Search - The Nazi Officer's Wife on DVD

"hiding in plain sight"

Alejandra Vernon | Long Beach, California | 06/30/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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"."

Compelling Holocaust Film

A. Vegan | Ontario Canada | 04/11/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"If you're expecting a movie which portrays the life of Edith Hahn, you're going to be disappointed. However, if you're expecting a documentary style film, you'll be happy with the results. Edith Hahn Beer's story is of the amazing true metamorphosis of a Jewish schoolgirl into an Aryan bride in a story unlike anyone else's. She got a job at the Red Cross and lived in a boarding house outside Munich. There she met Werner Vetter, a Nazi party member who fell in love with her. And despite her protests and even her eventual confession that she was Jewish, he married her and kept her identity secret. The two of them - the Nazi and his Jewish wife - lived out the war together, even bearing a child. Angela Vetter, their daughter is the only Jewish girl known to be born in a Nazi hospital. Throughout her ordeal, Edith saved every document and piece of paper issued to her, such as her Nazi identification, marriage certificate, and her daughter's birth certificate which listed both parents as "German-blooded." The film explores issues of faith, family and identity in this complex portrait of a woman who had to bury her true self in order to survive."

What some people do to survive can seem unbelievable

KerrLines | Baltimore,MD | 02/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Edith Hahn's true story is on par with a great companion film EUROPA EUROPA.Both films explore the strange circumstances that some Jews of the 1940's Holocaust found themselves facing in order to survive such madness.Like EUROPA EUROPA,THE NAZI OFFICER'S WIFE is a film that chronicles the almost happenstance life of one Jewish woman facing danger and strange,almost "Unseen" occurances at every turn.This is a thrilling film.Edith Hahn's story also highlights the ways in which many people worked WITHIN The Nazi Party in order to save countless lives.This is a point that i
s often overlooked in many Holocaust films.

The 2007 Dutch thriller BLACK BOOK bares amazing similarities to the Edith Hahn story, and may well be based upon her exploits."