The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) Movie Review on Blu-ray and DVD
Ranked #3,886 in Entertainment, #42,946 overall
The 1959 Movie Version of The Diary of Anne Frank
George Stevens' 1959 Academy Award winning version of The Diary of Anne Frank was based on an award-winning play of the same name which, of course, was from the book that many of us know and love. The book was based on a diary written by a young Jewish girl who lived in hiding in Amsterdam during the First World War. The diary was published after the war by her father who was the only member of the family to survive the concentration camps.
The Diary of Anne Frank is a good movie which tells an important story. The film is in black and white which serves only to set the appropriate mood and, as an individual who has visited Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam, I appreciate that the set is an exact replica of 'The Annex' as the attic space has been named. It is a lengthy film which serves to give enough time to tell the story of the Frank family's life hiding from the Nazis.
Blu-ray.com summed it up rather nicely when they called The Diary of Anne Frank "one of classic cinema's great treasures" but explained it better when they went on to explain that it was so NOT because of technical or acting merit but rather because of the powerful story that it shares. This is a movie that is different because it is watched AND experienced.
On this page you will find more information about this movie including the official movie trailer. As one of only two Anne Frank movies available on blu-ray, you will also find a bit of information about the blu-ray release.
The Diary of Anne Frank is a good movie which tells an important story. The film is in black and white which serves only to set the appropriate mood and, as an individual who has visited Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam, I appreciate that the set is an exact replica of 'The Annex' as the attic space has been named. It is a lengthy film which serves to give enough time to tell the story of the Frank family's life hiding from the Nazis.
Blu-ray.com summed it up rather nicely when they called The Diary of Anne Frank "one of classic cinema's great treasures" but explained it better when they went on to explain that it was so NOT because of technical or acting merit but rather because of the powerful story that it shares. This is a movie that is different because it is watched AND experienced.
On this page you will find more information about this movie including the official movie trailer. As one of only two Anne Frank movies available on blu-ray, you will also find a bit of information about the blu-ray release.
Click here to order your copy
of the 1959 version of
The Diary of Anne Frank
from Amazon.
The Diary of Anne Frank Story
In 100 Words or Less
This movie follows the story of Anne Frank, a young Dutch Jewish girl during World War II. Anne and her family take refuge in an attic with another family and wait for it to be safe to come out of hiding. The tension of so many people living in such a cramped space is huge and the threat of discovery very real. They survive in the attic for two years until eventually they are turned in. The identity of the person who turned them in is not and probably will not ever be known.
Fast Facts About The Diary of Anne Frank Movie
This movie won three Oscars and was nominated for five more.
Year Filmed: 1959
Director: George Stevens (Giant)
Cinematographer: William C. Mellor
Written by: Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Run Time: 180 minutes
Rating: Not Rated, suggested rating 12 Years & Up
CAST
Anne Frank: Millie Perkins
Otto Frank: Joseph Schildkraut
Mrs. Van Daan: Shelley Winters
Dentist: Ed Wynn
Peter van Daan: Richard Beymer
Edith Frank: Gusti Huber
Hans van Daan: Lou Jacobi
Margot Frank: Diane Baker
Kraler: Douglas Spencer
Miep: Dodie Heath
Shelley Winters won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
George W. Davis, Stuart A. Reiss, Walter M. Scott, and Lyle R. Wheeler won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction - Set Decoration, Black-and-White
William C. Mellor won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White
The Diary of Anne Frank Reviews
Reviews by ordinary consumers like you and I.
The Diary of Anne Frank book is a much beloved story and it turns out that the movie is equally well loved. As always, I have turned to the Amazon customer reviewers to see what they have to say about the movie.
Amazon customer Paul Kesler says that the film is faithful to Anne Frank's journal and includes her emotions and conflicts and her growing knowledge about where the family stands in relation to the Nazis. He says that this DVD is well transferred and that it features excellent supplements including a 90- minute documentary.
