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287 of 294 people found the following review helpful
5"The Horror of the Holocaust ...for teenagers."
ByJerry Parks "USAToday All-American Teacher; National Teachers Hall of Fame, 2009"on January 12, 2001
I recently showed this film to my 7th graders as a part of our study of the Jewish people. I wasn't sure what to expect. To be certain, Kirsten Dunst (Hannah) is popular with teens today, yet I could not guess how a film dealing with Passover Seders, Hebrew traditions, and a war so far away from the life of modern teens would go over in my classroom.
To my surprise, the film proved to be the most riveting and attention-holding movie I can ever recall showing. In it are contained superb acting, eerie (and effective) musical interludes, and a suspense of time-travel that will hold teenagers absolutely spellbound!
Dustin Hoffman's poignant introduction reveals his passion that young people today never forget the holocaust. As long as this film is available to be watched, they won't.
At times, the suffering of the Jews (made personal by Dunst's wonderful performance) pushes the emotional limit of what I felt my students could take. Yet, with craft and artistry, we are spared in "The Devils' Arithmetic" the emotional overload of "Schindler's List". This is as it should be. "The Devil's Arithmetic" is geared to teenagers.
If ever a theme of love, sacrifice, and the horror of hatred needed portrayal outside the realm of religion, one could not do much better than to show this film. What Hannah does for her best friend at the movie's conclusion is as gut-wrenching as it is predictable, and Nazi treatment of the Jews is brutally captured with appropriate reserve--no easy task! In the end, a young Jewish girl who began only with an interest in tattoos learns the lessons of history, tradition, and above all--life's priorities. In a nutshell, how lives and a culture can change in an instant is the strength of "The Devil's Arithmetic".
Be very sure--this film will make a powerful impact on young teens! The dropping of the gas pellets at the conclusion of the dream sequence is intense...very intense. Yet how can the Holocaust be portrayed without such reality? With younger teenagers, take care that background preparation, as well as a reflective time for discussion is provided. This movie packs an emotional punch, and will leave young minds impressed forever.
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43 of 44 people found the following review helpful
3Good, but not true to the book!!
ByCLB "camlyndc"on January 14, 2001
As this movie is based on one of my favorite children's books (the book is by Jane Yolen) I was very excited to find there was a movie version. It is very touching, yet frustrating if you've read the book. A great many characters are eliminated from the movie altogether, while some who are important are introduced at the beginning, then never heard from again (e.g., Esther & Shifre). This movie is perhaps a good precursor for children who might be overwhelmed by "Schindler's List".
To me, the MOST annoying difference was that they completely removed the whole reason for calling it "The Devil's Arithmetic"! In the book, the girls are taught by a mentor in the concentration camp that they no longer have names and are just a number. To memorize their tattooed numbers, they each create a mnemonic device to remember their numbers easily. In the movie, this is replaced by the "adding and subtracting of Jews" statements made by the camp commandant throughout the film, which does not have the same effect as the device used in the book.
While the choice of Dunst for the part of Hannah is questionable, I was completely bowled over by Brittany Murphy in the role of Rivka...and seeing Louise Fletcher in a kind, caring role for once was a nice touch! All in all, a potentially educational movie, but not half as good as the book!
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