The Last Days

In some ways its a very average documentary, but the deeply personal nature of the material elevates it. No matter how many stories you hear from Holocaust stories, there's always something more that shocks and depresses.

Every account of the holocaust is valuable and mid-way through the film I would have given it a very high rating, but towards the end a line seemed to be drawn under the period with a feeling that genocides, atrocities and inequalities are something that happened 'back then'. It's a period that we need to constantly study and be aware of because it could happen again anywhere and at any time if the people and their news outlets decide to turn a blind eye to the actions of the rich and powerful.

After Lanzmann, it's strange to make a documentary that uses archive footage, sound effects and music in this way: the film is still effective but loses the sense of gravity as a record of bearing witness to extermination. Combine these decisions with the fact that some of Irene Zisblatt's testimony does seem rather unbelievable (and see: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/questionable-testimony-in-holocaust-doc-is-grist-for-deniers/), and you have, really, a very serious problem. An Oscar though.

A complete lie. https://archive.org/details/youtube-80GgRWuXcO8

Depressing, infuriating and very touching. It get's more uplifting towards the end, but it's just hard to hear people telling their horrific story. I wish those experiences could've been spared to everyone who has any experience with the Holocaust. It should've never happened.

I'm at a loss, soul crushing, depressing . I will never be able to understand the Holocaust. It was nice to see the survivors in the end with their large families.

Normally, I think a documentary should inspire some sort of action - it should serve as a call to go out and make the world a better place in some way. Can you make a movie like that about the Holocaust, though? After watching this movie, I just went home and sat there all depressed, and I don't know whether that means the makers failed or succeeded.

A fine and very moving film. There was some truly horrific footage I hadn't seen before.