Fantastic!

An action-packed slog

A Brilliant Conflict

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Srulik is eight years old when in 1942 the German war machine tightens its grip on the Warsaw Ghetto. His father knows that to stay means death and so tries to get his family out. In the fog of war Srulik ends up alone and flees to the forests of Poland. He soon finds that being the boy he was born to be will not help him survive and so takes on a mantle that will help him. To sat any more runs the risk of ruining the story. This is based on a true story and to think that someone could have come through such tortures is both saddening and encouraging.It had me moved to tears on more than one occasion and to say the acting is superb is an understatement. This is not a war film as such, but is based in one and the terrible things that such brings. It is in Polish and German with good sub titles and is a film I shall be recommending for some time to come.

I think this is a film on a difficult time in history that through the innocent eyes of Jurek the brave protagonist a young Jewish male trying to survive persecution from the Nazi regime. I liked how developed the story lines and characters were and how it all tied together at the end. The story was incredulous and you just feel yourself drawn in its a story of how ordinary people go through war and ethnic "cleansing". The movie remained true to the Ww2 time but did not seem corny or dated and there were really timeless ageless topic in this film. This film convinced me how we need to protect young people from the terrors of war and antisemitism and racism. The film of the polish nature and countryside is quite beautiful in itself.

Half a year after the movie premiered in Cottbus, it got a wide release all throughout Germany. The director is Pepe Danquart, who won an Academy Short Film Award over 20 years ago. And even now, it has been almost 10 years between "Lauf Junge lauf" and his last non-documentary movie. I would not say that this movie had any moments of true greatness, but it was 2 entertaining hours at the theater. This is quite an achievement as there have been so many films taking place during the Nazi years or World War II and it is always nice to see one that comes up with a story that does not feel repetitive.The little boy who played the main character did not have to act that much. the script was really written intelligently in a way, in which being there was enough in most situations to see him disappear in his role. Still he wasn't bad at all. Basically, all the supporting characters make this movie so interesting: the Nazi officers, those who help the boy (especially the woman who lives alone in the house), the doctors etc. Of course the kid being a Jew gives the film great significance, but it never felt like this was the key point here. The scenes, in which the boy interacts with different character rarely put any emphasis on that, and that made them so interesting.the chase scenes worked well and I also liked the camera shots and cinematography (which got nominated at the German Film Awards). And rightfully so. It is very much responsible for all the scenes that have you on the edge of your seat. Let me emphasize though that this is no film for children, despite a child playing the main character. Here and there you find children's films that take place during World War II, but this is not one of them. There is one scene with a severed arm which is particularly brutal.All in all, I'd recommend this movie. It features some of Poland most notable actors right now and maybe it can be a platform for one or two of them to have a bigger career in European movies outside their country. We'll see. Despite the dark times and heavy topic, the film occasionally manages to put a smile on your lips, which is always good as you don't want to be too depressed when the ending credits roll in. I always like when they manage to put in some comic relief, not too much though as otherwise it becomes a bit ridiculous, and they managed the right amount here.

"Run, Boy, Run" (2013 release from Germany/Poland; 113 min.; original title "Lauf, Junge, Lauf") brings the fictional story of a young Jewish boy in Poland. As the movie opens, we are told that it is "Winter 1942/43" and we see a boy wondering the harsh and snowy countryside, barely surviving. Eventually he gets taken in by a catholic woman, who decides that in order for the boy to survive, he needs to assimilate into becoming a 'regular' Polish (read: catholic) boy, sporting a Polish name (Jurek, instead of Srulik). When things eventually gets too risky, with the German occupation forces becoming ever more intrusive, she has no choice but to send the boy away, and he must look for new shelter. To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.Couple of comments: first, the movie is based on the acclaimed (and prize winning) novel of the same name by Uri Orlev in the early 2000s. Given the topic of the novel, and the acclaim it got, it's surprising in a way that it took this long for it to be adapted for the big screen. Second, this is not an easy movie to watch, as the young boy encounters his share of troubles, and then some. Just when you think it can't get any more challenging, it does! Of course it makes for dramatic cinema. Third, apart the immediate challenges of the day-to-say survival of the boy, there are some further serious undertones as to the boy's Jewish identity: if you 'study' to act like a catholic in order to survive, and you live and breathe Catholicism, does a person's Jewish identity become endangered at some point? Fourth, special kudos to the movie's photography, as the forests and countryside look absolutely beautiful, both in winter and in summer time. Last but not least, the movie features a gorgeous orchestral soundtrack, composed by Stéphane Moucha.Bottom line: "Run, Boy, Run" is not exactly the type of movie that makes you think 'that was a jolly good time!" as you leave the theater. But it IS a movie that will stay with you long afterwards. And the young boy who plays the Srulik/Jurek character is fantastic. I saw this movie recently at the 2014 Jewish & Israeli Film Festival (Summer Series) here in Cincinnati, and the screening was very well attended. I certainly hope that this will get a proper DVD release in the US. "Run, Boy, Run" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!