Amen.
Two Men. Two Worlds. One Cause.
When newly-commissioned SS Lieutenant Kurt Gerstein (Ulrich Tukur) witnesses the chemical disinfectant he's helped perfect being used to systematically murder interred Jews, he has no choice but to act. The only sympathetic ear Gerstein is able to find is that of a young Father Riccardo (Amelie's Mathieu Kassovitz), a priest with deep ties to the Vatican. While Riccardo takes on the obstructive Vatican hierarchy, Gerstein must walk a tightrope between documenting and enabling the atrocities his fellow SS officers cold-bloodedly commit. As the two unlikely allies fight to reveal the truth to the Church and the world, they discover that the fates of a man of conscience committing treason for the sake of humanity and a man of God committing heresy to thwart genocide are ultimately the same.
Costa-Gavras reveals the heroism and deceit surrounding the Vatican's response to the Holocaust with both suspenseful urgency and cool detachment, underscoring the disturbing gray areas of character that tolerated the Nazi atrocities that Gerstein and Riccardo beseech the Vatican to condemn. Without sanctimoniousness, the bitter ironies and hollow victories that are at the heart of Amen. incriminate the Nazis, the Church and ultimately humanity itself.
Member Reviews
Good movie. - V4D3R
I am obsessed with WW2 and had to watch this. Nice to see that there were some "Nazis" who had a stable conscience, even though most of them probably never spoke out. But the examples of Kurt Gerstein and Claus von Stauffenberg and friends really convinced me that evil is not a dominant quality in humans. It took a lot of courage for them to express their desire to end tyranny despite it making them look like traitors. It's a good historical movie for any buffs out there looking to know more.So sad... - imagination201
I'm not a fan of WWII movies simply because they hurt me too much. It was so for this movie as well even though we never really see the horrors perpetrated by the Germans. However, their sadistic moral and perceptions leave little to the imagination and I just can't believe that the pope didn't intervene, as is told in this movie. The struggle of the main protagonists was so heartwrenching...
And to think that it is part of our human History... this movie illustrates that dark era of our times really well...Gripping, insightful story of how horrors happen - chummy
This film does an excellent job of illustrating just how it can be that the worst events in history can come about. Costa Gavras has found an excellent drama to use to illustrate the dynamics of fascism that we have never confronted. For anyone who is under the impression that such atrocities can only take place if the perpetrators can succesfully hide their actions, Amen will give a picture from the inside of Nazi Germany that will make you think twice. The truth is that these things happen even though everyone knew about them at the time. Try seeing this film after reading Romeo Dallaire's "Shake Hands with the Devil" and consider how it is that politicians and ordinary people convince themselves that there is nothing that can be done, even though the evidence stares them in the face.
Acting performances are excellent throughout and the DVD contains some informative discussions of the film and the original play, with no preachy talk about how important it is.
The best from Costa-Gavras since Missing.
Member Reviews
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Good movie. - V4D3R
I am obsessed with WW2 and had to watch this. Nice to see that there were some "Nazis" who had a stable conscience, even though most of them probably never spoke out. But the examples of Kurt Gerstein and Claus von Stauffenberg and friends really convinced ...So sad... - imagination201
I'm not a fan of WWII movies simply because they hurt me too much. It was so for this movie as well even though we never really see the horrors perpetrated by the Germans. However, their sadistic moral and perceptions leave little to the imagination and I ...Gripping, insightful story of how horrors happen - chummy
This film does an excellent job of illustrating just how it can be that the worst events in history can come about. Costa Gavras has found an excellent drama to use to illustrate the dynamics of fascism that we have never confronted. For anyone who is under ...