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A compelling , altogether human adaptation of Anne Frank’s diary
This latest adaptation of “The Diary of Anne Frank” is by the BBC (released in 2008, total running time is 150 mins). The screenplay is by Deborah Moggach, and is directed by Jon Jones. This adaptation stars Ellie Kendrick as Anna Frank, a feisty 13-year-old Jewish girl who finds her world turned upside down when the Nazis invade Holland in 1942. When her older sister, 16-year-old Margot (Felicity Jones) receives a summons from the Nazis to report for deportation, the Frank family, including father Otto (Iain Glen) and mother Edith (Tamsin Grieg) go into hiding in a Secret Annex above Otto’s office. They are helped by a group of loyal Gentile friends, namely Miep Gies (Kate Ashfield), Mr Kleiman (Roger Frost), Mr Kugler (Tim Dantay), and Bep Voskuijl (Mariah Gale). The Franks are later joined by the Van Daans, comprising father Hermann (Ron Cook), mother Petronella (Lesley Sharp), and son Peter (Geoff Breton), and soon after by dentist Albert Dussell (Nicholas Farrell).

Living under such constraints puts a lot of stress on the occupants of the Secret Annex, and the story unfolds through Anne’s observations (told partly through voiceovers) as the real Anne Frank had made these observations about her life in hiding in her beloved diary. Anne’s chafing under the restrictions of living in hiding is credibly portrayed here(especially the conflicts with Mrs Van Daan and Dussell), as is her adolescent angst which comes across most clearly in her tense relationship with her mother, whom Anne felt did not truly understand her, in contrast to her beloved Pim/Dad whom Anne was very close to. The budding romance between Anne and Peter Van Daan is also explored with a great degree of sensitivity, and it is amazing to see these adolescents manage to connect on an intimate level, despite the harrowing circumstances they find themselves in. Anne’s heartfelt conversation with her father is one of the most poignant scenes here and Anne’s reflections on her parent’s marriage is very insightful, especially from one so young. Ellie Kendrick delivers a finely nuanced performance as the adolescent Anne who harbors so many desires and ambitions, hopes for an unfettered and normal life, and the yearnings of a teenage girl. Her intimate observations regarding her body’s cycle and all that it signifies are altogether poignant and heartrending to watch.

The sense of fear and danger is palpable from the first moments, and pervades the show. But there are also light-hearted moments to offset the bleak atmosphere, as when Mrs Van Daan refuses to eat cabbage because it gives her gas, and the comical teeth-pulling scene involving a certain fuss-pot and the dentist. But, knowing their final fate (as anyone who is familiar with Anne Frank’s story will know) makes this a heartrending watch indeed. This series ends with Anne, her family, the Van Daans and Dussell being led away by the authorities after their hiding place was discovered (they were betrayed, and the identity of the person/s who betrayed them has never been confirmed till today, though there are many books written on the subject and speculations on the identity of the person/s concerned). The fates of all eight Jews in hiding is also revealed.

I would highly recommend this latest adaptation of “The Diary of Anne Frank” to anyone who has an interest in the Holocaust, who has read and loved Anne Frank’s “Diary of a Young Girl”, and also to teachers of History, may we never forget. There is also a bonus feature which is an interview with Anne Frank’s cousin, Buddy Elias.

Note:
I have watched two previous screen adaptations of “The Diary of Anne Frank”. The 1959 B&W movie (total running time:180 mins) starring Millie Perkins as Anne Frank and Joseph Schildkraut as Anne’s father, Otto. Though this movie was well-acted and credibly portrayed the fears and frustrations of people in hiding, I felt the movie was wanting in terms of being faithful to the original source, i.e. Anne’s diary. This movie is not an altogether historically accurate representation of actual events. The Franks had gone into hiding before the Van Daans, but this is portrayed otherwise in the movie. Peter Van Daan [Van Pels] was extremely shy in real life, but his demeanor is portrayed differently here, and his romance with Anne is overly exaggerated in typical Hollywood style. This movie ends with the capture of the Franks’ and their friends in hiding.

The second version I watched was “Anne Frank – The Whole Story” (Walt Disney Studio Release 2001 -total running time 189 mins) and is a well-acted and beautifully filmed movie based on Melissa Muller’s biography of Anne Frank. The movie was beautifully filmed with great attention to period details and the excellent casting choices made this an engaging viewing experience. Ben Kingsley played the role of Otto Frank and Hannah Taylor-Gordon plays Anne Frank. Her resemblance to the real-life Anne is quite uncanny. Her portrayal of Anne is simply amazing – strong-willed, impetuous, candid, ambitious, and yet, underlying all that fierceness of spirit is a young girl on the brink of womanhood who yearns to be thought of as a woman and not a girl, and longs for freedom and love. This adaptation ends not with the capture of hidden Jews in the Secret Annex, but with the sisters in the Bergen-Belsen camp, and with their deaths.

