This is the true story of Italian Jews returning home from Auschwitz after the war. It deals with their experiences in readjusting to life and their fears about what they will find at home.This is the true story of Italian Jews returning home from Auschwitz after the war. It deals with their experiences in readjusting to life and their fears about what they will find at home.This is the true story of Italian Jews returning home from Auschwitz after the war. It deals with their experiences in readjusting to life and their fears about what they will find at home.
- Awards
- 7 wins & 9 nominations
- Irina
- (as Tatyana Meshcherina)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFinal film written and directed by Francesco Rosi.
- Quotes
[last lines]
Primo Levi: [narrating] You who live secure in your warm houses, who return at evening to find hot food and friendly faces. Consider if this is a man who labors in the mud, who knows no peace, who fights for a crust of bread, who dies at a yes or a no. Meditate that this took place.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Movie Show: Episode dated 19 October 1997 (1997)
- SoundtracksMadonina
Written by Giovanni D'Anzi (as G. D'Anzi)
Many years before, Rosi had succesfully filmed 'christ stopped at Eboli', which was also based on an autobiography (Carlo Levi, not related to Primo) of the fascist period. Rosi did well not to choose Primo Levi's 'if this is a man' (se questo e un uomo), which describes the unimaginable experiences of Levi in the German Lager, he chose what could be called its' 'sequel'. 'the truce' ('la tregua') in which Levi describes his journey home from the camp in Poland to Turin, Italy, which took him an absurd nine months.The film starts when killingfactory Auschwitz-Birkenau is liberated by the Russians and the survivors are freed and put in trains, not to go home directly, but to be send to other camps. From there the journey continues, by train, by foot, meeting various characters. Levi, played by John Torturro, is a silent man who now and then expresses wise words or memorable sentences, but somehow never really makes you think. It's a man we follow, but doesn't touch us, let alone move us. This is not Turturro's fault, he gives a fairly good performance, but Rosi wants too much tell an important story, forgetting the ones who ARE the story; namely the characters. None of them is very well worked out. Take the Greek Nahum, in the book a surpising, colourful person, here just one-dimensional. Symbolism is overly present; Levi who doesn't want to throw away his campjacket, 'to remember' is credible, but the survivors are faced with german prisoners twice and it's given an unconvincing weight, as one German throws himself on his knees, when he sees Levi and his yellow star of David, far too grotesque. Another unconvincing role is given to the music, it's overly present, even a violin is stolen (where Rosi had this idea from is very unclear??) for no good reason. Music should be on the background.
I am sure Rosi had good intentions, but sometimes it's better to read and reread a book and try to reach as many people as possible in that way.
**out of ***** If this is a man (se questo e un uomo)-primo Levi The truce (La tregua) - Primo levi The saved and the drowned (I sommersi e i salvati)-Primo levi
- How long is The Truce?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $71,448
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $23,165
- Apr 26, 1998
- Runtime2 hours 5 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1