Lore: a German 14 year old in the year 1945
surviving. The movie opens with Lore’s parents destroying written records
of their involvement with the Holocaust. The movie is not clear as to the
specific S.S. position held by the father but it is clear he is not a
mere soldier. Lore is the oldest of five children with the youngest
being a baby brother. After the parents are arrested by the Allies, the
five children, on their own, must find their way to grandmother’s house
(honestly) in Hamburg. The arrests of the parents occur off camera and
the movie’s unusual storyline commences after their departure. To reach
their designation, the children have to travel through a forest and lands
controlled by different allies (Russians, Americans, British). In a
war torn country, survival is difficult and food is always an
issue. The mother left Lore with cash, jewelry, silverware and
trinkets to bargain for food. Lore exchanges the items long before
they leave the forest. A young man named Thomas appears in the forest
and for reasons not entirely clear, helps Lore, her younger sister, the twin
boys and the baby. Thomas is a Jewish survivor. The movie
presents the German perspective of the Holocaust as the war comes to an
end. Saskia Rosendahl, in her introductory role, is superb as
Lore. As Lore interacts with people who continue to believe in
Hitler, she learns that what her parents taught her is a lie. The
film poses the question: what do you feel when you learn that your father was a
murderer and your mother was complicit in the killing? As Lore learns,
hate spills from her mouth as she and her siblings become increasingly
dependent on Thomas, played by Kai Malina. The German citizenry believe
the newspaper photos of concentration camps are merely portrayals by Hollywood
actors. The startling contrast between the background horror and the
forest scenery is part of the film’s excellence. The director is
Cate Shortland, an Australian. Lines such as “Hitler loved his
country too much” are hard to digest. The story is based on actual events.
Source material is from a novel “The Dark Room” written by the daughter of the
real life Lore. The horror of the times is presented with surreal
imagery. This 108 minute German film (subtitled) does not have a
Hollywood ending. However, it is clear that by the end of this film
Lore is no longer a naïve 14 year old with a racist belief system. The
movie attacks stereotypes, reminds you that horrors are perpetrated by
individuals, and leaves you pondering the ability of humans to commit evil.
Showing the Holocaust aftermath from a German perspective makes for an
unusual but brilliant film.
Side note: the photos in Thomas’ wallet are from the
director’s husband’s grandmother who left Berlin in 1937.