Playing for Time (1980) YIFY - Download Movie TORRENT

Reviewed by ma-cortes 7 / 10

A sad and well played film about female prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp are spared from death in return for performing music for the Nazis.

An incredible and unsettling true story regarding Fania Fenelon (Vanessa Redgrave), a classical pianist and singer in Paris, is arrested during the Nazi occupation for her support of the French underground resistance. After being sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp, she is recognized as a famous musician, and becomes a member of the camp's all-female orchestra coerced to perform music for their captors . Although the group, under the leadership of conductor Alma Rose (Jane Alexander), forms a close bond, the strain of performing for their tormentors grows. In the darkest of places only love among them can save them ! .A terrific and extraordinary film in 150 minutes dealing with the inferno of the camps of death located in Auschwitz. Based on the eponymously entitled book about life of Fania Fénelon in her autobiography: "The Musicians of Auschwitz" , this is the interesting and powerful real-life story of Fania, a Jewish prisoner who was who was in charge of the orchestra that played in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp during World War Two. We have a famous cast but the characters here are way more genuine and believable and the acting is way better than all the other ones. All along everyone will suffer the horrible stay with continuous sufferings in the concentration camp. The casting is frankly magnificent, starring two first-class actresses: Vanessa Redgrave and Jane Alexander. And the support cast is plenty of familiar faces such as: Maud Adams, Robin Bartlett, Marisa Berenson, Verna Bloom, Anna Thomson, Viveca Lindfors, Melanie Mayron, Shirley Knight, Christine Baranski's debut and Max Wright playing none other than the evil role of Joseph Mengele, prior to his nicely good character in ¨Alf¨ .A good work which is reminiscent in some aspects of others essential films about concentration camps. But this ¨Playing for time¨ stands out for its conceptual approach and its enjoyable interpretations. The story, of extraordinary simplicity but with sudden explosion of grisly violence at times, is at the service of history and not the other way around; in this way, the rules of representation are managed by the director, who has control of his proposal, establishing precise parameters that the viewer must absorb to understand the scope of the film. This ¨Playing for time¨ about the 'Nazi Horror' , is well set in Auschwitz, it was a painful and terrible extermination camp of killing of Jews including children . We see horrors , murders , massacres against the prisoners but from the particular sight point of the unfortunate prisoners playing at their orchestra. And accompanied by a sensitive and evocative musical score from Brad Fievel , as well as an adequate cinematography by cameraman Arthur Ortniz, though a perfect remastering is really necessary. This stunning and brooding film was competently directed by the expert filmmakers Daniel Mann and uncredite Joseph Sargent. However, the film gets carried away by excessive interior settings, sometimes becoming a quasi-theatrical piece, and although the performances are quite good, the story becomes somewhat heavy and long.Along with this ¨Playing for time¨ I would highlight other films about concentration camps that have left an important film footprint: ¨Escape from Auschwitz¨ (2021) ¨by Peter Bebjak , ¨Escape from Sobibor¨ (1987) by Jack Gold, ¨Triumph of the Spirit¨ (1989) by Robert M. Young, ¨The Grey Zone¨(2001), ¨Son of Saul¨ (2015) by Laszlo Nemes , ¨For Those I Loved¨(1983) by Robert Enrico, ¨The Tattooist of Auschwitz¨(2024) by Tali Shalom-Ezer , and the best ¨The List Schindler¨ (1993) by Steven Spielberg.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by VIKTORS633 8 / 10

Absorbing, true, excellent acting.

Harrowing but utterly absorbing. Fine acting throughout in particular Shirley Knight as female guard Mandel and Jane Alexander as Alma Rose. Its obscurity could be because many survivors hated Redgrave being cast as Fenelon as she was a known PLO supporter and harsh critic of Israel. Her casting was initially badly received by former inmates of the camp. Also out of respect to Alma Rose many survivors who knew her have said her representation here is very harsh and unfair. As you can see this movie certainly sparked my interest in the characters. Solid 8/10.

Playing for Time

1980

Action / Drama / Music

Playing for Time

1980

Action / Drama / Music

Please enable your VPΝ when downloading torrents

Plot summary

Director

Top cast

Tech specs

Movie Reviews

A sad and well played film about female prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp are spared from death in return for performing music for the Nazis.

Absorbing, true, excellent acting.

13 Comments