It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The problem with this film is not it's relevance to history. It's the continued narrative perpetrated by Israeli's who have already selfishly and greedily hijacked the holocaust as an on-going justification for their current foreign policy (which is criminal). However, in this film, the audience's intelligence is insulted beyond comprehension as the protagonists are almost caricatures and history is told through the eyes of saccharine viewing children. The Nazi's (of course) are blood-thirsty, removed bureaucrats, while the French jews are portrayed as harmless, benevolent, life loving people who simply love one another and may as well be angels. This narrative is told time and again, giving the viewer no reason or context with which to view the history of anti-semitism. The intelligent film-goer will feel manipulated, even though the question of good vs evil is intact. The point that is constantly airbrushed out of history is that Germany was not simply a nation of 'Nazi's'- just as Jewish people were not all Zionists's. But to please the politically correct thought police is once again the more important virtue than representing a complex and comprehensive historical event. This may as well be Batman vs (insert villain).

In the summer of 1942 more than 12,000 French Jews were delivered to the Nazi. They were locked at the Vélodrome d'Hiver for several days without food or water or sanitation.It was up to Red Cross nurses, like Annette Monod (Mélanie Laurent), and Dr. Sheinbaum (Jean Reno) to care for the prisoners and mitigate their suffering.La Rafle is not a film about the deportation of Jews and the horror of the concentration camps with Hitler's Final Solution. This film is powerful testimony to the denaturalization of French Jews, the appalling conditions of the Vel d'Hiv, the lack of resistance of the French police as well as the existence of the French camps.

I came across this film quite by accident, but I am glad I did. I am a huge fan of Jean Reno, and I became a fan recently, of Melanie Laurent, who I met through the film, "Inglorious Basterds". I knew I wanted to watch this film based on these excellent actors, and the fact that it was a French story surrounding the Holocaust, which I'd never seen before - a French story regarding the Holocaust. The fact that it is a true story of the events of July 16, 1942, sealed the deal. This story is heart-wrenching and heartbreaking, and is so well told, that as a human, you are feeling everything each Jewish person and family goes through, in these events. As a human, you are reminded how evil and cold- hearted the Nazi machine was, and how there are some people who refuse to give up their humanity, no matter the costs. While we say that we don't want this to ever happen again, I am reminded of news stories where these things are happening again. Ethnic groups killed with machetes, or chemicals like sarin gas, or restriction of water and food, so they starve or die of thirst. I think this film should be watched by every high school student, in any country, so that they see what really happened that day. Maybe, if we all share the same vision that this should not be repeated, then perhaps it won't. It is a naive dream, I know. I think evil will always be here. Jean Reno and Melanie Laurent are excellent in their performances, and I applaud, applaud, applaud them!!!!

Bought this film having read good reviews and have always been an admirer of Jean Reno in the films I have seen him in. I also don't mind watching a film with subtitles.I wasn't expecting the film to be better than what I thought and was pleasantly surprised. Sometimes when you know a film is supposed to be emotional you subconsciously prepare yourself and don't quite get the emotion but this film did it for me.The story of thousands of Jews and their families taken from their homes in Paris and placed in war camps where many are later killed is a powerful one. Never before has this particular episode in French history during the war been told. We see the effect through various Jews eyes of being forced from your home because you happen to be Jewish and how families and friends are torn apart. Those that try to escape who succeed and those who don't, those that cant even face their fate and those that bravely believe that one day again they will be free. It is through the children that much of this story centers, the innocent ones which also carries much of the emotion, the very young children too young to understand what is happening and going to happen to them and the slightly older children that show bravery beyond their years. Also through the eyes of a brave nurse(Melanie Laurent) and a dedicated Doctor (Jean Reno) we see a triumph of the human spirit to never give up and to try and stay united. The emotion in the film never lets up from start to finish and their is a constant mixture of cruelty and horror, impending dread yet tinged with hope and belief. Special praise must go to (Melanie Laurent) who plays the part of a nurse, you can really feel the connection she has with the children as if she is mother to them all. (Jean Reno) is not in the film as much as I expected but his presence is still felt and he can convey great emotion with just his face alone. The child actors are all good and (Udo Schenk)who plays Adolf Hitler is also very good. The music in the film is perfect for the story and the film is just the right length to keep you gripped.A very good retelling of a surprisingly neglected story highly recommended.