silent force behind the Doctor's rehabilitation. The film was made right after World War II (the first German movie made after WWII), so it's kind of like the equivalent for 9/11 movies of our day. The stark and bleak tone perfectly matches the war torn locations the film was shot on. It is intensely political (with statements like Peace is just the Pause between the droves of more dead, etc.) and holds messages of hope through the Doctor's attempt to right the wrongs of himself and those around him. It also makes a solid christmas movie sort of because it describes the idea of christmas' message of forgiveness. I mean, if you want to show your kids a movie about the holocaust on christmas.



- Jeff Bassin