In the Presence of Mine Enemies (1997) (TV)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Joan Micklin Silver

Writer:

Rod Serling (writer)

Release Date:

20 April 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

A Rabbi in the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland in 1942 fights to maintain his stance of peace and acceptance...

Plot Keywords:

Rabbi | Ghetto | Nazi | Warsaw Poland | WWII

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Armin Mueller-Stahl	...	Rabbi Adam Heller
Charles Dance	...	Captain Richter
Elina Löwensohn	...	Rachel Heller
Chad Lowe	...	Sergeant Lott
Don McKellar	...	Paul Heller
Peter Friedman	...	Kohn
Tony Nardi	...	Emmanuel
John Dunn-Hill	...	Josef Chinik
Diana Skaya	...	Child Singer
Ely Bonder	...	Singer's Father
Jason Shayne Schwartz	...	Israel
Alon Nashman	...	Baruch
Susan Almgren	...	Mrs. Carwine (as Susie Almgren)
Saba Cottle	...	Miriam
Howard Rosenstein	...	Bookseller

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and some scenes of violence.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-13 | USA:PG-13 | Germany:12

Company:

Foxboro Company Productions

Trivia:

A remake of a play first seen on "Playhouse 90" in 1960, as the final installment of the 4-year anthology series.

Movie Connections:

Remake of "Playhouse 90: In the Presence of Mine Enemies (#4.17)" (1960)

The Unsung Hero of the Movie World

For nights after watching this movie, I found it difficult to sleep. The suffering of the many innocent victims of the holocaust as portrayed in this movie haunted me deeply.

This movie tells the moving story of the wretched Rabbi Heller who's heart refuses to accept the sheer magnitude of the atrocities. He has a son, Paul, who has spent time in a concentration camp, turning him into a bitter and resentful young man, and his young daughter, Rachel, who will suffer horribly in the hands of the Nazis.

Yet there is a glimmer of hope in the darkness...the Nazis, evil as they may be, are also human. The last, thin thread of humanity that remains in them is manifested in Sergeant Lott (in a particularly powerful performance by Chad Lowe), who is torn between obeying the orders of his captain and following what he really believes to be right.

But this movie is not in the least cliched. It is an accurate account of the holocaust, so realistic it will give you cold chills with its beautifully written screenplay, stunning settings, and a gorgeous soundtrack that sets the mood for this trip back in time to WW2.

If there is only one movie you will watch, this is it. 'In the Presence of Mine Enemies' is truly the unsung hero of the movie world.