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Shoah

1985

Claude Lanzmann

Documentary, Self: Simon Srebnik, Michael Podchlebnik, Motke Zaïdl, Hanna Zaïdl

8.4

4,097

Documentary Claude Lanzmann directed this 9 1/2 hour documentary of the Holocaust without using a single frame of archive footage. He interviews survivors, witnesses, and ex-Nazis (whom he had to film secretly since though only agreed to be interviewed by audio). His style of interviewing by asking for the most minute details is effective at adding up these details to give a horrifying portrait of the events of Nazi genocide. He also shows, or ... [+]

	Author	Review
United States	Richard Brody The New Yorker	"One of the summits of cinematic history (...) Lanzmann’s work of art depicts the Holocaust, and the beauty of his depiction is derived (...) from his quest itself"	POS
United States	Roger Ebert rogerebert.com	"It is one of the noblest films ever made (...) It changes our point of view about the Holocaust (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Sam Adams AV Club	"Lanzmann isn’t simply collating footage. He’s conducting a symphony (...) The silence says as much as any words."	POS
United Kingdom	Nigel Floyd Time Out	"The same questions are repeated like an insistent refrain, the effect is relentless and cumulative"	POS
United Kingdom	David Parkinson Empire	"Although authenticity and reliability of this documentary as historical evidence has been questioned this epic work is still immensely powerful and moving (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Ed Gonzalez Slant	"One of the most life-affirming works of art ever produced for the cinema (...) Every interview in the film is powerful enough to make its own documentary (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Gene Siskel Chicago Tribune	"Greatness of 'Shoah' is using new methods to retell an old horror (...) 'Shoah' is the greatest use of film in motion picture history, taking movies to their highest moral value"	POS
United States	Ty Burr Boston Globe	"If you’ve never seen it, you should (...) The sheer weight of 'Shoah' is daunting but inextricable from its impact (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS

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