Common Sense Media Review
By Tara McNamara
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based on child development research. How do we rate?
Powerful, long docu examines Nazis' impact on Amsterdam.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Occupied City
What's the Story?
Directed by Steve McQueen, OCCUPIED CITY reveals the impact that the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam from 1940-45 had on the city's residents -- name by name, and door by door. The camera rolls from 2020-2021, revealing each location today and capturing how modern-day Amsterdam citizens interact with each other, express their religious freedom, and react to the government. The film was adapted from Bianca Stigler's book Atlas of an Occupied City (Amsterdam 1940-1945).
Is It Any Good?
McQueen's methodical chronicle of the horrors Amsterdam faced in the 1940s has a deep, unforgettable impact. It's important, and it's more relevant than ever, but at four-plus hours, it's more of an academic endeavor than a piece of filmed edutainment. Scholars, academics, and movie critics are the rare groups who are likely to watch Occupied City from start to finish. The film will probably screen at various war, Jewish, and Holocaust museums throughout the world, offering a reminder and a warning of how reprehensibly horrific hate can become if unfettered, and how leadership matters. And even if those museum visitors only stand and listen for 10 minutes, the message will be received.
Watching for the entire 240+ minutes delivers the weight of the horror -- but it may also numb the viewer. Because of the way the visuals are paired with the recounting of information about the people who were abused and murdered at the hands of the German and Dutch Nazi Party leaders, it can be difficult to fully absorb the information. Your eyes are visually taking in a scene that's unrelated to the heinous stories being told, and your mind may have trouble deciding what to focus on. It's powerful performance art that's beautiful and well-made by a true artistic genius. And, like most performance art, it succeeds in the buzz it creates, the talk and chatter that surround the art, rather than in everyone seeing it for themselves first-hand. It shows that life does move on after tragedy, but it's also a clear warning that the freedoms many people are lucky to have today -- self-expression, protest, religion -- can disappear very quickly if hate isn't stopped in its tracks.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how director Steve McQueen chose to illuminate the experience of living in Amsterdam while occupied by the Nazis in Occupied City. How does this compare to other documentaries? Do you think his style is effective?
Occupied City was released at the same time as other movies examining Naziism, Origin and The Zone of Interest. Why do you think writers and directors feel 2023 is the time to bring this to the screen?
Why is it important to record and learn history through historically accurate stories of the people who lived it? What could happen if we rely strictly on analysis by future historians?
Discuss the length of the film and how you think that impacts viewing. What do you think was the intention behind making the movie this long?
Writer BIanca Stigter says the concept for the atlas and film began when her father was helping her study for history and asked her to explain how the Germans took over Amsterdam in practical terms ("Did they just ring the bell and say, 'give this building to us?'"). She didn't know, and she started researching what happened. Why is curiosity an important character trait, and how does it help us explore grow and develop? What has come out of your own curiosity?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 25, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : February 23, 2024
- Cast : Melanie Hyams
- Director : Steve McQueen
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : A24
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : History
- Run time : 262 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : thematic material, strong language and sexual material, smoking and brief drug use
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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