Dec. 17


USA:

'Prisoner' unlocks tale of concentration camp filmmaker


One of the more bizarre Holocaust stories comes to light in the
impressive, handsomely made "Prisoner of Paradise."

A nominee last March for the best-documentary Oscar, "Prisoner's" prisoner
is Kurt Gerron, an actor/director who resembled Bob Hoskins and was one of
the most prominent celebrities of his day. He acted with Marlene Dietrich,
saved the life and career of Peter Lorre and introduced "Mack the Knife"
in the original production of "The Threepenny Opera."

Ultimately, he was confined with other prominent Jews in a concentration
camp, Theresienstadt, where he was forced to direct a film that made it
look like he and his fellow inmates were in a country club instead of a
prison. The Nazi plan was to use the film to show the outside world how
well Jews were being treated.

After an electrifying opening sequence that illustrates Gerron's film's
deception, "Prisoner" shows us the corner the filmmaker's foolishness
painted him into. "Prisoner," playing at Minneapolis' Parkway Theatre,
isn't a documentary that simply presents the facts and expects us to draw
our own conclusions. Making effective use of moody music and editing, it
is sharply critical of Gerron, who ignored numerous opportunities to flee
Europe.

But "Prisoner" does not judge him for making his obscene movie, presenting
the testimony of others who say it was the only way he could stay alive.
And the clips we see reveal Gerron's film would never have worked, anyway,
since, as he says, "I can direct a scene, but I cannot erase the horror
from their eyes."

(source: Pioneer Press)