Anne Frank Remembered

Director Jon Blair (returning to familiar territory following his 1982 film Schindler) exercises integrity and restraint in the making of this difficult picture, for which he was awarded a Best Documentary Feature Oscar. Kenneth Branagh's narration is straightforward, as are Glenn Close's off-camera readings from the now-famous diaries. Neither actors "perform" here; they're doing a job, and they do it with simple dignity.

No attempt is made to sensationalize the accounts of those whose lives touched Anne Frank's. The stories spoken by survivors and relatives (among them Anne's beloved father Otto, from an earlier interview) generate enough pain and drama for several movies. The video provides an emotional and educational experience that parents and their older children can share, but families may want to discuss beforehand what they know of the Holocaust, and the types of images the video is likely to show.