An anonymous Amazon customer reviewer says that the movie is well done in all aspects from acting, to writing, directing and editing. He praised Millie Perkins, saying that she did a fine job of displaying teenage emotions.
Finally, another anonymous reviewer said that she was ten when she read the story for the first time and that she has read it many times since. Despite the outcome of the story, it manages to be uplifiting. Describing it is near impossible. Everyone should see it.
The Diary of Anne Frank Rated
Is The Diary of Anne Frank appropriate for your children?
If you are wondering whether or not The Diary of Anne Frank is appropriate for family viewing, remember that this is a movie during which horrible things are happening to people in the world off screen, that there is a lot of tension in the attic as they are constantly under the threat of being discovered and that this story has quite a tragic ending. The Movie Mom recommends The Diary of Anne Frank for children in middle school or about 12 years of age and up. That sounds about right to me.
The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) Blu-ray Reviews
A blu-ray review by an ordinary viewer and three reviews from three excellent blu-ray movie sites.
I particularly enjoyed E. Hunger's review of the blu-ray disc THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK. She called the blu-ray transfer outstanding and praised the commentary track and the extras. She says that it IS worth upgrading to blu-ray.
She adds that the DVD extras are present on the blu-ray disc but that the blu-ray disc contains ADDITIONAL special features that are worth having in themselves. One a section, in which Millie Perkins and Diane Baker talk about how they were picked for the movie and how they enjoyed working with the director, George Stevens, moved her to tears. There is bonus material here that she had not seen before and that you likely have not seen either.
Hunger closes by saying that "if you are interested in classic films and/or Anne Frank then this blu-ray edition will be treasured addition to your library." She closes by giving The Diary of Anne Frank movie a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
- The Diary of Anne Frank Blu-ray Disc Review by HighDefDiscNews
- ...Millie Perkins in her portrayal of Anne Frank, who really hits the nail on the head of how most would perceive the young dreaming girl to have been; I don't find her portrayal to be exaggerated, conveying the eccentric mind of the adolescent girl, topped-off with well-known lines from the diary are presented in the dialogue. Overall verdict: Recommended.
- The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) Blu-ray Review by High-Def Digest
- An important story, sensitively told, 'The Diary of Anne Frank' honors the memory of a tragic young heroine whose words have moved and inspired millions. George Stevens' epic production never loses focus, and its artistry and emotion reflect the director's passion for the subject and hope that the events depicted never repeat themselves. Though the video and audio don't take full advantage of the high-def format, they're still a nice improvement over the previous DVD transfers, while the terrific supplemental package alone makes this 50th anniversary edition truly special. Recommended.
- The Diary of Anne Frank Blu-ray Blu-ray Review by Blu-ray.com
- 20th Century Fox has done it again, releasing a classic film from their impressive library of titles with fantastic results on Blu-ray. Sporting picture and sound qualities that may not immediately "wow" audiences but certainly impress in context, the film has received just treatment for this 50th anniversary release. Supported by a lengthy selection of fine bonus features, The Diary of Anne Frank is a Blu-ray disc that belongs in every collection. Highly recommended.
Order Your Copy of The Diary of Anne Frank
On DVD or on Blu-ray; Discounted at Amazon by just over 15 percent.
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
The definitive, hardcover edition.
This definitive, hardcover edition of Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
includes entries that were omitted from the original book, sharing many more of Anne's thoughts. In this more complete version of the book, she becomes more human. This book contains about 30 percent more information than the 1947 edition and was published in 1995.AMAZON CUSTOMER REVIEW:
E.R. Bird calls this book remarkable. Teenage girls simply understand Anne's situation. The teenage angst years are difficult to forget for anyone and yes, Anne experiences many of those emotions but by the end of the book, she becomes more philosophical. She now asks deeper questions rather than simply recording events. Questions like whether young people are lonelier than old people or what it means to be good. When you read this story, you understand and sympathize with Anne. She was a great author, especially if you keep it in mind that this diary was not meant to be read by anyone but herself.
