Au nom de tous les miens (1983)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Robert Enrico

Writers:

Robert Enrico (writer)
Max Gallo (book)

Release Date:

7 June 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | War

Plot:

The true story of Martin Gray, a Polish survivor of the holocaust, from how he survived the German invasion...

Plot Keywords:

Soviet | Holocaust | Army | Terror | USA

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Michael York	...	Martin's Father / Martin Gray (age 40)
Brigitte Fossey	...	Dina Gray
Jacques Penot	...	Young Martin Gray
Helen Hughes	...	Martin's mother
Macha Méril	...	Martin's grandmother
Jean Bouise	...	Dr. Ciljimaster
Wolfgang Müller	...	Mokotow
Boris Bergman	...	Abram
Bernard Freyd	...	NKVD Colonel
Dominique Frot	...	Marie
Jean Lescot	...	Kapo
Guy Matchoro	...	Pavel
Eugeniusz Priwieziencew	...	Rutbinstein
Fabienne Tricottet	...	Zofia
Igor Tyczka	...	Schultz

Also Known As:

For Those I Loved (International: English title)

Runtime:

145 min

Country:

France | Canada | Hungary

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | France:U | Norway:18 (video premiere)

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

Les Productions Mutuelles Ltée

We survive through our children.

The eighties brought in France another way of making movies:first a relatively short version which was shown in the theaters,then a miniseries which was broadcast on TV.Examples:"Lelouch's "les uns et les autres" Hossein's "les miserables" Bolognini's (co-production with Italy)"la dame aux camelias" "Comencini's "cuore" (idem) .... and Robert Enrico's "Au nom de tous les miens"

"Au nom de tous les miens exists in two versions.You have got to bear in mind that here it's a "reader's digest " form ( 2h25)!Think that the miniseries lasts 8 hours!With "Cuore" ,it's the best of the lot which includes plenty of other films in two versions.Robert Enrico ,whose best film remains his wonderful "les aventuriers" (1967) ,had already tackled WW2 with "le vieux fusil" which ,although praised to the skies at the time and a Cesar winner ,sufferred from a far-fetched screenplay full of tricks a la Feuillade,the old master of the French silent era.

There's not such a problem with Martin Gray's story.His unbelievable true odyssey is one of the most harrowing and one of the most awesome of the whole twentieth century,and he will go down in history,as Anne Frank did.His life is so eventful through the sufferings ,the pain and the small joys -the scene when he gives cakes to a poor little girl-that it resembles a novel. My Jewish friends have always told me that they believe in survival ,not in a paradise after death,but through their children.That's what's Martin keeps on repeating ,that's why he gets over every time fate strikes ,that's why he wrote his book,that's why we almost never see him cry (except for the scene in his aunt's house in NYC)

Of course ,the theatrically released version leaves something to be desired,so I urge everybody to see the long version before...if he can.