Toronto

A very difficult film to watch but important to chronicle the treatment of the Jews by the Nazis and also acknowledge the brave acts of some Poles as righteous gentiles. Not all Poles were collaborators with the brutal and merciless Germans and for this we can pay tribute to them.

This is an excellent film for history buffs and those who like to see miraculous and courageous struggles in the face of adversity. This is powerful, gripping and quite graphic, and for some it might be difficult to watch. I almost walked twice because I couldn't stand to see the human suffering. It is this quality that makes it exceptional.

Very well done foreign film with English sub-titles about the Jews living in the sewers for 14 months during Nazi occupation of Poland. I found it difficult to watch in some places, so be prepared--and it is NOT for children, as it is too graphic.

This is an excellent film about how the Jews survived during Nazi occupation in Poland by living in the sewers and being hidden there by a righteous gentile. It is very intense and gritty.

I saw The Piano which had a similar theme of a WWII Jew being hidden by sympathetic Poles. The Piano was much more memorable. This tended to the melodramatic, episodic and sometimes downright preposterous. It lacked the tension of The Piano. It may have been a great story told in a marvelous book. It should have been a much better movie.

Superb movie. Could easily have won for Best Picture if it weren't in Polish and subtitled.

A real eye opener to the atrocities of war and the depths to which humanity can sink or heights it can rise!!!

Very well done. I knew the story prior to seeing the film and they match quite well. Not overly graphic death scenes, but realistic enough to convey the point. See it.

Excellent movie, touch subject that shouldn't be forgotten.

I often saw Polish movies and like this one never been disappointed. It is cruel reality and every moment of this horror should never been forgotten. A few shots in the film seem out of place otherwise a very good movie, actors are very good.

A film well worth seeing. Even in times of war and great physical deprivation, our humanity still supercedes any given situation. It took a while to warm up to the story, it is kind of clunky and the characters are not well developed at all. Still a great movie.

A very sad movie, pure truth about Holocaust. A must seen.

Fantastic film! A must see for anybody interested in history. It follows the story of Polish Jews during WW2 and shows the resilience of people towards true evil. Socha, if not very likeable and rather shady at the beginning of the film, turns out to be an extraordinary man who should always be remembered for his humanity and for what he did to help these poor people survive. Just like Schindler, he should be remembered as a hero.

[ATTENTION: This review reveals content of the movie.]
This film was up for the Oscar for best film in another language than english, alongside Mr. Lazhar. It’s the true story of a simple man who somewhat in spite of himself does heroic and compassionate deeds. This man goes from exploiter to savior in the face of monstrosities. It’s a hard film on the Polish occupation by the Germans in the last world war. It’s a dark movie also as the title suggests, with most of the action playing out in the depths of the sewers as a group of refugee Jews hide from the occupant. The imagery is rich but cold. Although we witness great suffering on screen, the viewer isn’t drawn in, except perhaps the desperate infanticide scene. We are held back as bystanders in front of all these horrors and this essentially holds back this film from greatness.

I had high hopes for this movie. I sincerely believed the critics, vigorously praising this movie. But, once again, the critics were wrong. There is nothing new or original in this movie. The same moral conflicts, the same dialogues... It seems that the director wanted to give more humanity to the characters but honestly, seeing the actors completely naked at many occasions throughout the movie did not accomplish that goal. It was bizarre, actually. Their humanity could have been demonstrated in so many other ways, it is a shame the director did not honor the survivors in a more appropropriate way. The only positive things I can say about the movie is the admirable performance of the main character, and its art-house qualities, that's about it.

A great true story a must see for ww2 history buffs.

Amazing story, amazing characters, amazing acting! Stays with you for a while... unlike much of the junk out there. Suitable for 18+, and should be mature at that age.

It is a worth seeing movie, set in a World War II Warsaw. The film was believable as it was based on a true event. It was worth Oscar nomination, but half of the movie was in darkness and a bit too long. I was in and out of the film, and never felt connected to the leading characters. His Europa Europa was a far better film than this one... Overall, it was good.

Poor movie, waste of time. Dark, sobering and gruesome. Didn't enjoy it.

Personally, I don't think I would survive that long in the sewer like those amazing Jews did. To be able to endure the most extreme hardship conditions both physically and emotionally for more than a year is a testaments to their characters. It's a must see.

It left me speechless and it goes to show the good and bad people in life. How can we complain today in Canada when we see such tragic events in the past and today. The film was done so well, I hope it wins the Oscar for best foreign film.

This is a great movie unlike anything they make in hollywood, it is based on a true story and the 2 and half hours just flew by, it is a must see for every cinema fan.