Rent Spring 1941 (2008)

Two women fight over man - why? - Spring 1941 review by SB

Joseph Fiennes is well cast as a nasty, weak man who betrays everyone - his wife, his daughters and even the peasant farmer woman who inexplicably lusts after him in this war film. The film blurb does not help audience understanding by implying that the events are those of the 1939 invasion of Poland - when it is actually set in the first part of 1941, just as the Germans are rounding up Polish Jews as part of the ghettoisation programme.

The stifling rural milieu which is the setting after the initial section is well drawn, and Neve McIntosh puts in a fine performance as the younger version of the wife who finds herself having to balance the lives of her daughter and herself against her husband's infidelities and erratic behaviour. Clare Higgins is also good as the older version of the character, part of the film being set in 1971 with quite complex but fairly clear flashbacks.

However, the events in the last twenty minutes of the film are shown in a confusing way, and it does not help viewers that all the characters speak in a dodgy Slavic accent. The somewhat portentous references to the source work add little.

Sometimes Confusing Poland (Lodz) set Film, set in 1941 & early 70s - Spring 1941 review by PV

This is not bad and worth a watch but is a slight film, Israeli-made, a bit confusing sometimes.

It is based on the life of a Jewish Cellist who managed to escape the Nazis and rebuild a life in Canada - she revisits Poland in early 70s. WHAT confuses here is the switching back and forth with NO on-screen titles to show the date or year. Some films do that now. I dislike it. DO NOT CONFUSE THE VIEWER. Just put the year on screen eh?

No subtitles available, they do speak in English but none for hard of hearing either.

All a bit overblown and very tragic. Set in LODZ (central Poland) which was one third Jewish before WWII, often called the Manchester of Poland, as cotton mills there. Now there are about 1-3000 Jews living in LODZ.

A slight film, a biopic, all about marriage, adultery and rather tragic. Though i could never really warm to any of the characters.

One issue is things which should be SHOWN are TOLD by characters to others. I am sure the budget could have been found to show the awful scenes of 1941 when Nazis were in Poland targeting Jews. Quick flashbacks and voiceover of characters would have worked. SO as these tragic events are TOLD more than SHOWN, they lack emotional heft.

But not bad, but not great. 3 stars.