The Nazi Officer's Wife

Rating:
Summary: "hiding in plain sight"
Review: An excellent documentary, with fascinating and at times devastating film footage, this is the story of Edith Hahn, a courageous woman who was also blessed with a degree of good fortune, meeting people who helped her, even among those in the Nazi Party. She took the identity of another brave young woman, Cristl Denner, who went to the authorities claiming to have lost her identification papers, enabling Edith to take the original "lost" papers, and move to Germany with them...and thus starts this incredible story of survival among the enemy. In 1985, Ms. Denner was honored at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, for her bold and humane act.

Produced and directed by Liz Garbus, written by Jack Youngelson, and with a lovely score of original music by Sheldon Mirowitz, it alternates between interviews with Edith (who is currently living in Israel, in her late eighties and looking as beautiful as she was in her youth), the story itself, which is narrated by Susan Sarandon, and portions of Edith's wonderfully written journals, read with much feeling by Julia Ormond. Ms. Ormond's considerable talent has been scarcely seen lately, and it is nice to hear her lovely voice used so well in this film.

This is a powerful account of a very unique life, with rare film clips, and still photographs of images that will stay with you; the one I will never forget is of the early days of the Nazi takeover of Austria, when the Jews were made to kneel in the streets and scrub the pavements, while bystanders watched. Edith has come through the horrors of her life with amazing fortitude, saying that "human nature is not fixed" and that she has "seen good everywhere".