VonStroheim

Ah, Martha, thanks, yet again, for complaining. This accurate, engaging documentary about a driven woman and her primarily pointless activities, her ability to monetize supposed perfection and finally, her nearly sociopathic personality is worth watching, if for no other reason than to familiarize yourself with a life most wouldn't want to live. Clearly, her childhood left its mark on her, unfortunately, not the right ones. Her ability to exaggerate and make the world rotate around her is clearly evident; her claim to be a "pioneer" in Westport is the best example. By the time she moved there, many of us (I am a Westporter) had been or were still living there for 20 years or more, and the town had been and was already home to people with more talent than she ever had. That she is a liar is why she landed in jail. Dismissing her infidelity as insignificant and the sadness so evident in her daughter booth stand as evidence of her true character. The arrogance to believe she can control either the film's content, much less how she appears, without having gotten that in the contract demonstrates that perhaps she isn't as smart as some might believe. True, she was a successful business woman in a male dominated world, I'll give her that....and she can have it.

I truly wanted to find this to be a devastatingly good film, yet the historical inaccuracies repeatedly distracted from what was otherwise a very well done piece of work. The depiction of the camp when the boys would meet simply were hard to accept. Double fencing surrounded all the camps, not a single barbed wire fence as seen here. There is a watch tower in distance behind them which is clearly unmanned. While Schmuel's appearance is convincing, prisoners being led into the gas chamber are well-fed and robust, exactly the work force that was spared in camps. While I am aware that this is a drama, and not a documentary, such distractions in a film compounded what in print would be a gripping if implausible story. I must also admit that living here in Germany, being the son of refugees and having visited both Dachau and Auschwitz affects my viewpoint. While it is worthwhile viewing, the challenge in any film is for the audience to suspend belief and these important elements simply made that very difficult.

Yet nothing truly happens. Looking for action, adventure and a happy Hollywood ending? Go somewhere else. This is a thoughtful, cogent expression of the stupidity and hopelessness of colonialism. It is a parable, never going anywhere near history or reality, yet somehow comes close to both. It is an outstanding directorial effort, with excellent performances from all involved. There are very long stretches where one would expect a strong editorial hand, yet there is none - and to have tried to "move the story along" the sense of what was being conveyed would have been lost. If you are looking for a film worth watching, give it a try. If you want "starring Johnny Depp" look somewhere else.