Anne’s story dusted off for another splendid production
This 2008 British 5-part miniseries of THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK succeeds on so many levels. There is a primal reason why we need to hear this story time after time, and yet hope that we can somehow change the ending…

Anne Frank’s wartime diary gave a poignant face to the Holocaust, an event unparalled in the annals of human cruelty. Deborah Moggach (the writer of the Keira Knightley version of PRIDE & PREJUDICE) casts a fresh eye over the original material, stripping away any possible shred of melodrama to reveal even more raw human emotion than seen in other versions of the story.

And newcomer Ellie Kendrick is nothing short of a revelation as Anne. Looking eerily like the real Anne at times, Kendrick brings her vividly to life with all the angst, fear, rage and humour that the role requires. The rest of the cast follows suit. I was especially surprised by how good Iain Glen and Tamsin Greig were as Anne’s parents. There’s a heartbreaking scene between Anne and her father–missing from other versions of the story–which had me absolutely floored.

It seems that each version of the story brings us closer and closer to the essence of the real Anne. This latest version is refreshing and raw in it’s depiction of one of the most fascinating chapters in modern history.

Bonus features will likely include “Rutka: A Diary of the Holocaust” which introduces audiences to Rutka Laskier, a fourteen-year-old Holocaust victim whose own diary–written in the Polish ghetto of Bédzin–was only discovered and published in 2006. This 50-minute doco was part of the UK and Australian DVD releases.

bold new version of the historic Diary
This 2008 British 5-part miniseries of THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK succeeds on so many levels. There is a primal reason why we need to hear this story time after time, and yet hope that we can somehow change the ending…

Anne Frank’s wartime diary gave a poignant face to the Holocaust, an event unparalled in the annals of human cruelty. Deborah Moggach (the writer of the Keira Knightley version of PRIDE & PREJUDICE) casts a fresh eye over the original material, stripping away any possible shred of melodrama to reveal even more raw human emotion than seen in other versions of the story.

And newcomer Ellie Kendrick is nothing short of a revelation as Anne. Looking eerily like the real Anne at times, Kendrick brings her vividly to life with all the angst, fear, rage and humour that the role requires. The rest of the cast follows suit. I was especially surprised by how good Iain Glen and Tamsin Greig were as Anne’s parents. There’s a heartbreaking scene between Anne and her father–missing from other versions of the story–which had me absolutely floored.

It seems that each version of the story brings us closer and closer to the essence of the real Anne. This latest version is refreshing and raw in it’s depiction of one of the most fascinating chapters in modern history.

Bonus features include “Rutka: A Diary of the Holocaust” which introduces audiences to Rutka Laskier, a fourteen-year-old Holocaust victim whose own diary–written in the Polish ghetto of Bédzin–was only discovered and published in 2006.

Review
“I have seen the familar tale adapted at least twice for television, but never as expertly as The Diary of Anne Frank, wonderfully dramatized by the novelist Deborah Moggach, and quite beautifully acted, in particular by Ellie Kendrick in the title role, and by the ever more splendid Tamsin Greig as Anne’s mother, Edith. It is hugely heartening to begin a new year with a reminderthat the BBC can still make fantastic accessible drama.” –Brian Viner, The Independent

Review
“It is the ordinariness of their extraordinary circumstances that is most poignant.” –The Times

The Diary of Anne Frank Description:

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The new Diary of Anne Frank production is the first true and authentic account of life in hiding under Nazi terror during World War II from the unique perspective of a teenage Jewish girl. The Diary of Anne Frank is a modern, timeless classic of literature and a extraordinary social document that has endured the world over. The story is both an important piece of recent history and universal family tale that is understood worldwide.  Full of tension but at times funny and ultimately tragic, Anne Frank’s diary manages to create a truthful and timeless picture of domestic life in all its pettiness and normality while never letting us forget the extraordinary threat of death that await the characters if discovered. The BBC worked directly with the Anne Frank-Fonds estate to ensure complete authenticity for the film.

Dramatizations of her diary are far and few between as the Anne Frank Fonds (estate) tends not to grant the rights to adapt her memoirs, so this drama series is a very rare event. The detailed reconstructions of the house, together with the strong award winning performances from the cast, combine to create a landmark piece of drama.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10256 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-10-27
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 150 minutes

Features

• ISBN13: 0812491010693
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

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