This is a shining, triumphant film placed in the setting of a shattered world. The story of Corrie ten Boom, and her family’s compassion in reaching out to Jews just prior to World War ll, is a story which won’t allow one to turn away from the screen. Its depiction of the opposite ends of the spectrum-man’s great cruelty and hatred in comparison with man’s compassion and love, is honestly and straightforwardly told in simple, yet compelling ways.
The acting, music and screenplay, based on ten Boom’s book also titled “The Hiding Place,” are all mixed in with care and produces one great recipe of a film. I was moved while watching this film as I saw loved ones torn from one another. Corrie and her sister Betsie rejoice in the brief moments they share during the work days at Ravensbruck, a dreaded concentration camp. All this was the result of hiding Jews in their Christian home. The ending is an oxymoron of happiness and sorrow. Corrie ten Boom herself appears at the end of the film. We recommend this film for ages twelve and up, as some of the cruelty of the Gestapo might be a bit much for younger viewers.
