...exposes the political and moral shortsightedness that led to one of the sorriest chapters in an infinitely sorrowful war.
Comment
05/18/01
The Sorrow and the Pity (1971)
100
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:24
Fresh:24
Rotten:0
Average Rating:8.6/10
Runtime: 4 hrs 20 mins
Genre: Education/General Interest
Synopsis: THE SORROW AND THE PITY is one of the greatest documentaries ever made, delving into the Nazi occupation of France. Director Marcel Ophuls interviewed dozens of French, British, and German... [More]
Director: Marcel Ophuls
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Reviews for The Sorrow and the Pity
The film is so boldly conceived, richly textured and beautifully paced that its marathon running time feels more like a sprint.
10/06/07
The postwar, Gaullist myth of massive French resistance to fascism has long since been destroyed, yet The Sorrow and the Pity retains its shattering power as an interrogation of memory.
01/01/00
Top CriticIn its complexity, its humanity, its refusal to find easy solutions, this is one of the greatest documentaries ever made.
10/23/04
Top CriticThrough its scale, intelligence, wit, imaginative organisation and polemical thrust, it changed the face of the documentary forever.
10/06/07
A grand, astonishingly comprehensive document, recorded with unfailing persistence and intelligence.
03/03/05
Ophüls is more relentless than Mike Wallace in getting beneath the cover stories and revealing the truth.
06/19/01
For any history buff, this film is a must-see. (Try breaking it up into chunks.)
12/18/01
[A] timeless study of human nature.
05/22/04
Documentary about the horrors of occupying a foreign country. Especially well worth watching now.
01/17/07
It remains the preeminent documentary about historical tragedy and one of the most exhilaratingly demanding experiences the movies have ever offered.
08/11/02
Top CriticIt's valuable mainly as a brilliant assemblage of documents and testimonies.
10/06/07
Top CriticEven today it's lost little of its challenging impact.
05/18/04
It soberly spotlights history -- impressively human, not pedantic, levels.
05/20/03
Top CriticA work which helped change the way France viewed its own past, The Sorrow And The Pity is an impressively assembled documentary which combines archival footage and detailed personal testimonies to profound effect.
10/06/07
Though lengthy and obviously downbeat, the 1970 film should be a staple for all serious filmgoers.
07/30/03
The mosaic is comprehensive, the documentation overwhelming, particularly regarding the nature and extent of collaboration.
06/24/06
No review available.
11/17/03
No review available.
03/12/05
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