Review: I always hate knocking Oscar winning documentaries because its difficult to say that your impressions are more right than the views and opinions of countless other critics, directors and actors, but in this case I have to speak my peace. It’s not like Into the Arms of Strangers is necessarily a bad documentary, it’s just that I think there are quite a few better ones in existence. Basically, Mark Jonathan Harris’ film ultimately never separates itself from the pack of countless other Holocaust documentaries. Harris does one thing well, and that is research. This movie leaves very few stones unturned (and even fewer ideas undiscussed) while examining a portion of World War Two history few even knew existed. I for one, was one of the people who never realized that even the idea of the Kindertransport was ever discussed, much less carried out. The number of kids that were shipped off to England was in the tens of thousands, and I’m fascinated that it took till the turn of the century for this topic to be examined so thoroughly. Unfortunately, research is one of the only things that stands out in this film. Sure, it is great to find countless documents, interviews and artifacts summarized coherently on a unique and fascinating subject, but the unraveling of these facts become tedious and ultimately boring after the first 30 minutes. Now, don’t get me wrong, many people with longer attention spans will thoroughly enjoy this documentary, but this film runs more like a research paper than a New York Times piece. In this way, Harris plays it safe as a director. He does not attempt unique camera angles, nor does he try to break out of documentary clichés. It’s as if his mantra was “if it is good enough for the History Channel, it’s good enough for me.” Again, that is not to say that some people will appreciate this style, but as someone who has seen many of these types of films, I expected more, or at least something that would separate it from the pack. With all that said though, it is easy to appreciate Into the Arms of Strangers and accept its Oscar win. If you are a World War 2 or history buff, then this is the perfect film for you, but if you have a shorter attention span, or are looking for something new and unique, you might find it best to move on to another film. Harris is a good director, but unfortunately plays it a little too safe and traditional with his choices. Review by Matthew Abshire Extra Sources for further research: - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: www.ushmm.org Informative: 5- chock full of stories and archival footage. Entertainment: 2- Runs very much like a well directed History Channel Special, which can be interesting to some and boring to others. Technical: 3- There isn’t anything real special here, as Mark Harris opted to play it safe. Overall: 3.5- It certainly is worth the Oscar win, but I would have hoped there was more to distinguish it from the pack of countless other Holocaust films.http://www.ushmm.orgshapeimage_1_link_0
 
Format: DVD Year: 2000 Running Time: 117 Min Distributor: Warner Bros. Producer: Debra Oppenheimer Director: Mark Jonathan Harris Date Reviewed: 8-19-2007 Story: Mark Jonathan Harris’ Oscar-winning documentary tells the story of an underground railroad -- the Kindertransport -- that saved the lives of more than 10,000 Jewish children at the dawn of World War II. Through interviews and archival footage, the survivors movingly recount being taken from their families and sent to live with strangers in the relative safety of England (NetFlix).