Diksha Sundriyal
While history is proof that the ruthless whims of tyrants have often subdued humanity, the spirit of mankind has kept the flame burning and allowed humanity to fight for its soul. However, there is one episode that scarred human existence like nothing before and left a permanent dent in our collective conscience. It is the Nazi propagation of Aryan supremacy and the resultant anti-Semitism that shook the world. Adolf Hitler and his Nazis accounted for the killing of nearly six million Jews across Europe.
While historians have documented the horrifying statistics and authors have inked the brave tales, it is the films on the Holocaust that have, time and again, wrenched the hearts of people. They remind us of one of the darkest times in history while proving that even the darkest times come to an end. Of the numerous films that have been made on the subject, here, we have narrowed down the list, bringing you the best Holocaust movies ever.
22. The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017)
‘The Zookeeper’s Wife’ is based on Diane Ackerman’s eponymous nonfiction novel. Directed by Niki Caro, the film showcases actual events and follows Polish couple Jan (Johan Heldenbergh) and Antonina Żabiński (Jessica Chastain) as they rescue and protect around 300 Jews during the Invasion of Poland (World War II) by hiding them in their Warsaw Zoo. A gripping, raw, and heartbreaking portrayal of the events, ‘The Zookeeper’s Wife’ won the Truly Moving Picture Award at the Heartland Film Festival 2017. The film can be watched on Prime.
21. The Windermere Children (2020)
Michael Samuels’s ‘The Windermere Children’ is based on the experiences of the child survivors of the Holocaust. The film is set in 1945 and follows a group of children as they are taken to Calgarth Estate in Lake Windermere, England, where they shall begin their new lives. While the trauma is made clear, there is also an underlying sense of loss of identity and humanity, both of which have resulted in loneliness that makes rebuilding life seem like a dream. Winner of the Best European TV Movie of the Year prize at 2020 Prix Europa, ‘The Windermere Children’ is a gripping and hopeful drama that can be streamed on Prime.
20. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
Although some critics panned Mark Herman’s British venture for overt commercialism and alleged departure from reality, it is undeniable that ‘The Boy in the Striped Pajamas’ is an important human document narrating the horrors of the Holocaust. The film tries to explore the brutalities of a Nazi Extermination Camp through the eyes of two 9-year-old children, one being the son of the camp’s commandant and the other a Jewish camp inmate. The film is based on a novel of the same name by Irish author John Boyne. You can watch it on Prime.
19. The Boat is Full (1981)
While all of Europe plunged into World War II, there was one country that wanted nothing to do with it. Switzerland closed itself from whatever its neighbors were fighting over and remained silent and unattached even in its aftermath. While it prizes itself for saving its people from the horrors of war, it isn’t completely blameless when it comes to sharing the blame for the death of humanity. ‘The Boat is Full’ is set in Switzerland and tells the story of six illegal immigrants who enter Swiss borders in the hopes of starting their lives anew. But the new country doesn’t allow them to be at peace. You can rent ‘The Boat is Full’ on Prime.
18. Naked Among Wolves (2015)
Based on the book of the same name by Bruno Apitz, Philipp Kadelbach’s German drama is set in the Buchenwald concentration camp. The prisoners of the camp rescue a young boy from a Polish ghetto and hide him amongst themselves. They are perfectly aware of the fate that awaits them if the soldiers find out about it. But more than what happens to them, they are concerned about the execution of an innocent life. You can watch the film on Prime.
17. The Counterfeiters (2007)
The winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2007, Stefan Ruzowitzky’s ‘The Counterfeiters’ is based on the life of a man called Adolf Burger. He forged documents for fellow Jews to save them from deportation. When caught by the police, he was sent to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Owing to his unique talent, the Nazis forced him to forge the British currency, planning to flood Britain with this fake currency and topple its economy. You can watch the film on Tubi.
16. Divided We Fall (2000)
‘Divided We Fall’ is an Academy Award-nominated film that follows the story of a Czech couple who reluctantly allow a young Jewish man to find refuge in their house after he escapes from a concentration camp. The tension in the home is heightened by their own marital problems as well as the frequent visits of a Nazi co-worker who has grown suspicious of them. You can rent ‘Divided We Fall’ on Prime.
