Review by solopach

As a Jewish person with great-grandparents who themselves escaped under the Nazis, having heard countless stories growing up, this movie hit.. hard. Not so much because of the subject matter - that's been done before - but the presentation; no over-dramatic excessive presentation with unnecessary musical swells and such. Just... Facts. History. Reality.

I've read the history, heard the stories, and so I was familiar with the event itself. I expected a degree of dramatization for the sake of viewers, but was caught off guard with the stark presentation. I can trace my history straight back to northern Poland, and knowing this event determined the fate of millions of fellow Jews means a lot, and so I was prepared for that. It was the fact that this is a historical picture with some cinematic presentation sprinkled on it - rather than a dramatic piece with some historical garnish - hit me so hard.

Another thing I like about it is the fact that it isn't pushing any sort of ideology - it's not a film written to say "antisemitism is bad and this is an example." It's reality, and so the message is conveyed on its own without requiring a dramatic push to shove it into your face. Truly, an amazing piece of cinema.