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ANNE FRANK REMEMBERED
Review by Chastity Campbell
Narrators: Kenneth Branagh, Glenn Close
Director: Jon Blair
Video: 1.66:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Audio: Dolby Digital Surround
Studio: Columbia Tri-Star
Features: See Review
Release Date: March 9, 2004
Film ****
I can remember showing up for school one day, and having
the teacher tell us that we would be watching a video during history class.
She didn’t explain what it was that we would be seeing, only that it
was a very important part of world history.
I can remember watching The Diary Of Anne Frank on
video all those years ago, and not understanding much of what I saw.
Nor did I understand what her story truly represented.
Viewing this DVD gave me so much more information and understanding about
what life was like for this very special girl, and how much depth this one
amazing person had at such an early age.
Maybe I was too young to understand everything her story
was telling me back then or maybe the teacher didn’t do a good enough job
explaining things. I only know that
Anne Frank Remembered has etched a picture in my mind of a time and place
that even to this day is hard to comprehend.
This DVD features interviews with Anne’s father, who
unlike his wife and daughters survived the horrors of the Holocaust.
Miep Gies was one of the people responsible for helping the Franks hide.
In her interviews she gives very detailed information about Anne and her
family. She remembers Anne as a
very rambunctious, and energetic girl who begged for paper to write on while in
hiding.
One of Anne’s girlhood friends was taken to the same
concentration camp that she and her sister Margot were.
She remembers being separated from Anne’s barracks by a fence, and
having to wait until evening to speak with her friend so they would not be seen.
She was among one of the last people to speak with the young girl, and at
that time she knew that Anne’s spirit had died.
Anne believed her entire family to be dead, and with no one to live for
she gave up hope.
The diary itself tells a story, but it’s only a piece to
the complex puzzle that was this girl, and the times she lived in.
There are so many branches to her story you will want to watch this DVD
time and again to catch it all.
This DVD is narrated by the smooth and easy voice of
Kenneth Branagh. The voice of Anne
is given life by Glenn Close. Both
do a wonderful job of capturing your attention and weaving these people’s
story in a way that will make you laugh at her precociousness and cry because of
her situation.
History buffs will not be the only people who will benefit
from this DVD. Every man,
woman and child should be required to view this piece of history.
Video ***
The video quality of this DVD was superb.
The video footage and still photographs from the 1940’s were, despite
the images they contained, beautiful. All
footage provided for this presentation was in black and white which removes a
layer for me to review, but I have no doubt had their been color footage it
would have been equally as good.
The more recent interview segments were very nicely done,
both during the shooting process as well as the lighting.
Audio ***
This DVD sported a Dolby Digital Surround mix that to the
best of my hearing contained only one or two noticeable flaws.
All levels were balanced with no dips or dropouts audible.
The narrators were set against a backdrop of 1940’s European style
music which helped lend to the realistic feel this DVD had.
Features **
This DVD contains interactive menus, scene selection, and
subtitles in English as well as Spanish.
Movie trailers for Anne Frank Remembered, Blind Spot:
Hitler’s Secretary,
All of the films listed seem to deal with World War II,
from varying perspectives and points of view.
Summary:
