Edges of the Lord (2001)

A 12-year-old Jewish boy hides with a family of Catholic peasant farmers to escape the Nazis.

Director:

Yurek Bogayevicz

Writer:

Yurek Bogayevicz

Stars:

Haley Joel Osment, Willem Dafoe, Liam Hess

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Haley Joel Osment	...	Romek
Willem Dafoe	...	Priest
Liam Hess	...	Tolo
Richard Banel	...	Vladek
Olaf Lubaszenko	...	Gniecio
Malgorzata Foremniak	...	Manka
Andrzej Grabowski	...	Kluba
Chiril Vahonin	...	Robal
Olga Frycz	...	Maria
Dorota Piasecka	...	Ela Kluba
Wojciech Smolarz	...	Pyra
Marek Weglarski	...	Max
Edyta Jurecka	...	Sara
Ryszard Ronczewski	...	Batylin
Krystyna Feldman	...	Wanda

Storyline

Polish 12 year-young city Jew Romek gets a crash-course in Catholicsim from his daddy ('stay hanging by your arms till your prayers are perfect') so he can be sent away and escape deportation (Auschwitz?) hiding in the country where the clergy found a host, Gniecio's simple peasant family, posing as their city relative. Gniecio's eldest son Vladek proves rather tyrannical but no brighter then gullible junior Tollo, who takes a role play in catechism class to 'become' a Last Supper character, in his case Jesus, to the extreme, even training for a crucifixion from a tree. Neighbor Batylin and his wife are executed by the Nazis when their illegally kept pig is found. Kluba plays a dirty trick when Gniecio tries to sell his in the city; his son is as problematic for the boys, who meanwhile play involving a single girl-playmate, Maria, who takes Romek in when he's stupidly thrown out by his widowed host by mistake. The horror of war itself suddenly shows its ugly head again, big time and ...

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Plot Keywords:

peasant | boy | nazi | prayer | catholic | 

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Genres:

Drama | Crime | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violence and sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Production company

Country:

USA Poland

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 October 2001 (Poland)

Also Known As:

Az úr morzsái

Filming Locations:

Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland

Box Office

Budget:

$7,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Braun Entertainment Group, Canal+, Komitet Kinematografii

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min 95 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie wasn't released in USA due to commercial difficulties right away. There were plans to release it theatrically, but to no avail. It was released straight to DVD.

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Goofs

Due to the age of the young actor, the character Tolo is missing teeth, then has those teeth again out of the chronological sequence of the movie. Particularly his two upper front teeth, which appear fully and then as only just coming in.

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Quotes

Romek: Are we blessed? Or are we just the edges?
Priest: We are all scraps, Romek, and we are all blessed the same.
Romek: But not all the people right?

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Soundtracks

"Before Your Eyes"
Lyrics by Elzbieta Bieluszko-Kaczmarek
Music by Jan A.P. Kaczmarek
Published by Sova Media International (ASCAP)

User Reviews

Amazing

I picked up this movie from a video store, not having heard about it before, and watched it on a vacation. I was completely surprised; this is one of the better movies I've seen. It's very moving in all aspects, with wonderful characterization-- characters one loves, and characters one hates. Dafoe and Osment pull of the thick Polish accents very well; so well that it might be a good idea to turn the subtitles on while watching the movie. Without giving any spoilers, I shall say that the plot, though profound, touching, and horrific, is not dramatic just to be dramatic. Every part of the plot, whether it was violent or humorous, religious or sexual, served its purpose in a believable way. I recommend this movie highly, though not for younger children; the R rating it received is fitting, as the movie, though not nearly as violent or sexual as some others, deals with those two themes in a disturbingly haunting manner.