Well done movie with an absurd storyline.

Rating: 1/10 (4 April 2016)

First, I thought this story was pretty well acted and brought to life. A young boy falls in love and has an affair with an older woman, but she is hiding something. Well done. Next the young man, some years later, finds this woman is on trial for being a guard at a concentration camp, for activity helping with the function of this death camp, and later keeping the doors locked while 300 women burn to death. I think this puts her in the category of evil. So the big twist turns out to be that she was illiterate and (skipping details) didn't have to spend as long in prison as she did, because she was too ashamed to admit that she couldn't read. This storyline is offensive, absurd, and insulting to the memory of all the victims. Participating in mass murder of men, women, and children and what you really feel ashamed about is that you cannot read? Oh please, this movie should never have been made. What a waste of talent (the acting was pretty decent) and cinematography well done. And with regard to those reviews that ask, "How do we know what we would have done in the same situation?" I really don't think "normal" people can murder so many people without at minimum considering quitting their job at the concentration camp--they were there and employed by choice. Why not give us true insights into people that commit terrible acts and then go home and are tender with their friends and family. Much more powerful was an interview I saw with one of the Nazi executioners that gathered three generations of women from one family, told them to disrobe and prepare to die, and then shot each one. He was asked whether he had any regrets, to which he responded, "Absolutely not, they deserved it." This dimension is completely missing from the movie, leaving essentially a love story with the question, how bad can your lover be and you still maintain strong feelings of affection.