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By
NICK ZEGARAC
"The Diary of Anne Frank is
based on the tragic bestselling diary of a young
girl's real life account of her secret existence
under Nazi persecution. After the war breaks out,
Anne's prudent father, Otto (Joseph Schildkraut)
whisks the family underground to avoid being sent
to a concentration camp. Together with another
family, the Franks attempt to wait out the
prospect of being discovered in a cramped attic
adjacent a factory run by the resistance. Anne
(Millie Perkins) endures the hardship, danger and
sadness of World War II, but never without hope
and astonishment for a better tomorrow. Petronella
(Shelly Winters) and Hans van Daan (Lou Jacobi)
are also in hiding with the Franks and their son,
Peter (Richard Beymer). But the bond of loyalty
that develops between Peter and Anne is threatened
by Hans' greed and distemper.
Despite being forced by Fox to shoot his film in
the widescreen process of Cinemascope, director
George Stevens nevertheless managed to capture the
claustrophobic atmosphere of a regime slowly
closing in on the Frank's precarious abode.
Stevens, a member of the first American film corps
that liberated several Nazi concentration camps
with the allies, was appalled by the overwhelming
scope of genocide he encountered. His outrage is
channeled on this occasion into a poignant,
visceral and emotionally stirring production that
not only manages to capture the essence of the
period, but rightfully preserves the memory of
Anne Frank -- a young girl, aged well beyond her
years, who had the clairvoyance to put onto paper
one of the most heartbreaking and genuine accounts
of the second world war.
Fox gives us a stunning B&W anamorphic picture
with zero film grain, solid blacks, fine detail
and remarkable clarity. Really, there's nothing to
complain about in this visual presentation. The
audio is equally impressive. The musical score is
spread across all five channels and offers a
genuinely moving experience.
The extras include a 90-minute documentary on the
real Anne Frank, the film and WWII, some period
featurettes and the original theatrical trailer. |
