Oskar Grönig was a member of the SS and a bookkeeper at the Aushwitz concentration camp during World War II. In 2014 (when he was ninety-three years old), he was tried in a German court for being an accessory to murder. The details of the trial and related histories are recounted in this Canadian documentary.
Director Matthew Shoychet and writer Ricki Gurwitz are clearly skilled as their film has all the elements of a great documentary including solid footage - some going back to the Holocaust itself, clever title devices that summarize history as they juxtapose the footage, and the inclusion of all sides of the debate. The debate, of course, is whether Grönig should be on trial due to his advanced age plus his past efforts to fight against the denial of the Holocaust in the 1990s.
Some of the post-Holocaust histories include German trials (in the 1950s and 1960s) of those who were directly involved in the murders as well as the trials in later decades of those, like Grönig, who were captured and tried as accessories.
Another praiseworthy element of the film is the many intelligent interviewees. They provide great insight on many discussions including various views on forgiveness (which follows a very surprising event during the trial) and how the phrase 'never again' has ended up as a sad failure considering the genocides that followed the Holocaust.
By the film's conclusion, it is evident that even though the Holocaust ended over seven decades ago, it remains a real-life drama that can still cause shivers and bring out the best as well as the worst in people. It has obviously brought out the best in the creators of "The Accountant of Auschwitz". - dbamateurcritic
Director Matthew Shoychet and writer Ricki Gurwitz are clearly skilled as their film has all the elements of a great documentary including solid footage - some going back to the Holocaust itself, clever title devices that summarize history as they juxtapose the footage, and the inclusion of all sides of the debate. The debate, of course, is whether Grönig should be on trial due to his advanced age plus his past efforts to fight against the denial of the Holocaust in the 1990s.
Some of the post-Holocaust histories include German trials (in the 1950s and 1960s) of those who were directly involved in the murders as well as the trials in later decades of those, like Grönig, who were captured and tried as accessories.
Another praiseworthy element of the film is the many intelligent interviewees. They provide great insight on many discussions including various views on forgiveness (which follows a very surprising event during the trial) and how the phrase 'never again' has ended up as a sad failure considering the genocides that followed the Holocaust.
By the film's conclusion, it is evident that even though the Holocaust ended over seven decades ago, it remains a real-life drama that can still cause shivers and bring out the best as well as the worst in people. It has obviously brought out the best in the creators of "The Accountant of Auschwitz". - dbamateurcritic
