Amen (2002)
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67% of critics liked it
(49 reviews) -
80% of users liked it
(4,901 ratings)
The collective crimes against humanity known as the Holocaust have been well-documented since the end of World War II, but lingering questions remain about how much was known about the Nazi mass-extermination schemes outside Germany, and what could have been done to prevent them. Political filmmaker… More The collective crimes against humanity known as the Holocaust have been well-documented since the end of World War II, but lingering questions remain about how much was known about the Nazi mass-extermination schemes outside Germany, and what could have been done to prevent them. Political filmmaker Costa-Gavras confronts this thorny issue in this film, adapted from the stage drama The Representative and based in part on actual events. Kurt Gerstein (Ulrich Tukar) is a German chemist whose work on various government health projects led to him being added to the scientific staff of the Nazi SS. While working on disinfection and water purification programs to stem the tide of typhoid among German troops, Gerstein creates a toxic cleanser called Zyclon B. Gerstein soon learns that the SS has found a different use for Zyclon B -- in gas form, it is being used to exterminate Jews and other political undesirables en masse. Gerstein, a man of strong Christian faith, is horrified by this revelation, and he is determined to tell the world in hope of stopping the genocide; however, in Germany, Sweden, and the United States, Gerstein's story falls on deaf ears. One man who does believe Gerstein is Riccardo Fontana (Mathieu Kassovitz), a Jesuit with ties to the Vatican and close contact with Pope Pius XII (Marcel Iures). Fontana urges the Pope to speak out against the ongoing massacre, but the Pope declines, believing Russia is a greater menace to the Catholic Church than the Nazis. In time, desperate to spread the word of the holocaust, Gerstein and Fontana find themselves joining ranks with Roman Jews being rounded up by Nazi forces in occupied Italy. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Costa-Gavras, Costa Gavras
- Written By
- Costa-Gavras, Jean-Claude Grumberg, Costa Gavras, Jean Claude-Grumberg
- Genres
- Drama, Faith & Spirituality, Art House & International
PG,
- In Theaters
- Jan 24, 2003 Limited
- On DVD
- Aug 12, 2003
- Studio
- Kino International
Critic Reviews
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Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
Costa-Gavras deserves credit for staying the course; in a time when most European film directors are wringing their hands, he's still pointing fingers.
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Desson Thomson, Washington Post
Tukur's performance is the centerpiece of the movie; it's a wonderful mixture of outrage and swiftly disappearing naivete.
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Gene Seymour, Newsday
Costa-Gavras' political thrillers used to jab and thrust with lethal efficiency. This one just pounds against a heavy bag, huffing and puffing all the way.
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Jane Sumner, Dallas Morning News
In a remarkably subtle turn, the German Tukur is convincing as [Gerstein].
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Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News
What should have been agonizing in its impact comes off as wooden, perhaps because Costa-Gavras works in schematic fashion, spoon-feeding us issues while skimming the historical surface.
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Cast
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Ulrich Tukur
as Kurt Gerstein
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Mathieu Kassovitz
as Riccardo Fontana
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Ulrich Mühe
as The Doctor
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Michel Duchaussoy
as The Cardinal
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Ion Caramitru
as Count Fontana
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Marcel Iures
as Pope Pius XII
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Frederick von Thun
as Gerstein's Father
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Antje Schmidt
as Mrs. Gerstein
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Hanns Zischler
as Grawitz
- Friedrich von Thun
- Sebastian Koch
- Michael Duchaussoy
- Ulrich Muhe
