When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
By Sandie Angulo Chen,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Poignant pre-WWII drama about German Jewish family in exile.
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When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit
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What's the Story?
Director Caroline Link's adaptation of German-born British author Judith Kerr's semi-autobiographical 1971 children's book WHEN HITLER STOLE PINK RABBIT is an exploration of a Jewish family's exile in the early 1930s, just as Adolph Hitler rises to power. Nine-year-old Anna Kemper (Riva Krymalowski), her 12-year-old brother, Max (Marinus Hohmann), and their mother, Dorothea (Carla Juri), join father/husband Arthur (Oscar Mascucci), a prominent theater critic and columnist who publicly opposed Hitler, in exile in Switzerland after the family is warned that Arthur is going to be arrested. The Kempers quickly flee Germany, leaving behind almost all of their possessions (including the titular stuffed rabbit) and their beloved nanny/housekeeper, Heimpi (Ursula Werner), to head first to the Swiss countryside and eventually to Paris. While they're in exile, the Kempers, who enjoyed a comfortable and cultured life in Germany, must live in humbler and humbler circumstances, make new friends, learn new languages, and deal with a prejudiced landlord -- but at least they're safe and together.
Is It Any Good?
Like Link's Oscar-nominated 2001 drama Nowhere in Africa, this is a nuanced, touching portrait of a family that flees Nazi Germany early enough in the 1930s to avoid capture and imprisonment. The director lovingly tells Kerr's moving story about the day-to-day indignities the Kempers endure while traveling from Germany to Switzerland to France, having to start over in each country, make new connections, and adjust to new circumstances. Krymalowski does a wonderful job portraying the range of emotions of a young refugee who doesn't quite understand the severity of her situation. Anna is simultaneously confused, distressed, and excited in each new home, showing the kind of resilience that only a young child can. Her older brother, Max, meanwhile, can get predictably moody and intense as he internalizes the idea that whenever Arthur isn't around, he's the man of the house.
The talented Mascucci, who famously portrayed Hitler in the 2015 satire Look Who's Back, is memorably good as a frustrated intellectual and cultural critic struggling to find a new platform. Not a lot happens in the movie, it being more a character study than the typical pre-WWII drama. It should be made clear that this isn't a Holocaust drama (although the camps are mentioned in a couple of short but powerful scenes). This is a rare look at a Jewish family lucky enough to get out of Germany before the Third Reich made that impossible. And while other German Jewish families might have had relatives or connections in other countries to help make their exile more comfortable, the Kempers face poverty, discrimination, and homesickness while remaining grateful to be together and alive when those who stayed behind, unwilling to believe or understand their own country would turn on them, suffered far more dire fates. Kerr's book (and this adaptation) are ultimately a testament to resilience and family love.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how exile and displacement are explored in When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. Does the fact that the movie is based on a semi-autobiographical book make it feel more authentic?
What other stories, TV shows, or movies have you read, heard, or watched about the period leading up to World War II? Is it unusual that this movie is about a Jewish family that managed to escape Germany (if not Europe) during the Holocaust?
Discuss how the Kemper family demonstrates courage, empathy, and perseverance. Why are these important character strengths? Do any other characters in this movie show these qualities?
Parents and kids can talk about what keeps drawing filmmakers and audiences to this time period in history. Why is it important to have compassion for refugees from war who seek asylum in new countries?
Movie Details
- In theaters: May 21, 2021
- On DVD or streaming: July 6, 2021
- Cast: Riva Krymalowski, Oliver Masucci, Carla Juri
- Director: Caroline Link
- Studio: Greenwich Entertainment
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Book Characters, Brothers and Sisters, History
- Character Strengths: Courage, Perseverance
- Run time: 119 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: April 17, 2023
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