Bird closes by saying, "If I could require kids to read something in school, I think this would top the list. It probably remains the best Holocaust children's book in existence today."
Pair this book with a copy of the movie for an amazing gift idea for a tween, teen or adult who might or who does love Anne Frank.
More Anne Frank Films and Documentaries
Including more reviews and links for finding the movies.
Anne Frank Movie Reviews on DVD and Blu-ray
On this page, you will find a list of many of the best Anne Frank movies and documentaries. When I created this page, I had NO idea that there were so many available. Since then, I have viewed many of the films discussed on the page and even seen a dramatic interpretation of a part of Anne Frank's story on stage. Read about more Anne Frank movies and reviews by clicking right here.
The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler
A lesser known but equally important Holocaust story.
Our Visit to the Anne Frank House
An important stop on our visit to Europe.
Our Visit To Anne Frank's House
In the summer of 2009, my family was privileged to travel to Europe and spend a few days in Amsterdam. One of the highlights for all of us was the Anne Frank House. Visit my page to learn more about our visit and to garner a couple of hints for yours. If you are contemplating a visit to Anne Frank's house during a trip to Amsterdam, I would highly recommend it. Learn more about our visit by clicking right here.
More Blu-ray Information
The Panasonic is a solid, no frills blu-ray player. The PS 3 allows you to play your blu-ray player AND play games. The LG BD590 is an excellent blu-ray player choice. The Toshiba Regza is a great choice in HDTV. The universal remote just makes it all easier!
"In spite of everything,
I still believe that people are
really good at heart."
~~ Anne Frank
Have you seen this version of The Diary of Anne Frank?
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MiaBellezza
Apr 3, 2010 @ 6:57 pm | delete
- This is a very comprehensive article about the book and movies about the life of poor Anne Frank! If we do not learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it.
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arncyn
Mar 25, 2010 @ 10:03 am | delete
- I've never seen this version but I can tell how much you love it just by reading this very thorough review/tribute to the movie. Excellent work as always Brenda! *blessed by an angel*
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NWTG
Mar 24, 2010 @ 6:23 pm | delete
- I think it is important for everyone to see or read the Anne Frank story. We must not let this type of situation happen again. Lensrolled to the Northwest Washington Theatre Group lens.
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WildFacesGallery
Mar 24, 2010 @ 9:35 am | delete
- What an excellent and informative lens. :) 5*
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prosperity66
Mar 24, 2010 @ 4:22 am | delete
- This is the very first movie I saw about Anne Frank, and I still love those black and white movies made in the 40's and the 50's! They are the only ones that return a small part of the atmosphere and genre of the time even if this movie is Americanized and more "luxurious" than the reality as everything was quite grey in Europe in the years before the sixties (before, during and after WWII).
Movies made after the seventies look and feel the new wave, no matter the actors and their fantastic performances: we don't speak like in the 40's, nor have the same voices and accents; which were quite loud, we evolved over the decades, we don't have the grace and elegance of the times, etc. Even the notion of the music people listened to at that times is false; therefore it's almost impossible to make a movie of such a quality nowadays.
These are all the reasons why this one is my favorite. And I definitely enjoyed the review!
You should have read the cards, Brenda as you would have learnt that I blessed this lens!
Dom.
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by Treasures-By-Brenda
Treasures-By-Brenda
The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) is an excellent portrayal of an important story and is available now on DVD and on blu-ray. Recommended.
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An Affordable Diary That Locks
CR Gibson One Year Diary, Bombshell Red,
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This diary is perfect for any young lady who wants to record her thoughts in the manner of Anne Frank.
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Genuine Leather Heart Lock Diary, Working Key and Lock, Red, 8"
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A deluxe model, this diary features acid-free cream-colored pages with gilt edging.
