I was lucky to see this movie in a cinema in America in 1966, when I was only 14 and beginning to learn about the terrible events of World War II and the Holocaust. I had gone to see it with my younger sister and we were both amazed at how touching a movie could be when you read the words in English. Many years later I bought a VHS copy of it at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. The picture holds up remarkably well and seeing it through mature eyes I can now understand what a masterpiece of the cinema it is. The direction and photography perfectly capture the subdued horror of the inevitable tragedy facing this small Slovak town. It is simply heartbreaking, yet has many warm and funny moments as well. Ida Kaminska should have won her Oscar in this film, as she beautifully portrayed all the old Jewish women whose property and lives were taken by the Nazis and their cohorts. I regret that Jozef Kroner did not receive an Academy Award nomination for his fine performance. The director, Jan Kadar, did an excellent job that also deserved an Oscar and I remember being saddened when I learned of his death. He left the world a gem to be treasured forever.
Review of The Shop on Main Street
