Labyrinth
Of Lies (2015/Sony Blu-ray)
Picture:
C+ Sound: B Extras: C Film: B+
Germany
1958, barely a decade after WWII, the next generation of Germans
seemed to never have heard the word 'Auschwitz' or know what it
means. A young prosecutor Johann Radmann begins to dig up the past
opening up war crimes relating to Auschwitz, but everywhere he turns,
his superiors, the government, even his boss are determined to bury
or silence the past. Why bring it up when the war is over?
In
director Giulio Ricciarelli's Labyrinth
Of Lies
(2015, based on true events), Johann Radmann (Alexander Fehling)
starts out as puzzled, each time he researched about anyone or
anything related to Auschwitz it somehow got lost or forgotten. At
the risk of being alienated by his colleagues, friends, and even his
own family, Johann is determined to uncover the truth about
Auschwitz. He searches for the former survivors of Auschwitz as well
as hunting down and prosecute the Nazi SS members who were stationed
there. How can there be true freedom or justice if people are taught
to ignore and forget the past?
They say history is written by
the winners, but I have often wondered what is the point of view of
history from those who weren't the 'winners'? How do British view
the American revolution? How do Indians/Native Americans view
American who forced them to move? How do Vietnamese view Americans
in the Vietnam war, etc?... There is no true good or evil, but
perhaps the most important thing about history is we do not forget...
even the horrors, because if we did would we end up repeating the
same mistakes? Survivors get to write that history too along with
those who uncover the truth.
The
2.35 X 1 digital High Definition shoot is a standard HD shoot that is
consistent but weak, so don't expect much in the visual sense, but
it's fine for what it is. The lossless DTS-HD MA (Master Audio)
German 5.1 mix plays much better and warmer throughout, recorded and
mixed just fine. Extras include commentary, Q&A, deleted scenes,
and trailers.
-
Ricky Chiang
