Hero (2000) User Reviews

Short yet powerful

[alexander_leith · 8/10 · 15 April 2001]

A short yet powerful reminder of how human nature can break through the boundaries of hatred, even in difficult circumstances.

This movie tells the story of an American World War 2 sergeant who helps to bury the body of a German officer, after he comes across a woman who's husband has committed suicide.

This film deals with some extremely powerful issues, and the producers go well beyond the typical Hollywood treatment of such subjects.

Given the complexity of the issues that this film deals with, it does so effectively and succinctly using minimal dialog, for maximum effect.

Great performances from Julianne Nicholson and Alan Gelfant.

Memorable short film of WWII

[akaryadi · 10/10 · 21 November 2019]

I stumbled across this film during a trans-Pacific flight. There was no information on the film and when I described it to people, no one had ever heard of it. It took me 20 years but I've finally found what the title was. The film was as described in the 2001 review above. I would just add that the impression this film made on me was extremely strong. I teach world history and have seen many war films; this one is among the top I've ever seen. The lack of dialogue makes it perfect for testing whether high school kids really understand the implications of warfare generally and WWII specifically. If I could use it in the classroom, I would.