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15. Escape from Sobibor (1987)
‘Escape from Sobibor’ is a Golden Globe-winning film that is based on the mass escape of Jewish prisoners from the Sobibor concentration camp. When Jews are brought to the camp, they are asked to choose their particular trades. Those left with nothing to contribute are killed in gas chambers. When the prisoners realize that they are in a death camp and that they will inevitably meet the same end once they stop being useful, they plan an escape. Alexander Pechersky (Rutger Hauer) and Leon Feldhendler (Alan Arkin) rise to the occasion and devise an ingenious plan to save all 600 of them. You can watch the film on Tubi.
14. Kapo (1960)
When faced with an impossible situation, a person will do anything to survive. ‘Kapo’ tells one such story of survival. At the center of this Academy Award-nominated film is a 14-year-old girl named Edith. Her parents perish in the concentration camps, but she survives with the help of the camp doctor. She assumes the identity of a non-Jewish girl and goes through a rigorous series of trials to ensure her safety. She is faced with a difficult choice when it comes to saving other prisoners and continuing her relatively safer life. Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, ‘Kapo’ is a classic.
13. Playing for Time (1980)
Daniel Mann’s ‘Playing for Time’ tells the story of Fania Fenelon, a famous French singer. Because of being Jewish, she was sent to the concentration camps. ‘Playing for Time’ is the story of her time in Auschwitz. When recognized as a famous musician, Fania is allowed to join a group of the female orchestra that plays for the Nazis. The members of the orchestra are treated better than other prisoners. However, playing for their oppressors makes them wonder if this safety is worth their dignity.
12. In Darkness (2011)
The Academy Award-nominated film, by Agnieszka Holland, follows the story of a man named Leopold Socha, a Polish Catholic working as a sewage inspector in German-occupied Lwow. One day, he discovers a group of Polish Jews hiding in the sewers to escape execution in the camps. Instead of reporting them, Socha decides to capitalize on this opportunity. He demands payment from them to keep them hidden. While the Jews agree to the deal, they wonder what happens when they run out of money. The film can be rented on Prime.
11. Korczak (1990)
When brought to the camps, the children were the first to be gassed, along with old and sick people. Janusz Korczak was a pediatrician in Warsaw who devised the idea of saving as many children as possible from this dark fate. He opened an orphanage in an abandoned school and housed the children whose parents had been sent to the camps or were killed. As the numbers slowly rose in the orphanage, Korczak prayed for the Nazis to show mercy to them if it ever came to that.
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10. Sophie’s Choice (1982)
A film that features violent, if not disastrous, emotional undercurrents, ‘Sophie’s Choice’ is Allan J. Pakula’s master cinematic venture. Based on a novel of the same name by William Styron, the film is a voyage through the alleys of guilt, remorse, violence, and morbidity. The film chronicles the relationship between three unique characters – a poet, a Holocaust survivor, and a schizophrenic. Critics have since dubbed it as one of the most authoritative works on the impact of Nazism. It was nominated for five Academy Awards in 1983. Meryl Streep managed to clinch the award in the Best Actress category. You can watch the film on Tubi.
9. Life Is Beautiful (1997)
A unique yet beautiful film on the horrors of the Holocaust, Roberto Benigni’s Italian drama ‘Life Is Beautiful’ is sad and funny at the same time. It features a liberal librarian trying to protect his son from the obvious dangers at a German concentration camp. The film was at once hailed and lambasted upon release. It was appreciated for amazingly capturing the essence of endangered humanity better than many other films on the same subject and criticized for making fun of an issue that is intrinsically grim. ‘Life Is Beautiful’ walked away with two Academy Awards in 1999, one in the category of Best Foreign Language Film and the other in the category of Best Actor for Benigni himself. You can rent it on Prime.
