La tienda en la calle Mayor

I gave this one a 10 because it is one of the most moving and engaging films about the Holocaust I have ever seen. The film is masterful in its depiction of the duplicitous nature of average citizens in Central Europe during the rise of Nazism. During World War II, the region was pulled between fascism and communism. This film is very revealing in its ability to show the true nature of totalitarianism and how it can effect the common person. The acting is brilliant, especially in the case of the old lady who is the owner of the shop. This is one of the best Czech films from the 60s, even better than Closely Watched Trains, which is also very good. This is the type of film that stays with you in that it is both haunting and thought provoking.

One of the finest movies ever made. Ignore revues if they don't praise this film for it's sophistication and emotional power. No other movie portraying the pogroms that initiated the holocaust come close to the depth and cinematic verite that Shop on Main Street depicts. I first saw this movie in the 1960's and it has remained in my psyche ever since in a haunting unnerving memory. Every subsequent viewing I gave it reinforced it's depth and artistic strength. The directing is on a par with Ingmar Bergman, but more direct and devoid of artistic devices. The cinematography is breathtaking (Black and White). Note the scene when the protagonist's confusion is exaggerated by the camera circling around and around, enveloping the viewer in his emotional madness and guilt. This is a must see for anyone seriously interested in the very best movies of all time.

A fine movie showing just how easy it is for people to become oppressors. Tono is just an average Joe, keeping his nose clean, until he is co-opted into participating in the Nazi regime by his well-placed brother-in-law. Along the way Tono's wife shows the warping power of greed. The seeds of a fatal moral dilemma are set as Tono becomes the Aryan "controller" of a Jewish business run by a befuddled widow. Ultimately the horror becomes clear as the Jews are rounded up and the widow - played brilliantly - briefly comes to her senses and realizes she is the victim of a "pogrom." All the relationships and characters in the movie are finely drawn and well acted, and the production values were excellent.

The version I reviewed was subtitled in English, and unfortunately some of the subtitles were difficult to read.

I'll skip over the story and the themes. Other commenters have said wonderful things about that.

Let's talk visuals.

I just have to say I was blown away by almost every single shot of the movie. The black and white color looks gorgeous, and the indoor shots have lots of shadows and texture. The outdoor shots seem overexposed, brilliant, artificial and almost unbearable. The criterion version just looks superlative.

Watch the dinner scene at the start where the man's brother in law is getting drunk with Tony. They are yelling, and having a time, and the camera dives/sweeps/rapidly turns around and falls. It conveys the dizzying nature of the conversation. The outdoor scenes in the first half of the movie have lots of bustle and activity, with lots of turns and shifts of perspective. People will remember the historical themes, but please don't overlook the amazing cinematography (which rightfully doesn't call attention to itself but enhances the emotional impact of every scene). In one scene (where Person X hits Person Y), camera conveys the claustrophobic, almost paranoiac perspective of Person X and sets the rest of the action up. We just knew what was going to happen next here.

The dream sequences/surreal effects were modest and didn't seem too fantastic; they were small enough for a small man overtaken with fear.

Words can hardly do justice to this gem. Understated cinematic grandeur, ultimate moral subtlety, acting without pair in the annals of movie history, philosophical and ethical depth without sententiousness . . . should I invent new superlatives to describe this indescribably touching movie?

Yes, the movie has to do with the tragedy of Jewish people in the poisoned and poisonous Europe of the WWII period, but the emotional implications go much farther than that. They address human condition in general. It is one of those egregiously few movies which make a "philosopher" out of each of us. . . even if for a minute only. . . even if we only philosophize with our unstoppable tears. I am not one to weep easily at movies, but I defy you to watch this fabulous work of cinema without being touched to the deepest fiber of your soul.

Yes, it is that good. One of the very few movies which are better than GREAT MUSIC. Watch it - preferably on the Criterion DVD, the VHS edition leaves a lot to be desired. Unless you are an unfeeling freak, no offense intended, it is very unlikely that you will ever regret it.