Diary Of Anne Frank

Year: 1959

Grade: A-

Country: USA

Director: Stevens

Review

one of the saddest stories ever told, and it’s true. not sure i want to know you if you don’t get sad when you see this movie or read the book. in spite of three hours and one set, the film doesn’t drag on too much and that’s a major accomplishment. i tend to enjoy films like this that take place in one spot – lifeboat, my dinner with andre, rope, 12 angry men, etc. they don’t always work, but it places the emphasis on the characters and i think i’m more into characters than i am into plot.

according to my dad this is the first film to address the issue of the holocaust. it came out 14 years after the end of wwii so i find that pretty shocking. with all the german emigres and jews in hollywood, one would assume the holocaust would have been the subject of a film at some point in the 40s. night and fog (1955) is a short documentary that addresses it and it’s the first thing i know of that talks about it.

george stevens has done some good films and this is one of them, but when i was getting ready to watch it i was worried that it would be long and boring like giant or overrated like a place in the sun. instead it was closer to shane, though not as good as that, the best western of all-time. everyone in the cast does an excellent job as well.