The Last Days (1998)

In late 1944, even as they faced imminent defeat, the Nazis expended enormous resources to kill or deport over 425,000 Jews during the "cleansing" of Hungary. This Oscar-winning documentary... See full summary »

Director:

James Moll

Stars:

Bill Basch, Martin Basch, Randolph Braham

Won 1 Oscar. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Bill Basch	...	Self - Holocaust Survivor
Martin Basch	...	Self - Son
Randolph Braham	...	Self - Historian and Holocaust Survivor (as Dr. Randolph Braham)
Alice Lok Cahana	...	Self - Holocaust Survivor
Michael Cahana	...	Self - Son
Warren Dunn	...	Self - US Army, Dachau
Bernard Firestone	...	Self - Husband
Renee Firestone	...	Self - Holocaust Survivor (as Renée Firestone)
Dario Gabbai	...	Self - Sonderkommando, Birkenau
Tom Lantos	...	Self - Holocaust Survivor
Katsugo Miho	...	Self - US Army, Dachau
Hans Münch	...	Self - Nazi Doctor, Auschwitz (as Dr. Hans Münch)
Paul Parks	...	Self - US Army, Dachau (as Dr. Paul Parks)
Irene Zisblatt	...	Self - Holocaust Survivor
Robin Zisblatt	...	Self - Daughter

Storyline

In late 1944, even as they faced imminent defeat, the Nazis expended enormous resources to kill or deport over 425,000 Jews during the "cleansing" of Hungary. This Oscar-winning documentary, executive produced by Steven Spielberg, focuses on the plight of five Hungarian Jews who survived imprisonment in Auschwitz. Though these survivors recount the horrors they witnessed and endured as a result of the Nazis' "Final Solution," their individual triumphs are a testament to hope and humanity.

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Plot Keywords:

u.s. soldier | jew | hungarian | diamond | banana | 

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Taglines:

Everything you're about to see is true

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Genres:

Documentary | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for graphic images and descriptions of Holocaust atrocities

Did You Know?

Trivia

Hans Zimmer, the composer of the score, provided the music free of charge for the Survivors Of The Shoah Visual History Foundation.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Bill Basch: There is one thing that has troubled me and has troubled the world, that the Germans dedicated man-power and trains and trucks and energy toward the destruction of the Jews to the last day. Had they stopped 6 months before the end of the war and dedicated that energy towards strengthening themselves, they may have carried on the war in London, but it was more important to them to kill the Jew than in winning the war.

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Connections

Featured in The Last Days of the Big Lie (2009)

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Soundtracks

Ado-Noï Ado-Noï
Written by Nambourg, Léon Algazi
Soloist: Adolphe Attia
Musique Liturgique Juive
(c) Le Chant du Monde, Paris - CMT 274993

User Reviews

Important and Powerful Film

My life changed after my visit to Auschwitz . I had been to Dachau in college, but it didn't affect me the way Auschwitz/ Birkenau had. Perhaps because most of it had been leveled or it could have been the 2 American soldiers who kept trying to video tape me (sigh). For anyone who has any interest in the Holocaust, a trip to Auschwitz with the guided tour is essential.

The movie did an excellent job of weaving together five survivors stories. On the DVD that we got from Netflix, the music was uncomfortably loud to the point of not being able to hear what the survivors were saying. Hopefully, this is just a bum copy and in other screenings the music does not overpower the talking.

I applaud the folks who made this film and especially the survivors who were able to share such deep emotion even in front of a film crew.

Thank you.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English German Hungarian

Release Date:

15 July 1999 (Australia)

Also Known As:

The Last Days

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$20,492, 7 February 1999

Gross USA:

$421,432

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$421,432

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ken Lipper/June Beallor production, Shoah Foundation, Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1