Varian's War (TV 2001)

Varian Fry rescues more than 2,000 artists from Nazi persecution during World War II.

Director:

Lionel Chetwynd

Writer:

Lionel Chetwynd

Stars:

William Hurt, Julia Ormond, Matt Craven

3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Hurt	...	Varian Fry
Julia Ormond	...	Miriam Davenport
Matt Craven	...	Beamish
Maury Chaykin	...	Marcello
Alan Arkin	...	Freier
Lynn Redgrave	...	Alma Werfel-Mahler
Rémy Girard	...	Colonel Joubert (as Remy Girard)
Christopher Heyerdahl	...	Marius Franken
Gloria Carlin	...	Bella Chagall
Joel Miller	...	Marc Chagall
Vlasta Vrana	...	Franz Werfel
John Dunn-Hill	...	Heinrich Mann
Ted Whittall	...	Harry Bingham
Dorothée Berryman	...	Mme Fanny
Howard Ryshpan	...	Konditorei Owner

Storyline

After witnessing the treatment of Jews in Nazi territory made him physically sick, cultured American gentleman Varian Fry starts en emergency rescue commission to raise funds and lobby to help intellectuals and artists, especially Jews, escape from Vichy France -where the Pétain government avoid occupation only by utter collaboration- to the US, and for lack of a better volunteer personally sets out in search of them. First lady Eleanor Roosevelt personally overcomes the reticence of the State Department. In Marseille he finds the people he specifically looked for, such as Marc Chagall, already housed by Harry Bingham, a Jewish US consulate official so he starts screening less obvious candidates and examines with Miriam Davenport and a German social democrat they pass for US clergyman Beamish how some can be rescued legally, others via a clandestine route, while colonel Joubert's State Police is at their trace...

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Plot Keywords:

artist | nazi | world war two | apostrophe in title | two word title | 

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Taglines:

He changed the world forever. One person at a time. The true story of the American Schindler.

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Details

Country:

UK USA Canada

Language:

English French German

Release Date:

22 April 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Au service de la liberté

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ardent Productions, Ardglasson Productions, Barwood Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Near the beginning of the movie, Varian is holding the "Foreign Affairs" book differently depending on the camera angle.

User Reviews

The true story of Hiram Bingham IV who rescued Marc Chagall from Vichy France.

I have awarded this film a ten, because a few months ago, the

Secretary of State, Colin Powell, gave a posthumous award for "constructive dissent" to Hiram (or Harry) Bingham, IV

recognizing that he issued 2500 visas against the wishes of the

State Department and President Roosevelt. The people he saved

included the artists Marc Chagall and Max Ernst and the family of

the writer Thomas Mann.

Bingham's father (on whom the fictional character Indiana Jones

was based) was the archeologist who unearthed the Inca city of

Machu Picchu, Peru in 1911.

He has now been honored by many groups and organizations

including the United Nations and the State of Israel.

The TV film Wallenberg: A Hero's Story (1985) is a great

companion piece. Bingham passed away in 1988 practically

penniless, and the circumstances of Wallenberg's death remain a

mystery.

It is truly a tragedy that the great principled human beings are

recognized after their passing. But the film industry does do the

world a service when it brings important history to the attention of

those who would ever have known.