World War II Drama ‘Amrum’ Supplies Plenty of Food For Thought

If reconstructed childhood memories of a former Hitler Youth member do not sound like an agreeable hour and a half at the cinema, Fatih Akin’s engaging new film “Amrum” defies that presumption. Centered on a boy living in Amrum, a German island near the border with Denmark, the picture is based on the reminiscences of director Hark Bohm, who died last November at the age of 86. Bohm drafted the original screenplay before handing the project over to fellow German filmmaker Fatih Akin when he fell ill, with the latter reworking the script and eventually crafting a drama that’s part coming of age chronicle and part realist fairy tale.A sleeper hit in Germany when it was released last year, the film is set during the last days of World War II and explores topics the country has been grappling with since then, such as inherited guilt and remembrance. The tyranny of present day issues, to paraphrase Cicero, manifests itself through the inclusion of other contemporary concerns of the German people, such as immigration and national identity. All these subjects are neatly integrated within a fable-like story about a Hamburg-born adolescent amongst a remote island community as he strives to help his family and also, to quote Spike Lee, do the right thing.We first see our protagonist Nanning planting potatoes in a field with his best friend Hermann. Scarcity is a reality on Amrum in 1945, and the young boy works on a farm to supplement his family’s needs. At home he lives with his little brother and sister, his aunt Ena, and his mother Hille, who is expecting another child soon. Nanning’s father, a Nazi official who wrote a book called “Biological Betrayal,” is away at war, with the family having moved to an ancestral home on the island to get away from the Allied bombing on the mainland.The inhabitants of Amrum regard Nanning as distinct from themselves, despite several being relatives of the boy. Some call him a “mainlander” or derisively lump him with the displaced people who arrive from other parts of Germany, Poland, and elsewhere. It eventually becomes clear that the boy’s otherness extends to his status as a member of the Hitler Youth and his father’s position in the party, as his family’s relative comfort compared with others on the island. An early pivotal moment occurs at the dinner table when Nanning informs his mother and aunt of the war’s imminent end. His mother berates him for being disloyal to the “fatherland,” while also insisting he reveal the “traitor” who told him such a thing. This leads to his dismissal at the farm, whose owner blasts “Hitler’s war” and worries about the influx of refugees. Soon, his mother goes into labor, though distress over the war and post-partum depression keep her from eating after the birth. From here the movie launches into its central plot, which sees the youngster attempt to secure white bread, butter, and honey, ingredients whose absence in the house his mother laments. One of the film’s most trenchant observations is how, during a period of conflict and disruption, nearly every conversation and action revolves around food or the attainment of it. From milk and sugar to fish and sausage, provisions garnish the narrative like a trail of breadcrumbs, not only outlining the wartime difficulties of transport and production but leading to Nanning’s discovery of a dark family secret. Through Nanning’s quest to make his mother a simple treat, Mr. Akin delves into the drama’s ideas about social conscience, responsibility, and humanist versus nationalist loyalties.The theme of food further connects with the film’s childlike, elemental quality. In his odyssey across the rural island to find victuals, Nanning, the “city-dweller,” goes through a gauntlet of storybook trials and tribulations, such as stealing eggs from a goose. Also in keeping with the fairytale tone, seemingly playful but ultimately grim elements are incorporated, including the killing and dressing of a wild rabbit.With his cherubic features, newcomer Jasper Billerbeck perfectly personifies Nanning’s naivety and fresh-faced tenacity. In press notes, Mr. Akin compares him to “a young Paul Newman or Brad Pitt,” while in the film he seems to comment on the blue-eyed, blond hair movie star type by steadily zooming into a closeup of the boy during a scene when Hitler’s death is announced. The rest of the cast are equally effective, particularly Laura Tonke as Nazi true believer Hille, though the most famous name on the bill, Diane Kruger, whose credits include “Inglourious Basterds,” is barely in the film. The island itself, where some scenes were shot, could be considered a character, with nature, imagery, and seaside landscapes augmenting Nanning’s quest for certain foodstuffs.While Nanning’s desire to help his mother and respect the principles she values proves plain enough, the inner turmoil he undergoes by following his own moral code and learning more about his family doesn’t come into full view until the third act. After that, the real climax is one of devastating shame and quiet realization, though Mr. Akin segues to a more hopeful epilogue too quickly. The ending’s triumphant heroism might chafe with the film’s cautious allegory of German identity but the coming of age story at its core remains a beautifully rendered one.

World War II Drama ‘Amrum’ Supplies Plenty of Food For Thought

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