by Bill Blake
German director Hans Steinbichler’s new telling of the classic story of Anne Frank – the young Jewish girl forced into hiding from the Nazis, who eventually becomes a victim of the Holocaust – is the first film version of her famous diary to come out of Germany.
Produced in association with Universal Pictures International, this film has very high production values, allowing for realistic depictions of the interiors of Anne’s hiding place. Some exterior shots were filmed in Amsterdam, were Frank lived out her last few years, though none were filmed in the Anne Frank house, which is now a museum.
Fred Breinersdorfer’s script masterfully recreates what was written in the diary, and transforms it into spoken dialogue, with occasional monologues from Anne delivered straight to camera. It feels like she is talking directly to you about her life in a cramped attic shared with family, friends and strangers.
This film differs from the play and the 1959 film based on the Broadway stage play. Here, it’s Mrs Van Daan who is the villain rather than Mr Dussell, the stuck up dentist.
In conclusion, this film is great for those familiar with the Anne Frank story, and those who aren’t and want to understand it better.
The Diary of Anne Frank screened at the 2016 German Film Festival