Anne Frank Remembered (1995)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Director:

Jon Blair

Writers:

Jon Blair (writer)
Anne Frank (diary)

Release Date:

8 June 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Biography

Tagline:

She is perhaps Hitler's best-known victim, but what was Anne Frank really like?

Plot:

Using previously unreleased archival material in addition to contemporary interviews, this academy award-winning...

Plot Keywords:

Holocaust | Anti Semitism | Anne Frank | Narration | Independent Film

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 6 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Kenneth Branagh	...	Narration (voice)
Glenn Close	...	Diary Readings (voice)
Anne Frank	...	Herself (archive footage)
Edith Frank	...	Herself (archive footage)
Margot Frank	...	Herself (archive footage)
Miep Gies	...	Herself
Hannah Pik-Goslar	...	Herself
Joely Richardson	...	Diary Readings (voice)

MPAA:

Rated PG for emotional thematic elements and depictions of the Holocaust.

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

UK | USA | Netherlands

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Portugal:M/6 (DVD rating) | Netherlands:AL | USA:PG

Company:

Anne Frank House

Quotes:

narrator: She is perhaps Hitler's best known victim.

Movie Connections:

Features The Lighthouse by the Sea (1924)

Spellbinding Documentary

Through the years I've been very much interested in the life of this teenager who left such a profound, indelible mark on the world. My fascination has also been born of fear, as in, could this happen again.

And throughout the ensuing years, yes, I fear 'it' continues to happen around us and of course 'it' was happening long before Anne. The 'it' of course is can a so-called civilized society turn on its own or on an innocent country/race/continent and murder citizens in cold blood on the flimsiest of excuses? I leave that question out there.

At the beginning of the documentary there is a statement about the leader Adolf Hitler in that the one profound fact about Hitler that is never mentioned was that he was elected democratically and all of the atrocities committed were done as the result of a compliant poodle-press and fear-mongering propaganda played over and over again for a docile population.

One of the atrocities was Anne Frank, who put a face to the death camps by the miracle of her diary's survival.

Kenneth Brannagh does a wonderful job on the commentary and interviewing, he has that rare gift of minimizing his own persona thus allowing the subjects to speak for themselves.

Many new facts and people never before interviewed are brought to life in the meticulous research, which I will not go into here as they add immeasurably to the reality and gut wrenching sorrow of the film.

Glenn Close reads selections from the diary and her voice is perfect for the part, she brings a naiveté and freshness to the role.

Old childhood friends of Anne's are interviewed at length and her last days before death are well recorded and witnessed along with her vibrant and mischievous personality.

This is not to be missed. A wonderful and respectful film about the seldom seen Anne.

10 out of 10.