The Diary of Anne Frank

I had low expectations for this movie, and they were fulfilled. I have read the book (the diary), read the play, seen the play, performed in the play, BEEN TO THE ANNE FRANK HOUSE IN AMSTERDAM -- and, in three hours, the movie added nothing. It's not a bad film, and some would probably enjoy it, but it is far too long to maintain any level of energy, and far too short to do justice to the book or the original play. Add to that the fact that Anne's concluding entries in her diary (as presented in the movie) are totally fabricated, and it's all the more disappointing.

For those who haven't done any of the above, the movie might be worthwhile. I felt it was a waste of three hours. Now that I've seen it, I won't have to see it again.

DIARY was awarded three OSCARS -- one for Shelly Winters' performance, one for art direction, and one for cinematography (B&W). I wasn't overly impressed with Winters' hammy performance, and I'm not entirely convinced she stood out any more than any of the other "supporting" actors (i.e. everyone other than Anne / Millie Perkins). While the art direction was excellent, I can't say that the cinematography was all that impressive, either, although Mellor probably got the nod over the other nominees because he worked successfully on a very restrictive site.

Sometimes I encourage people to see the movie before or after they read the book because the film will add something to the experience of reading it. Not in this case. Then again, how can you possibly hope to add anything to the impact of Anne Frank's diary?