Europa Europa (1990)

A boy in Nazi Germany, trying to conceal that he is Jewish, joins the Hitler Youth.

Director:

Agnieszka Holland

Writers:

Paul Hengge (additional material), Agnieszka Holland

Stars:

Solomon Perel, Marco Hofschneider, René Hofschneider

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Solomon Perel	...	Salomon Perel heute (as Salomon Perel)
Marco Hofschneider	...	Salomon Perel jung
René Hofschneider	...	Isaak
Piotr Kozlowski	...	David
Klaus Abramowsky	...	Vater
Michèle Gleizer	...	Mutter
Marta Sandrowicz	...	Bertha
Nathalie Schmidt	...	Basia
Delphine Forest	...	Inna
Andrzej Mastalerz	...	Zenek
Martin Maria Blau	...	Ulmayer
Wlodzimierz Press	...	Stalin's Sohn
Klaus Kowatsch	...	Schulz
Holger Kunkel	...	Kramer
Bernhard Howe	...	Feldwebel

Storyline

A Jewish boy, separated from his family in the early days of WWII, poses as a German orphan and is thereafter taken into the heart of the Nazi world as a 'war hero' and eventually made a Hitler Youth. Although improbabilities and happenstance are cornerstones of the film, it is based upon a true story.

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Plot Keywords:

circumcision | hitler youth | nazi | jewish | german | 

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Taglines:

In the tradition of Voltaire's Candide and Jerzy Kosinski's The Painted Bird.

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for mature treatment of holocaust issues

Details

Country:

Germany France Poland

Language:

German Russian Polish Hebrew

Release Date:

14 November 1990 (France)

Also Known As:

Europa Europa

Filming Locations:

Poland

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$31,433, 30 June 1991, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$5,575,738

Company Credits

Production Co:

Central Cinema Company Film (CCC), Les Films du Losange, Telmar Film International Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie was shot simultaneously in English and German.

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Goofs

When the Russian refugees are fleeing Poland and are strafed by a German fighter plane, the fighter plane is obviously a smaller scale radio controlled model. The airplane resembles a Supermarine Spitfire, an airplane not used by the Germans.

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Quotes

Leni's Mother: Are you really German?
Salomon 'Solly' 'Salek' Perel: No. I'm a Jew.
Leni's Mother: I knew it. From the beginning I knew. I swear I won't betray you.
Salomon 'Solly' 'Salek' Perel: I had to tell someone. I couldn't stand it anymore.
Leni's Mother: You mustn't tell Leni.

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Connections

Featured in Du sollst Leben (2015)

User Reviews

Absolutely stunning!

Hitlerjunge Salomon a.k.a. Europa Europa is probably one of the best films ever made. It delivers hard-to-believe scenes quite often, but knowing it's based on a true story, it just becomes more and more fascinating. It's impossible not to admire the courage and the persistence of Salomon Perel. And a subtle depiction of his real life experiences has given us an adorable movie. I'm personally a fan of Holocaust movies in general, but this one is just special. Fear, anxiety, love, hate, friendship.. Basically, life itself! I really admire Jewish people for enduring this neverending hatred against them; and I admire the Germans who are not afraid to put the magnifying glass on their ancestors' dirty deeds by making such marvellous movies about The Second World War. Nothing much to say about the acting. This is one of the very few movies that the casting is just right, and everyone's the best actor of the movie. Language adaptation could be mentioned as a minor flaw of the movie. There must be enough suitable German, Polish, and Russian actors to play their own countrymen. I wonder why they used foreign actors and thus dubbing instead. In spite of this fact, the movie is simply magnificent, and deserves every kind of praise there is.

10/10