David (1979 film)
David | |
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Kino International (USA) | |
Release date |
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Running time | 125 minutes |
Country | West Germany |
Language | German |
David is a 1979
Summary
David follows an adolescent
“Father says we must be proud of being Jewish, especially now,” David tells his brother Leo, who tries to camouflage his Jewish identity by wearing a Nazi uniform. But the yellow star that David and his fellow Jews are forced to wear is not a mark of Jewish pride. When Jews’ essential identity became a death sentence in Nazi Germany, its value was called into question for so many Jews who endured the Holocaust.
The film reveals the unfolding and progression of the war against the Jews in Germany, as seen from the limited perspective of one young boy. As he navigates through dangerous streets and railway cars, we observe with him the effects of
The film opens in pre-War Germany, depicting the young
The film is particularly compelling in its depiction of the intimate space of the Singer family and their interactions with one another — marked by love, devotion and the all-too-real fear of imminent loss and separation. When the rabbi is forced to watch his synagogue set aflame by the Nazis, and returns home with a swastika emblazoned on his head, he insists that the important thing is that the family is alive and together.
Awards
In 1979, David won three awards at the 29th Berlin International Film Festival:[1]
- Golden Bear - Peter Lilienthal
- Interfilm Award - Peter Lilienthal
- OCIC Award - Peter Lilenthal
The same year, David won two awards at the
- Outstanding Individual Achievement- Walter Taub
- Outstanding Feature Film- David
Cast
- Mario Fischel ... David Singer
- Walter Taub ... Rabbi Singer
- Irena Vrkljan ... Frau Singer - David's mother
- Eva Mattes ... Toni
- Dominique Horwitz ... Leo Singer
- Torsten Henties ... David as child
- Gustav Rudolf Sellner... Dr. Grell (as Rudolph Sellner)
- Erik Jelde (as Eric Jelde)
- Nikolaus Dutsch ... Kohn
- Sabine Andreas ... Rifka
- Buddy Elias
- Golda Tencer
- Vladimir Weigl (as Vladimir Weigel)
- Hanns Zischler (as Johann Zischler)
Reception
David was praised for its recreation of war-time Germany and its tendency towards understatement. The horrors of the Holocaust speak for themselves, not requiring overzealous emotionality from the actors or direction.[2]
See also
- Holocaust survivors
- List of films featuring Berlin
- List of Holocaust films
Notes
- ^ "Berlinale 1978: Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2010-08-13.
- ^ Maslin, 1982.
References
- Maslin, Janet (January 21, 1982). "'David,' Jewish Lad in Germany". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
External links
- David's review from The Jewish Channel Archived 2021-09-05 at the Wayback Machine
- David at IMDb
- New York Times Review
- MSN Movie Review
- David at AllMovie