A Real Story ... Not So Much!

This is a compelling story! Little boy shows the grit and resourcefulness to survive and thrive in the emptied ghetto. More so he was dedicated to the pledge of his father (stay here I will be back). Sadly the little boy loses all he has built for himself and is suddenly alone ... poof ... Dad shows up and off they ride into the sunset. Talk about cliche!

I found myself wondering just how much of this story was auto-biographical. Well the author (Uri Orlev) ... the son of a physician ... was in the Warsaw ghetto ... until his mother was killed by Nazis ... then he was sent to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp ... where some how survives the occupation.

So this film is hardly autobiographical ... which disappointed me! I so wanted this story to be real ... but then I remember this film is based on a children's book. A children's book ... where fairy-tale endings are desirable ... and teachable moments are the goal. In that light this movie is very successful!!!