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10 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Outstanding film, 21 April 2001
10/10
Author: ItsMeWil (will@canadianmail.com)

I saw this film last night at its advanced screening at the WorldFest Film Festival in Houston. This Canadian production is absolutely marvelous. A feel-good movie about the Holocaust is hard to come by, but this not only fits that description, it refrains from becoming a sappy and trite "let's save the world" flick. Instead, it treats its subject matter with dignity and reveals itself as a poignant film that will cause you to question your own character and faith in humanity. Not only is the story well put together (and based on a true story, at that!), but the acting is terrific, with William Hurt and Julia Ormond delivering outstanding performances. You won't miss the character of Bella Chagall, who steals every scene she's in. Even the minor characters appear to be three-dimensional rather than simple window dressing. The costuming was absolutely sensational; I don't think I've really ever bothered to look at costuming and lighting before but in this case, it's so perfect you can't help but notice. You must see this film!

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
American credited with helping 2000 Jews escape Nazi France in 1940., 27 February 2005
Author: TxMike from Houston, Tx, USA, Earth

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

William Hurt does a masterful job as Varian Fry, who in Europe in 1939 witnessed terrible treatment of Jews, just because they were Jews. Back home in the USA, he obtained financial donations and support from Mrs. Roosevelt, the president's wife, and alone headed in 1940 to Marseilles, France with a list of about 8 or 10 Jewish "artists" that he wanted to save. The area was heavily occupied by German Nazis, and the French pretty much conceded that Germany was going to win the war. This movie is the story of Varian Fry's efforts to extract Jews from France, even though it had been made illegal to do so, and anyone caught attempting to circumvent the law would likely be executed. Excellent movie, never seems long at two hours.

SPOILERS FOLLOW. Varian goes to France with no real plan other than to find the people and work things out as he needed. He was sent help in the person of Miriam Davenport (Julia Ormond), and recruited others sympathetic to his mission, a Jew that he named "Beamish" (Matt Craven) and a counterfeit expert played by Alan Arkin. They play a sort of cat and mouse game with the French and German police, they can't let them know their real purpose, and with really good counterfeit documents manage to get a group of Jews into Spain. It was set up by a train trip, then they hiked through the mountain forest to arrive at the checkpoint undetected. After that the movie ended, but the efforts were repeated successfully many times during 1940 and 1941, saving about 2000 all together. Many musicians, authors, painters, sculptors.

The DVD has a number of interesting extras, including some photos of the real Varian Fry.

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Very important story, 10 February 2002
9/10
Author: Catherine Todd (ctodd1000@gmail.com) from Oxford, North Carolina, USA

"Varian's War" is a very important film and I, for one, am glad to see films of this kind being made. Thanks to Barbara Streisand for backing it, and to the writer and director and composer for the beautiful music, to William Hurt and Julia Ormond and all the other fine actors for showing us all, that ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Look what this one man has done, all by himself, creating a group and raising money and saving the lives of some of the greatest thinkers, artists, musicians and others who have moved our cultures and civilization forward, and saved our souls.

Thanks to everyone, as this film has given me much to think about and much to strive for. I hope it becomes available for purchase as I would like my students and everyone I know to see it, at least one time, and consider what course of action we might all take - if only for once in our lives - that might make the tiniest bit of "difference" as Varian has done. Yours sincerely, Catherine Todd

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Outstanding drama., 3 July 2001
Author: hanksank

This man is something of a Schindler, if you will, but he focused mainly on saving artists. Beautifully played by William Hurt, with great supporting actors all around him, this film was obviously made on the cheap, but that doesn't cheapen the content which is worthy. A good family film. I recommend it.

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
A film about "America's Schindler" but no Schindler's List., 23 April 2001
7/10
Author: George Parker from Orange County, CA USA

"Varian's War" tells of Varian Fry, an American citizen who sets about to liberate the great minds of Europe in the years prior to American involvement in WWII. An entertaining historical drama built for Showtime, this well made but somewhat scripted and theatrical film illuminates the mechanics of Fry's mission but is more stilted than engaging, more mechanical than compelling, and possibly bit off a piece of history bigger than what it could chew. Worth watching more for historical than dramatic value.

