Anita B. tells the story of a young Holocaust survivor who goes to live with her aunt and uncle in the Czech Republic following the war. When she first arrives, Anita is prohibited from leaving the house until her immigration papers are finished. She cares for and comes to love her little cousin Roby, and she shares a bedroom with her uncle's brother Eli, who treats her less than kindly by attempting to coerce her into a sexual relationship. Prior to the arrival of her papers, Anita gains her family's approval to attend a party, where the police discover her and throw her in jail. Eventually, Anita is allowed to leave the jail and return to her aunt's house. When she hears Eli's own survival story from the war, Anita develops feelings for him, and soon she allows him to sleep with her, but only after he promises that he loves her. From this occurrence, Anita becomes pregnant. Eli refuses to allow her to carry the child, and he takes her to Prague to force her to have an abortion against her will. The doctor in Prague is kind and understanding, and gives Eli's money to Anita to help her escape. She goes to the Jewish Refugee Center, where she leaves for Palestine in the hopes of being reunited with her best friend David.
The film artistically created a complex emotional story which demonstrated the various ways humans react to tragedy. Anita longed for someone to talk to about her struggles, finding it impossible to forget them and move on. Her aunt Monika demonstrated the guilt of survival when her entire family had died, resenting Anita for being another survivor and for talking to Roby about the events in Auschwitz. As Anita points out, Eli became such an unreliable romantic partner due to his experiences in the Holocaust. He fights against his emotional feelings for Anita, while simultaneously being overbearing and controlling her. Eli's difficult past made it hard to consider him the true villain of the story, even though his actions often harmed Anita. The movie balanced the difficulties in overcoming such a tragedy with the underlying hope of better days following the tragedy's end. Although we see Anita vulnerable and devastated by loss, we also believe that she can live the rest of her life at peace after the end of the film. The cinematography uses sepia tones to convey the setting of the film in the past. The scenery and the architecture displayed paint a lovely picture of the Czech Republic and the city of Prague. We are transported to a vivid Jewish culture, with upbeat, lively dances and pride which remains strong even after persecution. Overall, the film is an excellent celebration of Jewish culture that artfully combines the pain of World War II with the pride and strength of survival. It celebrates the traditions of Judaism and the hope of many more years of the religion's regrowth and prosperity.
The film artistically created a complex emotional story which demonstrated the various ways humans react to tragedy. Anita longed for someone to talk to about her struggles, finding it impossible to forget them and move on. Her aunt Monika demonstrated the guilt of survival when her entire family had died, resenting Anita for being another survivor and for talking to Roby about the events in Auschwitz. As Anita points out, Eli became such an unreliable romantic partner due to his experiences in the Holocaust. He fights against his emotional feelings for Anita, while simultaneously being overbearing and controlling her. Eli's difficult past made it hard to consider him the true villain of the story, even though his actions often harmed Anita. The movie balanced the difficulties in overcoming such a tragedy with the underlying hope of better days following the tragedy's end. Although we see Anita vulnerable and devastated by loss, we also believe that she can live the rest of her life at peace after the end of the film. The cinematography uses sepia tones to convey the setting of the film in the past. The scenery and the architecture displayed paint a lovely picture of the Czech Republic and the city of Prague. We are transported to a vivid Jewish culture, with upbeat, lively dances and pride which remains strong even after persecution. Overall, the film is an excellent celebration of Jewish culture that artfully combines the pain of World War II with the pride and strength of survival. It celebrates the traditions of Judaism and the hope of many more years of the religion's regrowth and prosperity.