8. The Shop on Main Street (1965)
The Nazis didn’t bring about the horrors of the Holocaust in a day. They began with small steps that eventually led to the act that would forever be a blemish on humanity. One of the first things they did was the Aryanization programme, under which they would seize the property and businesses of Jewish residents and hand it over to non-Jews. ‘The Shop on Main Street’ follows one such story. This Academy Award-winning film follows Antonín “Tóno” Brtko, a guy who his fascist brother-in-law sends to take over the shop of a Jewish woman named Rozália Lautmannová. You can watch ‘The Shop on Main Street’ on Max.
7. Au Revoir Les Enfants (1987)
Louis Malle’s critically appreciated autobiographical drama ‘Au Revoir Les Enfants’ narrates the story of a Catholic boarding school in German-occupied France during the Second World War. The film shows its raid by the Gestapo to catch hold of three Jewish students who were hiding. The film is based on Malle’s childhood events and was massively praised for its portrayal of humanism and realism. It received the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival in 1987. You can watch it on Max.
6. Son of Saul (2015)
A film that unfailingly generates extreme horror, ‘Son of Saul,’ by László Nemes, unleashes the dirty beast within human beings like nothing before. The film follows a Jewish Sonderkommando’s attempt to salvage the dead body of a boy gassed at a Nazi Extermination Camp. The critics were almost unanimous in appreciating this unique Holocaust film that clinched the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2016. It also won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015. You can rent it on Prime.
5. Come and See (1985)
Soviet filmmaker Elem Klimov’s ‘Come and See’ is a film that has inspired generations since its release. Critically appreciated, the film is set against the background of the Nazi occupation of the Belorussian SSR. It chronicles the story of a boy who joins the Soviet resistance against the Nazis and experiences the horrors of the Second World War. The film, which became a box-office success, is now considered to be one of the finest war dramas ever made. You can rent ‘Come and See’ on Prime.
4. Europa Europa (1990)
Agnieszka Holland’s German Holocaust saga ‘Europa Europa’ is a filmgoer’s delight. It features the story of a German Jew who manages to avoid the horrors of the Nazi rule by successfully pretending to be a non-Jew. However, things get complicated after he joins the Hitler Youth and falls in love with Leni (Julie Delpy), who hates Jews. The film is based on the autobiography of Solomon Perel. The film was universally acclaimed upon release and considered a strong contender for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. However, Germany didn’t submit the film for the awards. Thankfully, you can watch it on Max.
3. The Pianist (2002)
A historical film based on the life of Polish Jewish pianist Władysław Szpilman, ‘The Pianist,’ by Roman Polanski, is an enigmatic survival tale set during the Nazi occupation of Poland. Based on Szpilman’s autobiographical book of the same name, the film shook the collective conscience of many cinephiles and continues doing so. It received almost unanimous accolades. Adrien Brody, who enacted the role of Szpilman, became the youngest ever to bag the Academy Award for Best Actor for his stellar performance in 2003. The film also won two other Academy Awards, those in the categories of Best Director for Polanski and Best Adapted Screenplay for Ronald Harwood. You can watch ‘The Pianist’ on Prime.
2. Schindler’s List (1993)
One of the most refined pieces of work from the stables of Steven Spielberg, ‘Schindler’s List’ can easily be categorized as more of a historical document than just a film. Chronicling the unique story of renowned German businessman Oskar Schindler (played by Liam Neeson), who practically put his head on the line to save his Jewish workers from Nazi persecution, ‘Schindler’s List’ has acquired an iconic status over the years. Arguably the finest Holocaust film of all time, it managed to bag seven Academy Awards out of a total of twelve nominations. You can rent the film on Prime.
1. Shoah (1985)
An astounding piece of work by French filmmaker Claude Lanzmann, ‘Shoah’ presents the Nazi misrule in Poland better than any of its peers. Featuring a large number of interviews of witnesses, survivors, and perpetrators, the film recreates the horrors of the Holocaust rather cleverly. Secret cameras were used to shoot parts of the film. It was highly applauded but also received equal criticism for being partial to the Polish people. Still, it is ranked as one of the most authentic cinematic documents on the Holocaust. You can rent it on Prime.
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