Wordiezett So much average

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Roman Sampson One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

MartinHafer "Divided We Fall" is an odd little Czech film. That's because like at least one other reviewer pointed out here on IMDb, the distinction between the good and the bad in the film is not 100% clear--people are not all good or all bad in many cases. I like this, as too often films of the Nazi occupation are very black & white in their views. Now I am NOT defending the Nazis, but talking about those who worked with their Nazi overlords--who played the system yet, in some cases, managed to retain a bit of their humanity. I appreciated this very much and it reminded me of another very good film of this period--"The Shop on Main Street". It, too, managed to show an overlooked side of this period in Occupied Europe.In addition, the film had nice acting, an original script and was well worth seeing. However, I noticed that the film is listed as a comedy--and I am really not sure how accurate this is. Sure, there are a few absurd portions of the film--but funny?! No. But worth seeing.By the way, I have no idea why but portions of the DVD were slow--and I am not talking about the pacing but the actual speed of the action. It was as if portions were done in slightly slow-motion--and I have no idea why.By the way, if you haven't noticed it on IMDb, this movie was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film for 2001. It lost to "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon", though I thought "Divided We Fall" was better (at least for my tastes).

writers_reign It's testimony to something or other that World War II still provides fodder for quality films almost 60 years after. This is one of the best and writer-director Jan Hrebejk sets the scene in an economical montage that begins in the late thirties and establishes 1) a small company town in Czeckoslovakia 2) the company in question, Wiener 3)Josef Cizkova, a foreman in the company 4) Horst Prohaska, an ordinary employee and butt of endless jokes by virtue of his fluent German and German sympathies. With the war in full swing the Wiener factory and house are seized by the enemy. Horst is now big man on campus via his open collaboration and he chooses to bestow his largesse on Josef and Josef's wife, Maria, not least as a way of getting into Maria's pants. Complications set in with the arrival of David Wiener, who has escaped from a concentration camp and returned to his home. Josef and Maria reluctantly hide him in their home, a precarious business given that Horst is wont to drop in at any and every odd moment. The film teeters between Black and ordinary comedy laced with tragedy in the best Billy Wilder tradition and leads up to a stunning climax. 9/10

bouncingoffwall A film that illustrates well how some people will rebel against the enemy and risk their lives to help a neighbor, while others betray or imperil those they've known for a lifetime either to advance socio-economically or just to live in relative peace.Josef is a good man, but even he has anxiety and regrets about doing the right thing. This movie is about him and his wife, and how the man they decide to hide in their home eventually changes their lives beyond what they would have imagined at the time they decided to risk their lives and help him.I liked this movie.

Gordon-11 This film is so touching!This film does not try to depict war on a massive scale like' The Pianist', but on an individual level like 'Life Is Beautiful'. The storyline is simple, and yet effective. People do extreme things to survive, and this is portrayed effectively in this film. There is no history lesson here, no boring details, just plain portrayal of civilians' lives. Although 'Life Is Beautiful' remains THE most beautiful film ever made, and my all time favorite film, this film is truly touching and inspiring.