In Darkness

In Darkness

Painful beyond belief. This amazing film is the Polish contender for best foreign film of
the year. I was uncomfortable. I was in pain. I wanted to leave.
Can you imaging living with a group of people in the smelly sewers in Lvov, Poland
for 14 months. The hidden Jews were at the mercy of a Polish hero who helped them
Leopold Socha was a common thief and initially led them into the underground maze of
the sewers. He took money from them and profits from their ordeal. As time goes on he
empathizes with the hidden Jews and helps them in many ways risking his life and the
life of his family.
Every time I see a holocaust film I vow I will never return for another one. At the same
time these stories must be told. So what if I am uncomfortable I should be. These are
difficult stores that tell of a horrific period of history. I am amazed that each year a
different story appears with an unusual perspective. It all makes me so greatful for all I
have.
Before the title even shows on the screen a series of vignettes are shown. A group of
naked women run through the woods chased by German soldiers. The next image shows
them all dead. Another scene shows children playing in the streets.
The Jews of Poland were forced to live in a ghetto. The Germans pursued them. Many
were shot in the street. They were forced from their homes. Many went to a concentration
camp. It was so pathetic to see the scenes of the ghetto after the Jews had left. The homes
were ruined. Litter and furniture was strewn around the streets.
A group of citizens finds solace in the underground sewers. Leopold Socha, as well
as being a thief, worked in the sewers and knew the underground well. He led them
underground into the depths of the sewers. He provided food for them. The Jews paid
him with anything they had.
Always you are on the edge of your seat. There was such pathetic irony to witness the
dirty hungry Jews living in that muck. Overhead the congregants could be heard singing
hymns in the Catholic church.
Will Leopold Socha be caught? Will he turn in the Jews? How will the Jews survive
in this murky, filthy place. The rats were running everywhere. The dampness and
depravation was overpowering. I could almost smell it through the screen.
The hidden Jews were always being tested. They faced illness, hunger, floods and
betrayal.
The actual story was written by a young girl who survived this ordeal. She later wrote a
book that was translated to the film.
How did the actors ever play their parts? They were all so amazing. It was a remarkable
production.
It hurt from beginning to end. I had such difficulty watching and at times had to put my
head down.
This is a powerful difficult story. How hard to believe that people could survive these
conditions.