Steve Skafte What is it about "The Island on Bird Street" that holds such magic? It's a precarious thing, this film. There are obvious faults, such as the jarring British accents and the (at times) cheap-looking cinematography. Then there's every single other thing. The acting is of an unbelievably high standard. Jordan Kiziuk (as Alex) is desperate, fascinating, comedic, frightened. He expresses emotions with such a purity. His face draws you in, wraps you up in his worries and curiosities. Against all odds, he carries an entire film. Also, I must mention the music of Zbigniew Preisner. I grew up listening to his music on my favorite childhood film, "The Secret Garden". His score creates a sense of pure wonder and fear.From a visual standpoint, I found this film off-putting at times. It looks too low-quality, too much like a television production. But in spite of this, it drew me in. By the end of the story, I found myself completely wrapped up inside it. Please see this.

access_sri I only heard how awful the struggle was, but watching the movie made me empathize for the struggle. This movie almost transformed me there into the ghetto. I could almost feel what it would have been like for a Jew in the Nazi regime. One of the best movies that I have ever watched and I suggest anyone interested in this topic to watch it.I would rate it in the same class as Schindler's list, but a contrast in story, since here it is a small kid helping himself and others, at the same time standing his ground in the worst circumstances. One other movie to watch is "Life is beautiful". Lastly, I think a 10 line review is not necessary to sell a movie of this class

paul2001sw-1 The most successful films about that most enormous of subjects, the holocaust, often take a sideways glance rather than stare full on at the horror; and 'The Island on Bird Street' does likewise, telling the story of a boy left behind after the clearance of the Warsaw ghetto. Unfortunately, the psychology of the child is never satisfactorily realised, turning the film into a mere linear sequence of events, almost like a Boys' Own adventure with little of the context seeping through. The story also ends short of the arrival of the Russians, which might have added a little moral complexity; and overall, seems to suffer from the decision use an English script, especially as some characters put on central European accents and others do not. A reliable plus is Zbigniew Priesner's typically excellent score, but there are other films that offer more real insight into the true nature of life under the Nazi's; for example, try the Czech-set 'Divided we Fall'.

morganpony2 Not least because it is apparently a true story. Alex is an 11 year old boy, stuck in an almost empty city awaiting his father's return. The plot, though slow is tense, holding an audience's attention throughout. What I most liked about this film was the sense of realness, as I watched it(though the language was English) I felt that somehow I was in fact watching an actually documentary as it unfolded. the clothes the sets the streets, everything was real. The acting is so well performed I could easily assume that these were real people, in particular Jordan Kiziuk's performance of Alex. The ending was tear-jerking, and I mean big blobby tears that swam in torrents. It was an all-round wonder to watch.