Our take
In war, sometimes, what stands between life and death is convenient papers, passable acting, and a buttload of luck. That was true of real-life World War II survivor Solomon Perel, whose story is depicted in Europa Europa. Somewhat like a Jewish Forrest Gump, all Perel wants to do is survive, but through his pretenses, he inadvertently witnesses the ideologies that tore the European continent apart, revealing the hypocrisy and arbitrariness of the ideas that needlessly pushed them into war. The film also acknowledges the toll it took on him, the way he finds friendship and love from the people who would have killed him if not for his lies. Europa Europa is a striking survival tale that proves how absurd real life can be.
What it won
Oscars
1 nom
Golden Globes
1 win
BAFTA
1 nom
Nat. Board of Review
2 wins
NYFCC
1 win
LAFCA
1 win · 1 nom
The story
A Jewish boy separated from his family in the early days of WWII poses as a German orphan and is taken into the heart of the Nazi world as a 'war hero' and eventually becomes a Hitler Youth.
After being separated from his family, German Jewish teenager Solomon Perel poses as an Aryan orphan, hiding in plain sight as an interpreter, war hero, and member of the Hitler Youth, though this becomes difficult when he falls in love with Leni, a fervent anti-Semite.
The score. Every time it plays, Perel is in some dangerous situation, but the ridiculous, real life reasons for escape adds unique resolution and sometimes comedic catharsis to his survival.
It’s actually insane how lucky Perel is.
The details
Streaming arrival
Who picked it
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
