Triumph of the Spirit

Starring: Willem Dafoe, Edward James Olmos, Robert Loggia, Wendy Gazelle, Kelly Wolf, Costas Mandylor, Hartmut Becker
Directed by: Robert M. Young
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
1989

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: During World War II, a Jewish boxer (Willem Dafoe) is moved to a concentration camp. There, he is forced to box for the sport of the guards. He must continue to win, or he will be put to death.

Review:

Tim: I'm actually surprised I didn't like this movie more. It seemed like the type of film that would be a home run- it's the story of a Jewish boxer in World War II, who is sent to a concentration camp. There, he must fight- and win- or be killed. I was expecting an emotional, powerful, uplifting human story about how the best of humanity can be found even in the midst of the humanity's worst. I expected to be moved by the story, and leave the movie feeling better for having watched it. None of this actually happens.

I was shocked at the hollowness of this movie- it never seemed awful or bad, just very much devoid of any heart. It felt like a movie with everything you'd expect on the surface, but underneath, something was clearly missing. It doesn't surprise me that audiences didn't really connect with this film. When it was released in 1989, it made a little over $480,000. It was limited release, but people were obviously not flocking to see it.

These kinds of movies intrigue me, because it really should have worked. The film portrays life in a concentration camp in pretty gritty detail. In fact, this was the first movie to be filmed at the actual Auschwitz death camp. That is crazy to me. The director went to painstaking lengths to ensure every single detail of the film was accurate. He accomplished that. And yet, for all that effort, the movie just falls short. Willem Dafoe, Edward James Olmos, and Robert Loggia all give good performances, and I can't really fault them. There are some very "emotional" moments (people do die here, after all) that felt a bit too manipulative. I love when movies can touch an emotional chord, but I don't like when they feel like they're pulling on the heartstrings for disingenious reasons. This movie crossed that line a few times.

The cast was surprisingly good. Willem Dafoe worked exceptionally well as the Jewish boxer fighting for his life. Dafoe never really seems flashy or over-the-top. He gives a good performance while remaining restrained. He looked the part, and was a pleasure to watch. I thought Edward James Olmos gave a good performance, but I didn't love him. He was good, but not great. Robert Loggia was exceptional. He was so important in a smaller role. He worked very well with Dafoe. I also really liked Wendy Gazelle. Gazelle had a small, mostly thankless role, but she really shined. The cast was good, but were hampered by the script and the direction.

Triumph of the Spirit was not a terrible movie. I really appreciate Holocaust movies- they are obviously not easy movies to watch, but that was such a shameful, disgusting, evil, horrendous event in human history, and I don't think we should forget it. Movies bring the evil that was done to vivid, memorable light, and I think that is important for future generations to see. For that reason, I appreciated this film. On the other hand, it was surprisingly hollow and lacking heart. This is a decent movie, but nothing special.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Schindler's List, Life is Beautiful, The Pianist