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Great movie with outstanding acting, 28 September 2001
7/10
Author: guyb from Portland, Oregon

Varian was not known to me before this movie and I was disappointed that the movie didn't bring out more about him and his motivations. However, both Hurt and Ormond gave fabulous performances. He had that strange "Roosevelt" gait that you see so much in the 40's and was very understated. This had the look of pretty standard Made-for-TV fare. Usually Showtime kicks it up a notch, but not this time.

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Saving civilization's soul, 23 April 2001
Author: Matthew Ignoffo (mermatt@webtv.net) from Eatontown, NJ, USA

In the midst of the Nazi madness when goons hunted down artists, thinkers, and other "misfits" or "queer ducks," Varian Fry was a man who decided to prevent the intellectual and artistic soul of civilization from going into a new dark age. He rescued people who would have otherwise been sacrificed to neutrality as well as to madness.

This is an excellent TV-film that is a memorial to the people who fought against fascism before the armies ever mobilized. The mind is mightier than the explosive and the bullet.

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Gripping story, well told..., 21 April 2001
10/10
Author: Tom Brucia (brucia@neosoft.com) from Houston, Texas, USA

This movie successfully takes one back to the dark days after the fall of France. Jews have escaped to Vichy (unoccupied, southern) France, where they are trapped as the puppet French government and Nazi forces prepare for deportations to concentration camps. (The construction of death camps still lay in the future....). Varian Fry is an American of conscience who goes to France in the days when the U.S. was still a neutral power to see if he can assist prominent Jewish intellectuals to get out and to the United States. This documentary tells the story of his actions, and the first group out. It is low-key, subtle, but gripping in a very human way.... It truly takes one back into a time when good and evil not only coexisted, but shook hands, exchanged pleasantries, dined together, and smiled across the abyss at each other's visage.... Put this on your 'must see' list -- and take the kids, too!

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5 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
The true story of Hiram Bingham IV who rescued Marc Chagall from Vichy France., 17 November 2002
10/10
Author: Peter22060 from United States

I have awarded this film a ten, because a few months ago, the

Secretary of State, Colin Powell, gave a posthumous award for "constructive dissent" to Hiram (or Harry) Bingham, IV

recognizing that he issued 2500 visas against the wishes of the

State Department and President Roosevelt. The people he saved

included the artists Marc Chagall and Max Ernst and the family of

the writer Thomas Mann.

Bingham's father (on whom the fictional character Indiana Jones

was based) was the archeologist who unearthed the Inca city of

Machu Picchu, Peru in 1911.

He has now been honored by many groups and organizations

including the United Nations and the State of Israel.

The TV film Wallenberg: A Hero's Story (1985) is a great

companion piece. Bingham passed away in 1988 practically

penniless, and the circumstances of Wallenberg's death remain a

mystery.

It is truly a tragedy that the great principled human beings are

recognized after their passing. But the film industry does do the

world a service when it brings important history to the attention of

those who would ever have known.

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The remarkable true story of the man who saved thousands of people from the Nazi's....., 23 October 2009
8/10
Author: maddylangham from United Kingdom

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This is so much more than just another Oskar Schindler story. William Hurt gives one of his most memorable performances as the flamboyant and gentle American who helped save thousands of people from death at Nazi hands.Costumes,locations and music are all beautiful and there are a couple of very sad moments.

The wealthy Varian Fry(William Hurt)is ordered by First Lady Elenaor Roosevelt to help save thousands of artists and public figures who have spoken out against Hitler or done satirical cartoons aimed at his party.

He travels to France where he witnesses for himself the brutality and the compliance to Nazi rule by many there without question.Unlike Schindler Fry was in much greater danger due to the fact he was forging passports,holding evaluation meetings to see who qualified to leave etc and faced exposure at any time.

He is assisted by two people who become close friends,the feisty and flirty Miriam Davenport(Julia Ormond)and man of many talents Beamish(Matt Craven).They managed to get many people out of harms way and Fry was later given a recognition for his actions during those dark days.

Although not Oscar winning this is still worth a look and if your interested in that period you should enjoy it a lot.Also it's worth noting that for a TV film it looks great,is very well made and the cast is excellent.

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