Prisoners Of Auschwitz [DVD]

A well made film of the book 'Colette' by Arnost Lustig, and based on his own experiences, and written and directed by Milan Cieslar who has done an excellent job in making such a well-balanced film. Centering around the love story between two prisoners of the infamous Nazi Death Camp, Vili Feld and Colette Cohen. Colette (Clemence Thioly) who is separated from her family on arrival at the camp, sees her parents and sisters about to 'take a shower' not long after and she never sets eyes on them again. The brutal Commandant takes a shine to Colette and this probably saves her life but he wants paying in kind and uses or abuses her at will. Vili (Jiri Madl) is befriended by a Kapo ( Andrej Hryc) who has to keep prisoners in order, prevent stealing - unless for himself - watches out for Vili. Colette HAS to share herself between the 2 men just to stay alive. This film is first class in many aspects, the Music by Atli Orvarsson, moving and in keeping with the oft solemn story. Photography Director Marek Jicha paints a good picture and Vaclar Novak the Production Designer MUST have had his work cut out? Probably one of the best feature films made on this subject.

I shouldn’t have watched it. It triggered my PTSD. However, a good 126 minutute film that could have been covered in 90 minutes or less. We only watched it because my wife had read a similar story from her book club. Having spent 38 years in the British Army from Private Soldier to lieutenant colonel, it touched many raw nerves. I still am astounded at mans’ inhumanity to man. I thought I’d seen it all; but all the killing I was involved with was dealing with tyrants or kill or be killed. Such genocide should be dealt with in the most ruthless fashion. As long as man walks the earth, it will be a reality! I uncharacteristically wept. I served in the early Norties in Bergen Belsen. It breaks you apart just being there and visiting the death camp! What was that all about? I respect all religions, but will not tolerate the brutality and lack of value for life that these bastards lived on. I hope that if there is a hell, they enjoy the benefits of eternity.

I have read a book written by a survivor which was very similar, but not the book relating to this film.Even though those prisoners working in the Canada section were slightly better fed than the rest of the camp, they were still emaciated and, as such, women stopped having periods, so I find the fact that Colette got pregnant unbelievable.Also, why did Colette not flinch when getting tattooed but did when she cut herself. I could not understand why she had longer hair than other female prisoners. I know some were allowed to keep long hair and others weren't, but Colette's hair was in between.

The film isn’t too bad if you want to watch a love story and take it as a story rather than as what actually happened. Saying that, some of the horrors portrayed on the film certainly did happen. There was a camp band. I’ve read some reviews on here saying that it it’s implausible that prisoners would have been playing football or looking rather well fed. In fact, it’s well documented that they did play football and prisoners based within the Kannada Commando and Sonderkomando were some of the most well fed in the whole camp due to the access they had to food from the incoming transports. Survivor testimony shows this time and time again. Visually, the positioning of the crematoria is more or less correct in relation to the Sauna where prisoners not selected for death were tattooed and shaved, the positioning of the crematorium in relation to each other is more or less correct and historically, names such as Kapo Kaminski the Sonderkommando is correct, also the Penal detail situated next to the crematorium where the main character is sent is correct and the Sonderkomando uprising in October 1944 is also correct. The subsequent lack of transports did lead to prisoners in these kommandos, being starved and eventually sent on a death march and evacuated due to Red Army advances.So part from the romance aspect, I’d say this film isn’t bad for low budget.

This is a heart rending but very good representation of life at Auschwitz for the "lucky" few who worked in the Kanada part of the camp sorting the property of the Jewish prisoners from the transports. The two main characters are portrayed sympathetically within what is effectively a love story that took place at Auschwitz Birkenau.The brutality of the Nazi SS is graphically portrayed, the mechanistic methods of murder perpetrated to the individual acts of barbarity that the inmates endured day to day.In my view an important film that should be watched once, perhaps not again after that.

Despite some bad lighting in parts of the film, this is quite an absorbing tale of survival, especially how one woman manages to overcome some ghastly treatment by an SS officer.

Actually, this was unexpected, well-made movie. The story is touching and inspiring. Yet one more time I was reminded that if allowed to go unpunished humans can do horrible things. Others show remarkable humanity knowing they won't make it through the day. Highly recommend.

This was a good film and the acting was good. As other people have said its not on the same level as Schinlders List or the Pianist and not the sort of film you would watch a second time unlike the two mentioned, but still a good film and most certainly not poor as some have described it.