Sarah’s Key
Sarah’s Key is a French drama starring Kristin Scott Thomas. Starting in the present day, it follows a journalist who is investigating the events of the Vel’ c’Hiv Roundup in World War Two where occupied France willingly kidnapped Jewish people, holding them hostage before sending them to the extermination camps. The journalist follows a young Jewish girl’s (Sarah) story as she tries to escape the clutches of the French troops and save her brother.
Sarah’s Key is a wonderful film, producing an exciting rollercoaster ride of emotions that will drag you in from the second you sit in your chair. The story is riveting, with the near two hour run time never feeling boring or dull. It grips you to the edge of your seat.
Further, as well as having an amazing story, it delves into history, illustrating to the general public the sadism of the Nazis. With the French forced to take Jews it shows the horrid truth of what happens to the human condition when people become desperate, with few people willing to stand up for what is right. By following the events after the Holocaust, the film allows you to see what kind of effect it would have on a person and how it would change their outlook.
Thomas, who plays Julia, does a fantastic job showing the emotion needed for a role like this. You urge her on to find the truth, feeling as desperate to find out what has happened to Sarah as much as the character does. Yet props must also go to Mélusine Mayance who plays the young Sarah in the 1940s. Her performance is just as moving if not more so. It is a delight to watch someone so young have this kind of ability.
Sarah’s Key is not just the film of the summer it is the film of the year. Everyone should go and see this, as it is a vital piece of history that should never be forgotten and must be told in order for it to never happen again. It is an intriguing film that grabs you from the second it starts and never lets you go. With amazing performances from the entire cast, this should not let you go by with a story that will move you to tears.
