I Have Never Forgotten You: The Life & Legacy of Simon Wiesenthal
Directed by Richard Trank
by Jesse Sweet
Simon Wiesenthal is a unique moral crusader; a humanitarian with a vengeance, Elie Wiesel meets Dirty Harry. His story — a concentration camp survivor who hunted Nazi war criminals — embodies humanity’s struggle to redeem itself after the horrors of WWII and raises profound questions. When does the pursuit of justice turn into an obsession? Should society focus on past wrongdoings or move on to the future? Can the suffering or war criminals compensate for their victims’ grief?
Unfortunately, the makers of I Will Not Forget You do not explore this ethical thicket through which Wiesenthal had to slog. Critics appear, but they have such a limited presence that they come off as misguided or morally flawed. Unabashed admiration for Wiesenthal is a common reaction, as evidenced by luminaries from Rabbi Marvin Hier to President Ronald Reagan to Frank Sinatra. But it is a limiting perspective for a filmmaker to apply to such a complex subject.
Opens May 23
Unfortunately, the makers of I Will Not Forget You do not explore this ethical thicket through which Wiesenthal had to slog. Critics appear, but they have such a limited presence that they come off as misguided or morally flawed. Unabashed admiration for Wiesenthal is a common reaction, as evidenced by luminaries from Rabbi Marvin Hier to President Ronald Reagan to Frank Sinatra. But it is a limiting perspective for a filmmaker to apply to such a complex subject.
Opens May 23
