Playing for Time - 9 stars out of 10

Playing for Time - 9 stars out of 10

"Playing for Time" is a tough watch but a necessary one.  This true story of Holocaust survival is unlike any other Auschwitz story out there.  It is hard to believe that this is a made-for-tv movie because the script and acting are so incredible.  There are a few moments that are below cinema quality (usually the presentation of stock footage that could have been edited more consistently with the rest of the film), but "Playing for Time" is definitely worthy of the silver screen.  Vanessa Redgrave gives an awe-inspiring performance as the singer/pianist Fania Fénelon, a half-Jewish supporter of the French Resistance  who escaped death at the Concentration Camp.  The historical accuracy of the book and film are accredited to Fénelon, who lived to tell her tale and helped to write the screenplay.  Upon being recognized as a musician, she was placed in the Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz (conducted by Alma Rosé, the niece of Gustav Mahler).  These women would perform for the Nazi officers at Auschwitz (including Josef Mengele) and approached each performance with the realization that if they were no longer seen as valuable, they could face the gas chamber.  Although Fénelon opposed the casting of Redgrave due to her height and personality, Redgrave's interpretation of the character captures the thematic trauma of this story.  Barely unable to speak when she has to prove herself worthy to play in the orchestra, she locks in to a sense of desperation that most of us cannot imagine.  The disdain of many of the non-orchestra members creates an interesting perspective, viewing these women as working for the Nazis when they are merely doing what is necessary to survive.  Nothing about this film is easy to watch, from the shaving of the women's heads to the smoke from the chimneys as bodies are burned.  The Holocaust is one of the darkest chapters in the history of the human race but this film is a tribute in memory of those who unjustly lost their lives and others who were placed in a survival situation and found a way to persevere.