The Grey Zone (2001)

A Nazi doctor, along with the Sonderkommando, Jews who are forced to work in the crematoria of Auschwitz against their fellow Jews, find themselves in a moral grey zone.

Director:

Tim Blake Nelson

Writers:

Miklos Nyiszli (based in part on "Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account") (as Dr. Miklos Nyiszli), Tim Blake Nelson (play)

Stars:

David Arquette, Velizar Binev, David Chandler

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Arquette	...	Hoffman
Velizar Binev	...	Moll
David Chandler	...	Max Rosenthal
Michael Stuhlbarg	...	Cohen
George Zlatarev	...	Lowy (as Georgy Zlatarev)
Dimitar Ivanov	...	Old Man
Daniel Benzali	...	Simon Schlermer
Allan Corduner	...	Dr. Miklos Nyiszli
Steve Buscemi	...	'Hesch' Abramowics
Harvey Keitel	...	SS-Oberscharführer Erich Mußfeldt
Henry Stram	...	SS-Hauptsturmführer Josef Mengele
Kamelia Grigorova	...	Girl
Lisa Benavides-Nelson	...	Anja (as Lisa Benavides)
Shirly Brener	...	Inmate
Mira Sorvino	...	Dina

Storyline

The true story of Dr. Miklos Nyiszli, a Hungarian Jew chosen by Josef Mengele to be the head pathologist at Auschwitz. Nyiszli was one of Auschwitz's Sonderkommandos - Special Squads of Jewish prisoners placed by the Nazis in the excruciating moral dilemma of helping to exterminate fellow Jews in exchange for a few more months of life. Together, the Sonderkommandos struggled to organize the only armed revolt that would ever take place at Auschwitz. As the rebellion is about to commence, a group from the unit discovers a 14-year-old girl who has miraculously survived a gassing. A catalyst for their desperate attempt at personal redemption, the men become obsessed with saving this one child, even if doing so endangers the uprising which could save thousands. To what terrible lengths are we willing to go to save our own lives, and what in turn would we sacrifice to save the lives of others?

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Plot Keywords:

jew | auschwitz | prisoner | jewish | gas chamber | 

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Taglines:

The Story You Haven't Seen

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong holocaust violence, nudity and language

Details

Official Sites:

Lions Gate Entertainment

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

30 November 2001 (Spain)

Also Known As:

A szürke zóna

Filming Locations:

Nu Boyana Film Studios, Sofia, Bulgaria

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$24,526, 20 October 2002, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$517,872, 22 December 2002

Company Credits

Production Co:

Goatsingers, The, Killer Films, Martien Holdings A.V.V.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Writer and Director Tim Blake Nelson made Dr. Miklos Nyiszli's memoirs "Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account" (1946) mandatory reading for the film's cast, along with Primo Levi's "The Drowned and the Saved" (1986) and Filip Müller's "Eyewitness Auschwitz" (1979).

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Goofs

The real Joseph Mengele was a somewhat tall man with a full head of thick black hair. The actor who portrays Mengele in the film looks nothing like the historical doctor and is short and bald.

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Quotes

Hoffman: [outside the gas chamber] You're all fine! The quicker you get undressed, the quicker you'll be clean, settled and reunited with your families.
Morris, Man with Watch: Filthy liar.
Hoffman: Remember the number of the hook you hang your clothes on!
Morris, Man with Watch: He's a liar! I can't believe it's Jews doing this!

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Connections

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

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Soundtracks

Roses from the South, Opus 388
(1880)
Composed by Johann Strauss (as Johann Strauss)
Orchestrated and arranged by Jeff Danna and Andrew Lockington
Performed and conducted by members of the Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra

User Reviews

You will never be the same after watching this movie

This is truly one of the most disturbing films I have ever seen. If the goal of a great movie is to make its viewer changed forever, "The Grey Zone" certainly has succeeded. Yes it is not "Schindlers List". It has no uplifting theme, other than that in the face of no hope, doomed individuals tried desperately, if for nothing else, to save one life among millions of doomed. In the end even that effort is futile.

It's images are haunting.

Do to its depressing topic and even more disturbing ending others have criticized this movie as not being "entertaining". In fact it is entertaining. It is a horror movie of the real kind. The horror of human evil based on prejudice and hatred.

Everyone needs to see this movie, with the exception of those who lived through it, as they already know!