German director Volker Schlöndorff (The Tin Drum) is in fine form with this powerfully intimate Holocaust drama, which focuses on the ethical dilemma faced by a Catholic priest named Kremer (played with quiet intensity by Ulrich Matthes), imprisoned in Dachau but on furlough in Luxembourg, where a Gestapo officer urges him to persuade an anti-Nazi bishop to capitulate to Nazi occupation. It's a high-stakes clash of incompatible ideologies, with thousands of lives weighing in the balance. Inspired by the diaries of real-life Luxembourg priest Jean Bernard, the film gains quiet power from the intensity of Matthes' performance (last seen as Joseph Goebbels in the Hitler drama Downfall), whose gaunt features and haunted eyes lend considerable credence to the role. As directed by Schlöndorff, this psychological thriller, in which Kremer's inward faith and conscience are challenged by the Gestapo officer's outward ambition and power, illuminates the ethical complexities that emerged from the Holocaust, when options were often reduced to the lesser of two evils. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras include an interview with the director. Bottom line: a small extras package for a powerful foreign film.] (J. Shannon)
The Ninth Day
Kino, 93 min., in German w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $29.99, Dec. 6 Volume 21, Issue 1
The Ninth Day
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