Daire’s Review
In Desperate Journey, we follow the true-to-life story of Freddie Knoller, a Holocaust survivor from Austria. It follows the dual narrative of Freddie in 1945, still clinging to life as the war nears an end, and simultaneously reverts to the beginning of the war as he tries to evade the encroaching Nazi forces.
Initially picking up in 1938 Vienna, the life of the Knoller family is upended when Germany begins to invade and occupy Austria. The family gets separated, and Freddie sets off on his own toward England; however, he has to improvise when he ends up stuck in Paris.
While the movie has a powerful and moving story to tell, particularly in how it ties in lessons of love and forgiveness, passed down from Freddie’s mother as entertainment, I never reached the emotional heights the filmmaker was striving for. With good make-up, effects, and lighting choice in certain scenes, but a relatively standard narrative, I would say this was a fine movie. Worth watching, if only to remember Freddie Knoller, and the thousands like him.
More Posts for Show: Phoenix Film
