And the Violins Stopped Playing (1988) User Reviews

A group of gypsies fleeing the Natzi's during World War II.

[georgegolembiewski · 7/10 · 27 January 2001]

This is a good film that depicts a small group of gysies escaping the German army during World War II. The group is fleeing south from Poland through Czechoslovakia and Hungary. Bucholz gives a good performance as the gypsy leader who must mediate disputes. Through all their travail there is romance with the leaders adolescent daughter and a boy from another gypsy family. The film is unique in that the hunted are not Jews or prisoners of war, but gypsies. I was so glad to see someone,somewhere make a film where a group other than Jews are depicted as the targets of Natzi hatred. Sadly you may never see this film since it was shown only once on Showtime in mid-afternoon a number or years ago.

Gypsies on the go

[DjPatof · 7/10 · 2 November 2014]

I finally get to see that movie today and was pretty surprise by the quality of it.

It's a known truth that Nazis were after a lot of people and not just Jews. In no way that movie try to diminish the great lost that the Jews have suffer, on the contrary that movie seems to show how terrible those days were for anyone being there at the time. This time it's the Gypsies that are the target as we follow a small clan trying to save themselves from the horror of the concentration camps...

Horst Buchholz do a great job as the clan leader and Piotr Polk give an honest performance too.

I will recommend that movie to anyone interested about WWII.

But the music never stopped being heard.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 24 July 2021]

This is a haunting war drama that deals with the persecution of the gypsies during World War II, ironically after being told that they were as Aryan as the Nazis were and would not be sent to the camps. Horst Buchholz is touching as a gypsy violin player who is commanded to play for the Nazis yes must flee his land when he learns that gypsies indeed are being persecuted and tossed into the camps. Along the way, he sees the empty Warsaw ghetto, a huge sky of smoke over an extermination camp and a ton of atrocities where gypsies are violently killed in altercations with the Nazis. This is a sensitive and realistic portrayal of the gypsies oh, not in the stereotypical way but as decent, law-abiding citizens whose love of music and life in general is threatened by the evils of the Third Reich. The film explores their journey to get as far away from Nazi atrocities as quickly as possible, but everywhere they turn, there are Nazis somewhere nearby. Of course they do end up in a concentration camp, perhaps not as vile as those where the Jews are being kept, but of course, as time goes on, the atrocities and squalor do become more hideous and they are treated as nothing more than a dog who can be shot without regard to any human feelings.

A film that must be seen by students of war history, it shows how they were used by the Nazis in the camps to provide entertainment all the while being planned for extermination. Perhaps a remake of this could show a more realistic view of what happened because while it is horrific at times, something seems to be missing as far as the reality of what they actually went through. This also shows the Nazis in a very different life because when the gypsies are playing their music, the Nazis have a look of awe on their face, as if trying to atone while committing horrific acts by knowing inside that what they are doing will make them despised by the world and damned for all time. Even though this is a cleaned-up version of the reality of the situation, you can't help but be moved by the humanity of many of the individuals, fighting to stay alive and help each other yet resigned to their fate when they are caught behind the barbed wire fence.

I'm trying to remember

[meliajanssen · 29 May 2003]

I watched this movie some time ago when it aired on Singapore television and though I watched it, I didn't really appreciate it too much. I'm having a renewed interest in WWII movies now and would really like to watch this again. This is refreshing as the hunted subject is not Jews but another despised race, the gypsies. I'm still trying to understand why Hitler hated the Jews so much and now that I'm suddenly reminded about this movie, maybe I might have my answer. I think I missed the final episode as I can remember almost everything except the final part. What I did remember about this movie was it was poignant and sad at time as you watch the gypsies run for their lives especially when they had to throw out one of the daughters from the train when the Germans were approaching. Just wished I knew how to get this movie again.

Important Film commits hari-kari!

[chrissso · 6/10 · 1 August 2015]

This film, directed by Alexander Ramati … is based on a book written by Alexander Ramati. I'll bet it's a great book (5 stars on Amazon) as the subject matter is completely unknown and relevant (500,000 gypsies die at the hands of the Nazis).

The world cries out for a great film on this subject yet this noble undertaking kills itself! First and foremost the audio track is not synchronized with the video and that simply DESTROYS a film (imagine hearing gunfire 2 seconds after you see the gun flash). And this is not an issue of dubbing as some have mentioned … this is just craftsmanship at its worst! Secondly most of the actors appear to be total armatures (with exception to Horst Buchholz who perfectly cast as the lead) that were not directed very well and thus frequently over-acted.

Such issues are total buzz kills … which is too bad as there many good aspect to the film. The music is exceptional as were the sets and props and camera work.

How unfortunate as the plight of the Gypsies (still unrecognized by the Germans) so deserves a great film. Imagine if Spielberg got a hold of this!