The Chosen - Heroes of the Resistance - Blu-ray

Film: Young Max knows that his grandpa (Harvey Keitel) lived through World War II. For a school essay, he needs a hero's story and he asks his grandpa to tell him one from the horrific war. After some initial hesitation, the old man tells him the story of Souson, a young worker from the town of Debrezin in Hungary, who tries everything to avoid attracting attention. When he learns that his sister-in-law Judith is a member of the Resistance, he no longer wants her around, seeing her as a danger to his own life and that of his wife. Even as the Germans move ever closer and Jews are persecuted more and more, he vigorously rejects any form of resistance. But then his wife becomes seriously ill and when the doctor is no longer allowed to treat them because they are Jews, Souson loses not only his great love but also his faith in justice. He has nothing left to lose and joins Judith and her resistance fighters.

The Chosen is based on a true story. How much fiction has crept into the cinematic realization is anyone's guess. As a war drama about a man who becomes a resistance fighter in the face of his own personal horror, the film is well executed. One can understand why Souson initially just wants to remain inconspicuous, virtually invisible. He works hard and doesn't rebel to protect himself and his wife. That he will later take such an important role in the resistance is absolutely understandable due to the fact that his wife only doesn't get life-saving treatment because she is Jewish. Now he has nothing to lose and therefore takes up the fight for justice.

Unfortunately, the whole thing is not entirely without clichés and lengths. For example, the frame story itself is completely unnecessary, especially since it quickly becomes clear who the hero is that Max is being told about. It seems as if they were looking for a way to get a well-known name like Harvey Keitel into the movie. As I said, this frame story is unnecessary, but it doesn't really seem to be disturbing (as it was the case in the unspeakable The Trapp Family). It's just that it's moments like these that make the movie seem a bit tough overall. But at the latest in the second half the whole thing picks up speed and tension and the story develops into a really gripping war drama.

The look of the film seems pleasantly authentic. Whether this is also true for the dramaturgy cannot be judged by me. So it may well be that viewers who are familiar with the events depicted here might be bothered by historical inaccuracies. But for those who simply want to watch an exciting resistance struggle, The Chosen can definitely be recommended with minor deductions in the B grade. Worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: The Blu-ray's picture quality absolutely does justice to the film's 40s look. The color scheme does a great job of accentuating the décor as well as the grimy atmosphere, with the undercooked hues in particular looking pleasingly powerful. Image sharpness is at a very good level and even in the darker scenes there is little visible drop in quality. The audio is in a coherent 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix, with some good surround moments alongside the dominant dialogue. Good.

Extras: Unfortunately, the Blu-ray has no bonus material to offer apart from the trailer and more programme tips.

Conclusion: The Chosen tells a very exciting and involving story. How close it is to actual reality remains to be seen. However, as a drama about a resistance fighter in World War II, the film works very well, especially in the second half. The Blu-ray presents the war drama in atmospheric picture and sound quality. Only the lack of bonus material does not leave a positive impression. Overall, this is all enough for a good: recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp