Adam Resurrected (2008)

Director:

Paul Schrader

Writers:

Yoram Kaniuk (novel)
Noah Stollman (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 December 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

In a world gone mad, being insane was just a way to fit in.

Plot:

In the aftermath of WWII, a former circus entertainer who was spared from the gas chamber becomes the ringleader at an asylum for Holocaust survivors.

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Holocaust | Circus | Concentration Camp | Israel

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Jeff Goldblum	...	Adam Stein
Willem Dafoe	...	Commandant Klein
Derek Jacobi	...	Dr. Nathan Gross
Ayelet Zurer	...	Gina Grey
Hana Laszlo	...	Rachel Shwester
Joachim Król	...	Abe Wolfowitz
Jenya Dodina	...	Gretchen Stein (as Evgenia Dodina)
Tudor Rapiteanu	...	David
Veronica Ferres	...	Frau Fogel
Idan Alterman	...	Arthur
Juliane Köhler	...	Ruth Edelson
Dror Keren	...	Dr. Uri Slonim
Shmuel Edelman	...	Dr. Shapiro (as Schmuel Edelman)
Yoram Toledano	...	Tarshish (as Yoram Tolledano)
Mickey Leon	...	Golomb

Also Known As:

Adam Ben Kelev (Israel: Hebrew title)
Ein Leben für ein Leben - Adam Resurrected (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for some disturbing behavior, sexuality, nudity and some language.

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

Germany | USA | Israel

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Portugal:M/16 (Qualidade)

Filming Locations:

Castel Film Studios, Bucharest, Romania

Company:

July August Productions

Trivia:

Moni Moshonov was cast as Arthur but had to drop due to schedule conflict and was replaced by comedian-actor Idan Alterman.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Adam Stein: I had once the beautiful Father Land. The oak tree grew so high there. Silence nodded softly. It was a dream. It kissed me in German. It spoke in German. You would hardly believe how good it sounded. The words, Ich liebe dich, I love you. It *was* a dream...

Sanity is pleasant and calm, but there is no greatness, no true joy...

Willem Dafoe is now Commandant Klein, and he is in charge of a concentration camp. Previously, he was a guest at a show of one of Germany's greatest clowns, Adam Stein (Jeff Goldblum), and now Stein stands before him in his camp. He graciously agrees to free Stein if he does two things, (1) act like a dog for his amusement, and (2) play the violin while his wife and daughter march to their deaths in the gas chamber.

Having lost his humanity, Adam is in and out of mental institutions while living in Israel. The patients love him, the doctor (Derek Jacobi) is fascinated with his case, and the head nurse (Ayelet Zurer)wants his body - why, I could never figure out.

Adam comes upon a young boy (Tudor Rapiteanu) in the cellar of the institution and begins a transformation that not only cures the boy, but restores his humanity.

The back and forth flashback may be disturbing to some, but it is essential to the story, and gives us a chance to enjoy the excellence that Dafoe brings to the screen.

Goldblum is excellent, as he always is.