Lore Movie Review

Today I’m doing a movie review! I am currently writing from the wonderful city of St. Louis, and in bed because there is no desk.

Today's Movie: Lore

 Language: German 

Two days ago I watched the German Australian film Lore directed by Cate Shortland. It tells the story of Lore, the eldest of five siblings trying to go over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house. However it’s not a simple little fairy tale in their case, but a horrifying nightmare. The setting is postwar Germany as Hitler and his closest associates have committed suicide in their bunker, as Germany is being separated into zones by the allied powers, and the Jewish are at last being liberated.

Lore’s parents were active members of the Nazi party, and were both captured at the beginning of the film. This leaves Lore the task of getting her siblings though the black forest to Hamburg, where their Omi or Grandmother lives. If anyone has ever gone on a multiple day hike trip, they can sort of get the feeling except for people randomly firing their weapons into their woods, looters, and people wanting your baby brother because they can get on trains easier that way.

Along the way, they meet a survivor named Thomas. He fascinates me mainly because of his fascination with Lore and her siblings. At first he follows along and helps them out occasionally, but becomes a member of their group. Lore is uncomfortable around him because he is Jewish, but he has the papers that she lacks for being able to move across borders. Thomas fascinates me, but he also freaks me the hell out. He’s basically a predator, sexually attracted to fourteen year old Lore, who is good at keeping away all the other freaky predators around in postwar Germany.

Thomas wasn't the sort of guy I'd talk to on the street, but he was such a cool character that I still don't have quite figured out.

Lore makes use of shaky cam, which I usually hate, but does it in a way that adds to the atmosphere rather than makes you unable to see action. It makes you feel like you should be alert and wary like the characters and reminds you as the viewer that while a little girl is skipping rope, no one is really safe. It was a strange sort of coming of age story, about children, especially the eldest Lore, being forced to grow up way too quickly. It confuses you, and makes you root for the people who are so easily the bad ones with a shift of perspective. 

The movie left me feeling unsatisfied and unfulfilled, and I had to cheer myself up by watching Amelie afterwards.

Pros: Beautiful shots of the Black Forest, excellent acting, compelling characters.

Cons: ...it's depressing.

Conclusion: Don’t watch if you are depressed or do not wish to be mildly depressed, but it’s an excellent film for trying to emphasize with people who lived through WWII and it can expand your understanding of the forties past watching Pearl Harbor.