The Diary of Anne Frank DVD
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by PowerReviews(based on 11 reviews)
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Most Liked Positive Review
A deeply moving production
This production was the best I've seen of this story.
Firstly, the casting was wonderful. Ellie Kendrick as Anne was an excellent choice. She behaves uncannily believable. She oozes teenage frustr...Read complete review
This production was the best I've seen of this story.
Firstly, the casting was wonderful. Ellie Kendrick as Anne was an excellent choice. She behaves uncannily believable. She oozes teenage frustration and confusion. As a young person, I identified well with her search for self among the burning city of Amsterdam. She even looks like Anne, her smile gives me chills. I felt as though I was watching the real Anne Frank. The rest of the cast was well chosen. They all fit their parts and interact quite naturally. The chemistry between Ellie and Geoff Breton as Peter is very believable, a young love blooming and struggling through the hardship.
This production utilized a more...worn out and tired tone. A tone of sadness reinforced by the musical score, with its lamenting piano melodies and sympathetic strings, and the lighting, brighter in Anne's special place in the attic, but dimmer and dejected during the hard days.
Through the course of the story, I reminded myself that the Franks and the Van Dammes are eventually found by the Nazis, but caught myself hoping that they were liberated by the Allies. I believed them when they were sure that they would be saved. I wanted to see them go out into the destroyed Amsterdam, and have their cake and coffee and hot baths as they discussed in the attic, their eyes sparkling.
In summary, this was a powerful production, emphasizing Anne's struggle with her identity, showing that she truly was a child, though her story is timeless. That she still didn't understand herself, though she understood relatively well the world around her. That she still had a lot of life ahead of her, that she had the potential to influence the world deeply, but couldn't live up to her potential due to the hatred and ignorance of man. Though she did influence us all with her story, the stories that she never wrote could have taught us so much more.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
new Anne Frank production
While it is true that this was well produced, had good acting and was closer in authenticity to Anne Frank's diary, I am unable to use it for the purpose intended. I'd purchased the...Read complete review
While it is true that this was well produced, had good acting and was closer in authenticity to Anne Frank's diary, I am unable to use it for the purpose intended. I'd purchased the new Anne Frank movie, on the recommendation of a friend, for use in my 8th grade classroom during our Holocaust literature unit. I watched it at home and quickly realized it would not work at school. I'm writing a short review here so I'll try to be brief. Anne wrote about her budding sexuality and this is portrayed in the new production. This is very appropriate in a private diary, but difficult to teach to 13 year olds in a cooeducational setting. The new movie is also more serious and sad and, believe me, I've already got those moods covered in this unit. I will stick with excerpts from the original black and white classic,as it has some fun and romance while still being truthful about the time period. However,I may lend the new movie to individual students to watch at home if they have read the diary or are really interested in learning more about Anne, so I don't resent having purchased it.
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Comments about PBS The Diary of Anne Frank DVD:
I bought this for my niece who loves history and the story of Anne Frank. I'm sure she'll love it!
Comments about PBS The Diary of Anne Frank DVD:
Fabulous movie, my students and I loved it...
Comments about PBS The Diary of Anne Frank DVD:
This is a great production of the Diary of Anne Frank, however; I would be careful because there is a little nudity in the video. It is a quick "butt" shot, but this disappointed me because it was not needed, and I had intended to show this version to my 7th and 8th graders. The value of video added to literature instruction is wonderful, but not if the teacher has to worry about inappropriate material contained in the film.
Comments about PBS The Diary of Anne Frank DVD:
A beautiful, authentic production. My classes were fascinated by the story.
Comments about PBS The Diary of Anne Frank DVD:
Having read the book years before I was familiar with her story ,and I thought that this was a very good version. A great movie that follows her diary very faithfully.
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