The Relief of Belsen

5.5
20071h 41m

In early April 1945 a small British ambulance unit was diverted from frontline battle in northern Germany, to handle an unfolding medical crisis behind enemy lines. A local prison camp had suffered an outbreak of typhus. That prison camp was Bergen-Belsen. The British had no idea of the true scale of this humanitarian catastrophe nor of what it would come to represent.

Cast

Photo of Simon Paisley Day

Simon Paisley Day

Major Stadler

Photo of Oliver Ford Davies

Oliver Ford Davies

Martin Lipscomb

Photo of Iain Glen

Iain Glen

James Johnston

Photo of Corin Redgrave

Corin Redgrave

Glyn Hughes

Photo of Jemma Redgrave

Jemma Redgrave

Jean McFarlane

Photo of Tobias Menzies

Tobias Menzies

Derrick Sington

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Reviews

N

Peter McGinn

7/10

Sometimes it seems like 10% of all movies made these days concern World War II, and I am so over battle scenes. But this movie dates from 2007 and involves behind the scenes drama, so I gave it a try.

As often happens, they mix actual footage and pictures with the fictional scenes involving actors. It more or less works. I wonder if the more horrifying images scared off viewers who are more interested in drama or romance or whatever than in history or ethics.

I like Iain Glen anyway and the ensemble cast does a great job supporting the stars and getting us through tough material. It won’t go on my list of films to watch a second t8me, but I don’t regret my first viewing.

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