Anita B. is a film based on the true story Quanta stella c'è nel cielo by Edith Bruck about a young Holocaust survivor's life just following the end of World War II. The protagonist, Anita, goes to live with her Aunt Monika, Monika's husband, Aron, their son, and Aron's brother, Eli, after she is freed from Auschwitz. She is quickly thrust into a passionate love affair with Eli, which quickly turns unpredictable, unreliable, and unhealthy. Once she gets her papers, she is desperate to find and make connections with the people in her life- coworkers, family, neighbors. She slowly begins realizing that Eli is not the man with whom she fell in love, and must make difficult and life-changing decisions. Anita is constantly faced with adversity in almost every arena of her life, and emerges with strength and optimism toward her future in this story of survival and triumph.
Anita B. is a gorgeous, thought-provoking, intense, and truly extraordinary film. It embodies many of the difficulties faced by Holocaust survivors after World War II, a theme not many films have addressed. The cinematography, costuming, and scenery were all beautiful, making the film an absolute treat to watch. The acting, particularly of Eline Powell (Anita) and Robert Sheehan (Eli), was convincing, honest, and carefully thought-out. The characters were extremely complex, and the character of Eli specifically stood out to me as intriguing and multi-faceted. The film portrays Eli in all of his varying states and constantly presents him as a complex character. Sheehan was cast perfectly as Eli, and was able to embody everything that the character represented in the film. From the beginning, he is portrayed as funny, sweet, and caring. He charms both Anita and the audience, but the pain he carries deep within him slowly starts to show, subtly at first and then more obviously as the film progresses. You fall in love with him as Anita does, and then you start questioning his integrity when you see how he sometimes treats her, until you realize what he's going through and how he suppresses his agonizing emotions. You then begin feeling sorry for him because neither you nor Anita can fully blame him for his actions; as she says to him toward the end of the film, "it's not your fault, it's just the way you are." In this sense especially, the film encourages us to identify with Anita and allows us to feel what she feels in any given moment. Eli could easily have been made out to be the "villain" of the story, but we are shown that he is extremely complex and might not be as bad of a guy as one may think. I love that the story does not have a true villain, and that it focuses on Anita and her journey to find a home and herself in this new world of hers. The film leaves you feeling optimistic and proud of Anita for finally being truly freed.
Anita B. is a gorgeous, thought-provoking, intense, and truly extraordinary film. It embodies many of the difficulties faced by Holocaust survivors after World War II, a theme not many films have addressed. The cinematography, costuming, and scenery were all beautiful, making the film an absolute treat to watch. The acting, particularly of Eline Powell (Anita) and Robert Sheehan (Eli), was convincing, honest, and carefully thought-out. The characters were extremely complex, and the character of Eli specifically stood out to me as intriguing and multi-faceted. The film portrays Eli in all of his varying states and constantly presents him as a complex character. Sheehan was cast perfectly as Eli, and was able to embody everything that the character represented in the film. From the beginning, he is portrayed as funny, sweet, and caring. He charms both Anita and the audience, but the pain he carries deep within him slowly starts to show, subtly at first and then more obviously as the film progresses. You fall in love with him as Anita does, and then you start questioning his integrity when you see how he sometimes treats her, until you realize what he's going through and how he suppresses his agonizing emotions. You then begin feeling sorry for him because neither you nor Anita can fully blame him for his actions; as she says to him toward the end of the film, "it's not your fault, it's just the way you are." In this sense especially, the film encourages us to identify with Anita and allows us to feel what she feels in any given moment. Eli could easily have been made out to be the "villain" of the story, but we are shown that he is extremely complex and might not be as bad of a guy as one may think. I love that the story does not have a true villain, and that it focuses on Anita and her journey to find a home and herself in this new world of hers. The film leaves you feeling optimistic and proud of Anita for finally being truly freed.