Based on the true story of a young Jewish girl, Anne Frank, who during the havoc of the Second World War, flees with her family to hide in an attic in the occupied Amsterdam, where she writes down her whole days during that time, expressing her fears and challenges.
Mr. Stevens has done a superb job of putting upon the screen the basic drama and shivering authenticity of the Frances Goodrich-Albert Hackett play, which in turn caught the magnitude of drama in the real-life diary of a Jewish girl.
Film4
May 24, 2003
Stevens took some stick for casting an unknown as Anne, but his decision paid off as Perkins is refreshingly unmannered in the role.
Remains a potent statement about the horrors of war and a valid testament to the girl who could answer them by writing, 'I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are really good at heart.' [Blu-ray]
Its ideals are concerned less with the horrors of 1940s Germany and more with the optimistic, hopeful attitude of 1950s America.
Cinemania
October 29, 2013
The strength of both families in the face of such frightening conditions provides the film with a moral center and tragic power that overcome its minor weaknesses.
A poignant drama bringing us into the lives of Anne Frank, whose diary inspired millions seeking to understand why such a sweet, innocent child could be murdered in the Holocaust.
More valuable as historical than artistic work, George Stevens' reverential Broadway-to-Hollywood transfer is marred by the weak lead performance from Millie Perkins.
One of those extremely long and well-meaning adaptations of plays, this doesn't really amount to very much, despite its intrinsically moving subject matter.
