Unbroken movie review by Movie Review Mom

MOVIE TITLE: Unbroken

This new documentary is now playing in theaters in LA and NYC. It will be available on VOD on February 21, 2025.

This is different from the 2014 feature film also called Unbroken, which is another true story that occurred during WWII but in Japan. You can see my review of that one at https://moviereviewmom.com/unbroken-spotlights-the-strength-of-the-human-spirit/

FEATURED PRODUCT:

My twin sister and I wrote this “how to” book on how to research your roots and climb your family tree. You can find it on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3BSUhrO It’s also available as an audiobook!

RATING: (documentary)

LENGTH: 1 hour 36 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: A

IN A NUTSHELL:

The documentary was directed beautifully by Beth Lane. I was so impressed with her storytelling, artistry, warmth, and unique touches.

The story is about her family’s history, as her mother and six aunts and uncles escaped the Nazis during WWII. Needless to say, this film is extremely personal to her. About the film, she stated, “Sometimes in life, when a door opens, you have no choice but to walk through. That’s what I did and I’ve never looked back.”

Seven siblings were hidden by a kind farmer for a time and then they had to survive together for two years during the war, dealing with hunger, rape, bombings, loneliness, and fear. Their father told them to “always stay together”, so the hardest challenge for them to finally decide to declare themselves as orphans and be separated in order to escape to a new life in America. Little did they know, they wouldn’t see each other for another 40 years.

Already, this film has won many awards from international film festivals, including “Best Documentary Premiere” and “Audience Choice Best Documentary”.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will be extremely bored.
Talk of WWII and the Holocaust
English captions are provided whenever German is spoken.
We see video footage of air raids, bombings, and destruction

THEMES:

WWII
Holocaust
Family
Sacrifice

THINGS I LIKED:

The film features old footage in German and the Jews who lived there before World War II, overlayed with modern clips.
We learn about the evolution of Hitler’s Third Reich and what living in Germany as a Jew was like during the 1920s through the 1940s.
I was impressed with how the director utilized clever frames, animation, and words on the screen to present the information and keep everything interesting.
I loved it when the director approached some teenagers in Germany who were hanging out near one of the homes where her aunts and uncles had lived during the war for a short time. She explained that she was making a documentary and then she asked the teens if such conditions ever happened again, would they be willing to put themselves in danger to hide and protect children in danger. The teens said they would like to think they’d be that brave but didn’t know if they really would be.
It’s so touching to see the director find and thank some of the people she was able to find in Germany who helped her mother, aunts, and uncles during those terrible days of the Holocaust.
The director put the names of each of the 7 Jewish siblings, their children, and grandchildren on Sticky Notes, creating a pedigree on a table, resulting in 72 people who wouldn’t have lived without the help of those who were willing to hide and protect them during the war. What a ripple effect of kindness!
I love that the film was dedicated to the honor of the silent heroes who save the strangers among us. It was made in loving memory of Lina Banda Weber (the mother of the 7 siblings) and so many millions more whose lives have been lost when we stand idly by.
The film touched me and brought tears to my eyes because my own grandmother escaped Germany when she was a young girl.
Keep watching during the final rolling credits to hear the lyrics of a famous German song and how our thoughts are free called “Die Gedanken Sind Frei” performed by Pete Seeger. You can find it on YouTube at https://youtu.be/dbwQXVcbkU0?si=D2iqBngZUc2qnhiI

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

The footage taken from moving cars made me a little bit dizzy because the images flew by so quickly.

INTERESTING LINES:

“There are no rational explanations for miracles, but here we are! Still, the question remains: why us?” – narrator
“You help others, you help yourself.” – Ruth Gilliana
“That’s crazy! That’s unbelievable. I mean, you saved 7 people…and you save 72 people’s lives.” – grandson
“A lot of people see things wrong and don’t do nothing…” relative
“When you’re faced with adversity, what…who do you become?” – grandson
“There is so much evil in the world that is always overcome by so much goodness and I think it is incumbent upon us to remember that the good always outweighs the evil.” – Ginger (Bela) Lane