Anne Frank's Diary

[gg106]

Did anyone else watch this suberb adaptation that was on the BBC last week.

A disturbing subject at the best of times, this adaptation really conveyed magnificently the feelings that Anne conveys so eloquently in her diary. The sense of claustrophobia, enforced entrapment with people with whom you would not normally choose to spend time; the only thing you have in common being the fear of being exterminated because of your race.

One of the many millions from that dark time whose lives were so horrifically stolen from them, Anne was an extremely talented and perceptive writer. The final episode was especially powerful in its understatement.

Any thoughts?

[tagesmann]

I Sky+'d the series and plan to it all in one go.

[Minxminnie]

I saw bits of it - I will no doubt watch it in its entirety at some point as we do the Goodrich and Hackett adaptation with second year.

I also thought it was very good - superb cast. Anne was very good, and wasn't Tamsin Greig great as Mrs Frank? So far away from the roles she usually plays. I thought the last scene, where their fates were revealed, was very powerful, and I think if we show that to our pupils we'll have a few tears.

I've seen some commentary in the press along the lines of, do we really need another adaptation of Anne Frank. I think that's a fair point - genocide happens in many places, and there have been many retellings of this story to the exclusion of others. What do others think? Maybe we can relate to Anne's story because she's like us - white, western, articulate and educated. But I think there's something universal in her story, and the fact that we hear her own words is what makes it more powerful.

[Squirls]

I saw bits of it and thought it was very good. I can't believe I've got to my age and never read it or seen any television adaptations of it. Obviously it being so famous I knew of the story, but I didn't know the ending which came as a complete surprise to me.

I thought she'd survived the war. The scene with her sister where they described their ambitions after the war seem particularly touching in view of their fate. I was left in floods of tears at the end.
and you're right Minxminnie it was incredibly powerful. I wished I'd seen it all. It's a story everyone should know.

I think the fact that they used many well known and semi well known actors who seemed familiar and ordinary to us added to our ability to identify with them and their situation.

[nonsuch]

I

I've seen some commentary in the press along the lines of, do we really need another adaptation of Anne Frank. I think that's a fair point - genocide happens in many places, and there have been many retellings of this story to the exclusion of others. What do others think? Maybe we can relate to Anne's story because she's like us - white, western, articulate and educated. But I think there's something universal in her story, and the fact that we hear her own words is what makes it more powerful.

If it's a gripping and moving story - as this adaptation of the Diary was - then we can't have too many retellings. As to whether one identifies with the heroine because she's white, western and articulate, that, to me, is beside the point. One may as easily identify with a red-Indian squaw who speaks no English. We value not so much the subject as its treatment - in this case tender, acute, penetrating. I only saw part of the last episode, but it was unforgettable.

[Squirls]

she's like us - white, western, articulate and educated.
Are we? :thinking:

[tagesmann]

I finally finished wathcing this last week. I thought it was a very good adaptation and very well acted by all involved. I have to admit that I had never read the diaries and although I knew the story to some extent, thanks mostly to Blue Peter, I found it a very involving story.
Well done to all.

[Minxminnie]

Are we? :thinking:

Fair point - sorry if any of them don't apply to anyone. Articulate doesn't often apply to me. :o

I suppose I just mean that there must be many other genocide victims out there who aren't heard because they're less, well, cute and acceptable.
That doesn't necessarily devalue Anne's story, but there is a fair debate around the enduring power of that particular genocide and whether it should outweigh all others - it's a touchy subject in Germany.

[Squirls]

Articulate doesn't often apply to me.
Me neither :)

I don't know about you but I think we have a tendency to project personalities and other traits on to other bloggers, when in reality we know very very little about people we communicate with online.

[Minxminnie]

I don't know about you but I think we have a tendency to project personalities and other traits on to other bloggers, when in reality we know very very little about people we communicate with online.

:yup:

[nonsuch]

I suppose I just mean that there must be many other genocide victims out there who aren't heard because they're less, well, cute and acceptable.
That doesn't necessarily devalue Anne's story, but there is a fair debate around the enduring power of that particular genocide and whether it should outweigh all others - it's a touchy subject in Germany.

I can see that it might be 'a touchy subject' in Germany. So might the plethora of deathcamp replays we needs must endure every few years. This doesn't affect our appreciation of this tense and harrowing close-up of individuals trapped in a room, loving and hating each other with the 'real' world of the war at a distance, but also ever-present in everyone's mind. I especially liked the restrained ending, the slow-down as each victim descended the narrow stairs alone, with simply the caption of the time and place of their death. A move into the deathcamps would have spoiled the impact completely.