By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

The Last of the Unjust opens tomorrow. It is an almost four-hour interview conducted in German with English subtitles about “Theresienstadt,” Adolph Eichmann’s plan for the “Jewish Ghetto” in Germany during World War II. If you long for an in-depth interview from a wise old man who experienced both horror and compassion first hand, then The Last of the Unjust is the film for you.

The central figure is Benjamin Murmelstein, the last Elder of the Theresienstadt Jewish Council. For six years, Murmelstein negotiated with Holocaust architect Adolf Eichmann for the survival of the Jewish people. As Hitler increased the extermination of the Jewish people with the Final Solution, Murmelstein witnessed the lynching of his kinsmen in the courtyard of Theresienstadt.

The film is too long for its own good, with many lingering shots of European modern architecture. Critics have condemned Murmelstein’s deadpan delivery about the horrors he witnessed. Yet, if you take time to watch the film, you will be rewarded by a pure intellectual experience. By not wearing his heart on his sleeve, Murmelstein’s stoic delivery enhances his eyewitness testimony.