The Round Up [DVD]

This is a film that will inevitably draw comparisons to `Schindlers List', this though has a less than happy outcome. It tells of the true events that took place in France during July 1942. The gas chambers of the death camps were becoming fully operational and Hitler was keen to ensure they were put to maximum use. Quotas were issued to all of the occupied areas for minimum numbers of Jews to be transported. The anti-Semitic propaganda was in full swing in France and very little sympathy was around for their plight. The yellow star being seen as shameful, and their basic rights are slowly eroded, in an attempt to vilify them further. After being asked for 100,000 Jews, they offered 20, but in the end could only realise 13,000 -nearly a third of that number being children.

This tells the story of the events leading up to the `round up', and the subsequent crimes perpetrated against the Jews by the Vichy French Government. It was with the full co-operation of Petain that these `deportations' were able to take place as the French police and secret service carried it out, with the understanding of increased autonomy from the Nazi'z as recompense.

They were first taken to the Winter Velodrome, where conditions were far from sanitary and even water was not supplied. All couples without children and single males were sent to the concentration camp at Drancy, so everyone here had children - over 4,000 of them.

They are then sent in cattle trucks to their transit camps. At the Velodrome a Jewish doctor (David Scheinbaum) played by Jean Reno works single handedly to try to help, he has only eight nurses including Nurse Annette (Melanie Laurent). She is so taken with the plight of these unfortunate children that she volunteers to travel on with them. We have the stories of a number of families and how they help each other, try to maintain both spirit and dignity; all not knowing what true fate awaited them and still of the mindset that to co-operate might get them through. Realisation is a slow emotion and for most it came too late. The characters are all well developed, some of the French police are not all bad, but being complicit and following orders, much like some of their German compatriots.

I found this to be an excellently acted, directed and shot film. It is unashamedly emotional and I found myself moved, on more than one occasion. Everything is done with great detail including Hitler's `Wolfs Lair'. All of the actors were good, but the children were exceptional, all of it came across as being very real, very painful and very moving. If you would like to know more about Vichy France and what went on behind the scenes, there is an excellent book called `Bad Faith'Bad Faith: A Forgotten History of Family and Fatherland. I thoroughly loved this film, though it is far from enjoyable due to the subject matter, but just as the afore mentioned Schindlers List was excellent, so is this. In French and German with good subtitles and a run time of 113 minutes, it most certainly does not outstay its' welcome - unlike the Vichy Government.

The round up is a powerful,moving and traumatic film which also somehow manages to inject a theme of hope as well as desperation.The harrowing subject matter has been handled superbly by the director Rose Bosch(that really is her surname).This is my war film of the year so far without a doubt.On the disc are the usual scene selections and an option to choose either 2.0 or 5.1 Stereo.I prefer watching a film in its original language with English subtitles so it didn't bother me that there is no dubbed version.Also on the disc is a making of featurette running for about thirty minutes which i watched after the film and thought it added to the experience.
The film takes place in Paris during July 1942 and shows in great detail the round up of over 13,000 Jewish "undesirables" of which 4,100 were children.Complicit in this were the French Government and the French police were responsible for the round up under Nazi supervision.There is a statement at the start of the film bodly saying that however unbelievable some images may be they are all based upon fact.Once rounded up they were herded into squalid conditions at the Paris Velodrome where Melanie Laurent's(nurse) and Jean Reno's character(doctor) have to somehow care for all these people.A great moment is the fire brigades actions in the Veledrome lead by Thierry Freemonts character showing not all people were ignorant to their plight.The film has some great performances from its child actors too and you get a sense that the children are what this film seems to centre most on.Everything seems to work in this film,each shot looks frighteningly real and is just framed perfectly.The music fits the subject and the time as well.The only down side for me was the caricature performances of Hitler and Himmler.These scenes were filmed in colour as a replica to old footage of Hitler at his mountain retreat and i dont recall seeing him dance like a fool.One only thinks that being French the director had a bit of a dig at them and i suppose you cant blame her but it does detract from the film slightly.Apart from that i only have superlatives to say about this film.A film that is as moving as it is powerful and one that will probably be compared to such masterpieces asThe Pianist (2 Disc Special Edition) [DVD] [2003]and Schindler's List - Special Edition [DVD] (1993).Being factual it gives the viewer an educational and sometimes unbearable look at these shameful events.I whole heartedly suggest this film be watched,enjoyed and remembered.

Bought this for the presence of the generally excellent Jean Reno. A compelling and engaging movie that pulls few punches in dealing with a distasteful period of French recent history. The child actors in particular carry out difficult roles with aplomb. Special mention for the Blu ray transfer which is wonderfully detailed and defined and worth the extra bunce.