Click here to copy URL

Shoah

1985

Claude Lanzmann

Documentary, Self: Simon Srebnik, Michael Podchlebnik, Motke Zaïdl, Hanna Zaïdl

8.4

4,104

Documentary Claude Lanzmann directed this 9 1/2 hour documentary of the Holocaust without using a single frame of archive footage. He interviews survivors, witnesses, and ex-Nazis (whom he had to film secretly since though only agreed to be interviewed by audio). His style of interviewing by asking for the most minute details is effective at adding up these details to give a horrifying portrait of the events of Nazi genocide. He also shows, or ... [+]

	Media	Author	Review
		Richard Brody The New Yorker	"One of the summits of cinematic history (...) Lanzmann’s work of art depicts the Holocaust, and the beauty of his depiction is derived (...) from his quest itself"
		Roger Ebert rogerebert.com	"It is one of the noblest films ever made (...) It changes our point of view about the Holocaust (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"
		Sam Adams AV Club	"Lanzmann isn’t simply collating footage. He’s conducting a symphony (...) The silence says as much as any words."
		Nigel Floyd Time Out	"The same questions are repeated like an insistent refrain, the effect is relentless and cumulative"
		David Parkinson Empire	"Although authenticity and reliability of this documentary as historical evidence has been questioned this epic work is still immensely powerful and moving (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Ed Gonzalez Slant	"One of the most life-affirming works of art ever produced for the cinema (...) Every interview in the film is powerful enough to make its own documentary (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"
		Gene Siskel Chicago Tribune	"Greatness of 'Shoah' is using new methods to retell an old horror (...) 'Shoah' is the greatest use of film in motion picture history, taking movies to their highest moral value"
		Ty Burr Boston Globe	"If you’ve never seen it, you should (...) The sheer weight of 'Shoah' is daunting but inextricable from its impact (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"

Return to movie

We encourage you to check the reviews' original sources. Intellectual property rights of these reviews belong to their authors and/or the correspondent media from which they have been extracted. If you'd like to help us to add more reviews to your favorite movies, just send us a message.