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Movies / On DVD / Paragraph 175
Paragraph 175

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Paragraph 175 (2000)

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93 %
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Reviews Counted: 15

Fresh: 14

Rotten:1

Average Rating: 7.5/10

Runtime: 81 mins

Genre: Education/General Interest

Synopsis: PARAGRAPH 175 is a documentary about the 10-15,000 German men who were arrested because of their homosexuality between the years 1933-1945 during World War II. Some of the men were sent to... PARAGRAPH 175 is a documentary about the 10-15,000 German men who were arrested because of their homosexuality between the years 1933-1945 during World War II. Some of the men were sent to concentration camps to be killed; an estimated 4,000 survived. PARAGRAPH 175, from directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (THE CELLULOID CLOSET), tells the tragic story and includes interviews with seven of only nine living survivors. It was Klaus Müller, curator of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, who convinced directors Epstein and Friedman of the urgent need to make the film PARAGRAPH 175. Despite their small number of survivors who remain to tell the tale, their accounts unearth a rich trove of anecdotal history. The stories of their treatment are both lyrical and horrific. These 20th-century gay Germans lived freely through the Weimar years. In the 1930s, they were initially ignored by an indifferent Hitler. Then, with the implementation of an obscure legal statute (Paragraph 175) which aimed to exterminate homosexuals entirely, they became the victims of a brutal persecution. Rupert Everett's solemn narration puts the stories in context, as do photographs, footage, and music that remind us of the eerie wistfulness of pre-Nazi Germany. The filmmakers also put the text of anti-homosexual laws and political statements right on the screen, along with a chillingly complete chart of symbols to be worn by camp prisoners (gay men wore a pink triangle). Ultimately, the film is a chance for a forgotten group of victims (they have never received reparations) to tell their story. They very nearly did not get the chance. [More]

Director: Jeffrey Friedman, Rob Epstein

Director: Jeffrey Friedman, Rob Epstein
Screenwriter: Sharon Wood
Producer: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman, Michael Ehrenzweig, Janet Cole

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Release:

Jul 23, 2002

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Reviews for Paragraph 175

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Newsweek | comment Comment
08/18/08
David Ansen
Newsweek
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Importante documentário que, embora burocrático em sua estrutura, traz depoimentos fortes e comoventes, revelando aspectos pouco divulgados sobre os horrores da Segunda Guerra.

comment Comment
05/29/06
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Derek Adams
Time Out

No review available.

comment Comment
07/01/05
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)

No review available.

comment Comment
06/12/05
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Nation | comment Comment
03/03/05
Stuart Klawans
Nation

No review available.

comment Comment
10/10/04
Matt Bailey
Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Illuminating, eloquent, harrowing and, at times, surprisingly humorous account of the untold story of the Nazi persecution of homosexuals of the Third Reich.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
05/05/04
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
05/04/03
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
06/15/02
Reel.com

It's a provocative subject, but one that is undermined by directors Jeffrey Friedman and Rob Epstein's overly narrow focus.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
06/05/02
Shlomo Schwartzberg
Boxoffice Magazine

An extraordinary film that serves as important reminder.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
06/11/01
Stephen Tropiano
PopMatters

One of the most moving interviews is with Pierre Seel.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
05/21/01
Eric Harrison
Houston Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The reason to watch is the firsthand testimonies themselves.

Full Review Source: Mr. Showbiz | comment Comment
03/02/01
Kevin Maynard
Mr. Showbiz
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Rarely have simple scenes of people reminiscing been so heartbreaking.

Full Review Source: culturevulture.net | comment Comment
01/01/00
David Fear
culturevulture.net

Epstein and Friedman have clearly stumbled on priceless footage with these reminiscences.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
01/01/00
David Noh
Film Journal International

At once admirable and deeply unsettling.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Lawrence Van Gelder
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An exquisite and powerful documentary -- one whose elegance only heightens its devastating impact.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The salvation of this picture is the humanity it contains.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Robert Strohmeyer
Filmcritic.com
 
 
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