The centerpiece of this two-disc set is Christopher Nupen's hour-long title documentary, which takes on a number of weighty subjects: the importance of music to German culture, the 19th-century effort of Jews to assimilate in Germany (represented especially by the Mendelssohn family), the relationship between composer Richard Wagner's music and Nazi ideology, and the controversy over whether the ban on playing Wagner's works in Israel should be lifted, as well as the power music had to save prisoners, both spiritually and sometimes physically, as was the case with accomplished musicians in the Third Reich death camps. The combination of historical data and personal testimony make for an informative, powerful presentation, even if the varied topics aren't always ideally integrated. The extensive and also somewhat scattershot DVD extras include a presentation of the musical excerpts included in Nupen's film (from Bach to Franz Waxman's titular cantata, based on a poem written by a young girl in one of the camps), four hours of the unedited interviews from which portions are used in the film (as well as others not featured), and a complete performance of a movement from a Brahms sonata--beautifully played by Evgeny Kissin. Something of a hodgepodge, We Want the Light--presented in Dolby Digital surround and LCPM stereo--is nevertheless sporadically moving and inspiring. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
We Want the Light
(2004) 2 discs. 336 min. DVD: $29.99. Opus Arte (dist. by Naxos of America). Color cover. Volume 20, Issue 3
We Want the Light
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