Triumph of the Spirit

Based on the true story of Salamo Arouch, a Greek boxer who fought in Auschwitz as entertainment for. the Nazis (and thereby survived), director Robert Young's wrenching drama works primarily because of his overriding concern for realism. A powerhouse cast, led by Willem Dafoe (as Arouch), Robert Loggia as his father, and Edward James Olmos as a bitter, often mean, Jewish guard, deliver memorable performances as we watch in horror while the Jews are systematically broken and then murdered in the death camp. Although at times a bit heavy-handed emotionally, Young achieves considerable power with his subtle focus on the hands and feet of the victims. (In one gut-wrenching scene, Arouch wins a hunk of bread as his prize for a successful fight. Crawling into his bunk, he is beseeched by the outstretched hands of the starving.) Some people will find this slow-going, but most should appreciate Young's meticulous attention to detail. It is the gradual accumulation of little touches that makes Triumph of the Spirit a flesh and blood story about the horrors of man's inhumanity to man. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)