Adam Resurrected

Willem Dafoe is now Commandant Klein, and he is in charge of a concentration camp. Previously, he was a guest at a show of one of Germany's greatest clowns, Adam Stein (Jeff Goldblum), and now Stein stands before him in his camp. He graciously agrees to free Stein if he does two things, (1) act like a dog for his amusement, and (2) play the violin while his wife and daughter march to their deaths in the gas chamber.

Having lost his humanity, Adam is in and out of mental institutions while living in Israel. The patients love him, the doctor (Derek Jacobi) is fascinated with his case, and the head nurse (Ayelet Zurer)wants his body - why, I could never figure out.

Adam comes upon a young boy (Tudor Rapiteanu) in the cellar of the institution and begins a transformation that not only cures the boy, but restores his humanity.

The back and forth flashback may be disturbing to some, but it is essential to the story, and gives us a chance to enjoy the excellence that Dafoe brings to the screen.

Goldblum is excellent, as he always is.

I am surprised at the hatefully negative reviews this movie has gotten. But then I suppose anything that handles a truly dark subject matter, and doesn't spoon feed the audience doesn't get much praise.

This movie is excellent with excellent performances. I didn't mind the accent because it doesn't matter. The meaning of the movie, and the metaphors of film employed are brilliant.

The movie details the struggle of a former circus performer and celebrity with his guilt over surviving his family in the holocaust. Goldblum portrays a man who finds insanity more comfortable then sanity, because sanity brings with it sad truths.

To deal with the inconceivable you need to create a vocabulary that extends beyond the conventional. The powerful performances, the extraordinary literary devices and the sublime directing and editing help enormously. The end result, a satisfying glimpse into the ineffable is achieved by providing a vision, revealing a landscape that defies revelation. An unique and necessary achievement. An artistic collaborative triumph of the spirit. The difficulties in the conventional narrative are actually an opportunity to explore facets of the spectrum human behavior, from the animal/dog, human and the divine within. Most helpful was the extras on the DVD that provided additional background. BRAVO! And now part II please.

This is a thought provoking movie. The acting of Jeff Goldblum is just outstanding. Willem Dafoe as usual is one great actor as well.

This is a serious movie and an introspection in self. It is not a war oriented movie but a sad story about a man who is so misunderstood by his family and the world. Is he really wrong ? you will undergo the journey in this man's shoes. Not a hero but a survivor who survived by being a dog, a gifted one who did all he can to survive... was it fear of losing his life that he obeyed his masters or is it a total surrender he adopted towards those who were committing atrocities. It is surrender of all self respect, dignity and ego as that of a perfect slave. Did Adam really regret what he did and why he did ? This movie does not judge the character but takes you on a journey, a journey of introspection of someone you never want to be but may admire.

In Berlin, the Jewish Adam Stein (Jeff Goldblum) is a successful artist that works with his wife and two daughters in a cabaret. During the World War II, Adam and his family are sent to a concentration camp and the cruel Commandant Klein (Willem Dafoe), who was his fan, assigns Adam to become his "dog" to entertain him. Adam has to live like a dog with another dog, Rex, while tries to convince Klein to save his wife and his little daughter that are sent to the ovens. After the war, Adam is sent to a mental institution in Israel for Survivors of the Holocaust under the care of the psychiatric Dr. Nathan Gross (Derek Jacobi) and becomes a leader among the patients. He also has a mistress, the nurse Gina Grey (Ayelet Zurer), who loves kinky sex. One day, Adam smells a dog in the institute, which is forbidden, and he finds a boy that was raised chained in a basement and behaves like a dog. Adam recalls his period as a dog in the concentration camp and gets close to the dog-like boy and their journey together begins.

"Adam Resurrected" is a weird film about a man and a boy that have been turned into dog. The strange plot is supported by a fantastic performance of Jeff Goldblum that deserved at least a nomination to the Oscar. Most of the characters are bizarre and this movie is somehow fascinating and seems to be written by a mad writer. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Adam – Memórias de Uma Guerra" ("Adam – Memories of a War")