As part of its Contemporary Screen series, the Wexner Center for the Arts recently showed German film maker Volker Schlondorff’s “The Ninth Day.” Based on a true story of Luxembourg priest Rev. Jean Brenard as chronicled in his book “Pfarrerblock Z4587,” the film recreates a little-known event from the Holocaust.
“The Ninth Day” concerns the plight of Henri Kremer, a Catholic priest from Luxembourg who, along with 3,000 other members of the clergy, was interned in the Dachau concentration camp in 1942 for speaking out against the Nazi party. Shortly after his arrival, Kremer (Ulrich Matthes) learns that his mother has passed away and is granted a nine-day release to return to Luxembourg. Originally Kremer thinks that his influential family has orchestrated the leave, but upon his arrival he soon learns this is not the case. Instead a ranking member of the Gestapo, Untersturmfuehrer Gebhardt (August Diehl), has arranged for Kremer to go on a special assignment. Kremer is chosen to persuade the Luxembourg bishop, a man staunchly opposed to the Reich, to publicly support the Nazi’s.
Gebhardt tells Kremer that if he is able to persuade the bishop, the Nazi’s will release him. If he should fail however, Kremer is told that his family and fellow clergymen interned in Dachau would be executed. This pits the cunning Nazi officer against a devoted man of the cloth, in a war of words concerning the nature of faith and how best to serve God’s will, with many lives hanging in the balance.
“The Ninth Day” marks a new beginning in World War II storytelling, at least for an American point of view. Few, if any, American films about the era have touched upon the struggle of the Catholic clergy during this time. In his treatment of such an oppressive subject as the Holocaust, Schlondorff is careful not to indulge in clichés that haunt many films concerning World War II. Scenes of the brutality and deplorable conditions of Dachau are dealt with in fleeting scenes that quickly detail the forced labor, violence and death many prisoners endured rather than just zeroing in on the atrocities of the Nazi’s. In fact, the film opens with a guard savagely beating an imprisoned clergyman for not singing a German song in tune.
From this point on, “The Ninth Day” takes on an extremely bleak, dreary tone. The film is dimly lit giving everything a depressing shade where shadows dominate. Everything about the film creates a feeling of stark realism, whether it’s the shakily-operated cameras that document prisoners marching through the icy camp, or the matter-of-fact nature in which Schlondorff treats everything.
Adding to the film’s realism are the cast’s incredible performances. Matthes is terrific as Kremer, his emaciated face showing his pain and suffering but also devoted pride of a man who knows that he must do what is right. He plays the strong, silent type perfectly only breaking out in anger or sadness in a few scenes. Diehl is also excellent as Gebhardt, the officer who chose to join the Gestapo over becoming a priest as a rebellion against God. Their discussions in Gebhardt’s office show the subtle interplay of two very intelligent men engaged in a battle of wits. These scenes practically shake with tension as Kremer knows that one misstep might result in the death of his loved ones. An interesting theme that recurs throughout the film is that of Judas and betraying faith. In the concentration camps, several of the clergymen wonder if God has forsaken them and Kremer and Gebhardt speak several times about the nature of Judas and whether Kremer would be willing to abandon his faith in order to save his family and peers.
Overall, “The Ninth Day” was an excellent film and well worth seeing for anyone who wishes to gain a new perspective on the Holocaust. It is a very bleak, depressing movie, but there are several scenes, including one where Kremer has a snowball fight with his sister (Bibiana Beglau), that are quite touching and do a respectable job of lightening the mood.
Alfred Schnittke’s eerie, discordant soundtrack is also great, adding emotional depth to much of Matthe’s otherwise silent scenes. The film also contains some great dialogue, albeit subtitled, with some profound topics that are sure to spark debate among viewers. Some might argue that its pace is perhaps too slow, but the dialogue more than makes up for the lack of shoot-em-up action. Anyone who is interested in the Holocaust or in thought-provoking cinema, and isn’t afraid of dealing with subtitles, should definitely check out “The Ninth Day.”
