The Devil's Arithmetic (1999)

DISTURBING, TRUE, EXCELLENT

THE DEVIL'S ARITHMETIC

The Holocaust happened and is a horrible part of history. It is also a delicate subject to discuss, read about, or watch on the big screen.

I rented this movie because I am a fan of Ms. Dunst and because this time period in history fascinates me. I can barely stand to think about the Holocaust, yet it is something that keeps calling my name, so I try to read about it and learn all I can.

This movie -- also a book -- was well done. A young girl, a typical teenager who does not want to partake in her family's religious rituals or listen to stories from the survivors of death camps, is magically transported back to 1941. The entire town, including Hannah, are immediately picked up and put into a death camp. This would include her favorite aunt, who is now a young teenage girl in 1941. A few other 1980 relatives are also present at the camps. As Hannah's story is told we are witness to such tragedy and evil, yet the goodness of human nature is also evident over and over again.

Ms. Dunst plays Hannah, past and present with style and grace. The conditions of concentration camps are horrible enough when reading about them but when you actually see and hear and witness this first-hand through the wonder of movies, it is heart-breaking.

I totally enjoyed this movie and cried myself senseless throughout. Because senseless is what the Holocaust was. If movies like this can help educate and show people how things were, it is a great learning tool. This book and/or movie should be shown in high schools so students can really understand what happened back then.

Read the book or watch the movie, or do both. You will not be sorry!

Thank you!
Pam July 9, 2008

Educator

I have purchased this DVD for my own collection to view at my leisure with my two children at home. I am an English teacher at one of our local middle schools. I have introduced the Holocaust theme and have shown this movie (from our school library collection)as a class study and all my students have been moved by this movie. They enjoyed it very much and could finally understand the Holocaust movement of prejudice and discrimination. I highly recommend this DVD to any educator introducing the HOLOCAUST! June 28, 2008

Excellnet service

The delivery was quick and the movie in perfect condition. Could not ask for more and still sleep good at night. Thanks. June 23, 2008

In My Top 10 Holocaust Stories

With this movie you so not quite understand the naming of the movie. If however you read the book you will understand the title. Why they left out that detail I do not understand.
That being said it is a great movie. It helps a modern day teenager understand what her aunt went thru during the holocaust. He actually lives it~ sort of a Wizzard of OZ type experience.

The movie is suitable for ages 9 and up I would say with parents. It is such a story of love and sacrifice, survival of the human spirit.

I highly recommend this movie. June 2, 2008

Highly Recommended !!!

The Devil's Arithmetic
The Devil's Arithmetic:

This is an outstanding visual performance where a Jewish teenager, rather secular indeed, goes against her will and innermost beliefs to celebrate the Passover festivities at an ants' house. Rather discontent with the festivities, she is chosen by traditions to open a door and then she goes into a trip that will change her religious attitudes forever.

She trespasses the limits of time, as inside a time machine, and finds herself immersed into the World War II epoch. She experiences firsthand the atrocities that the Nazis performed on the Jews- and others for that matter- and has first hand understanding of what living in the concentration camps really was about and meant.

As I watched this rather inspiring and educational movie, the only thing that crossed my mind was to pass the DVD to my children so they could learn more vividly and insighfully about the Holocaust, its violence, its murderers, its atrocities, and all its nonsense.

Of course, I have not read the book on which this movie is based, but for starters, I utterly believe it is a great choice.

If you are a Jew, it would be a great idea to pass it to your children, and if you happen not to be a Jew it would also be an extremely educational experience for your children and for all the family.

Highly Recommended!
May 25, 2008

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