User reviews

This well-made TV movie is a very moving experience. Seeing in graphic detail how a well-adjusted and endearing teenage girl deals with the horrors of persecution as her family is forced into hiding to avoid the Nazi terror cannot fail to engage the heart and mind. It shows Anne before the Nazi invasion of Holland as a bubbling girl eager for education and socialisation. Her indomitable spirit is well portrayed during her family's long months of hiding in the back of a factory in Amsterdam. Her physical deterioration after her capture is shown graphically, as is her will to survive to make her mark upon the world. Ironically, she did make her mark upon the world posthumously through her diary, the most-widely read work of non-fiction in the world after the Bible.

For me, the virtual incarceration of her family in the factory was very sad and thought-provoking. Taken from their normal lives and stripped of all those things they held dear, Anne's family strives to remain positive of better times ahead. How would we fare if required to give up all that we possessed and go into hiding for fear of our lives? A totally depressing thought, and yet that is what happened to Anne and her family.

The later scenes, after the family was captured, humiliated, separated and sent to concentration camps, is simply tragic.

The fine performances of Hannah Taylor-Gordon in the title role and Ben Kingsley as her father, Otto Frank, deserve special mention, although the entire cast was believable. Hannah Taylor-Gordon's performance was a revelation - she conveyed a range of emotions that superbly captured Anne's spirit and also her human weaknesses.

The movie is not without its weaknesses. It is slow at times and could perhaps been improved by tighter editing, although this may have detracted from the accurate portrayal of the tediousness of living concealed behind closed doors for so long a period.

The concentration camp scenes are disturbing and Anne's gradual physical deterioration is depressing. It is not a movie to entertain but one to stir the emotions and the resolve to ensure that this sort of persecution and genocide is never again allowed to happen.

It is also a depressing reminder that it still is happening in various parts of the world.

Wow, what an incredible masterpiece of a film. This film is a triumph that possibly is not so well known due to the fact of it originally being a 2 part TV series. Now it is a 3 hour film that doesn't waste a single second. It tells the story in 3 distinct parts - Anne's life as a schoolgirl, Anne in hiding, Anne in the concentration camps. Hannah Taylor Gordon's performance as Anne Frank is worthy of an Oscar as are the performances of the entire ensemble cast. Ben Kingsley as Otto Frank, Nicholas Audley as Peter Van Pels, Brenda Blethyn as Mrs Van Pels. I could list the entire cast as standout performers, the casting was perfect for this picture. I personally believe this should be on the same level of Spielberg's Schindler's List, which is a huge statement in itself.

My only criticism, there was one shot I felt was unnecessary even though it was arguably the best shot of the film. A starry night over the concentration camp. It looked beautiful, like a lovely dream, but I believe it was poorly placed. The whole film felt very real which is what makes it work so well, but this 1 shot felt like it was taking us out of reality and into dreamland. One lesson I have learnt from cinematography is that the most important thing to consider is not whether the shot looks good but whether it fits the scene. This shot may look lovely, but it does not fit the feeling of the scene for me.

Other than this, the film is astounding in every way, it is one of the greatest movies I have ever seen. We get a realistic view of the life that many people had to live during the war, the atrocities that took place and the very real reactions that they had to those afflictions. Many historians have said that this is the one Anne Frank film that gets everything right. Every aspect of it is accurate to what took place in the last few years of Anne Frank's life. Even to the point of being one of the only films that named the fellow hiders accurately as the Van Pels, which was their real name rather than the Van Daans that Anne's diary names them.

I have watched 1959's Anne Frank film adaptation, 2009's film adaptation, and 1995's documentary 'Anne Frank Remembered'. Yet, 'Anne Frank: The Whole Story' was the film that moved me most. Every moment feels significant. Furthermore, after watching 'Anne Frank Remembered' I have discovered that every moment is completely accurate, including the final third in the concentration camps, which would astound any viewer. How powerful those moments are and how perfectly constructed they are by the director Robert Dornhelm.

All of these Anne Frank adaptations, especially 'Anne Frank: The Whole Story' and 1959's 'The Diary of Anne Frank', have taught me a valuable lesson in life, of course, along with her diary too. Some of these quotes from Anne Frank may explain at least some of the power of her story. - "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world". "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are truly good at heart". "As long as this exists, this sunshine and this cloudless sky, and as long as I can enjoy it, how can I be sad?". "Those who have courage and faith shall never perish in misery".

This wasn't the best review, but I felt I needed to write it after watching this film. I could go on talking about it and the impact it has made on me and I'm sure there are aspects I have forgot to mention, however, it is best that you see it for yourself. There are of course some tough scenes to watch and I can only imagine how it must have been filming those moments, but I would advise anyone with an interest in history, war, and human life to watch this film.

I thought this was perhaps the best renditioning of Anne Frank on film to date, because it showed the whole story (including concentration camp scenes).

Hannah Taylor-Gordon looks quite a lot like Anne and did a very good acting job in this version. Ben Kingsley as her dad Otto gave a wonderful performance as well. It was also nice to see Lili Taylor as Miep Gies and Brenda Blethyn as Mrs. van Pels. I was not familiar with the rest of the cast, though they did as well as they could, I'm sure.

I was surprised to find that they showed nudity in one of the prison camp sequences (after all the network is owned by Disney!), but I felt that it was appropriate to the story.

Overall, a very well-done and powerful film version of Anne Frank's life - one of the best TV movies I have ever seen, in fact.

Let's face this fact that Anne Frank's diary is almost as well read as the Bible, Torah, and Koran. We all know about Anne Frank, the Dutch Jewish girl, who hid in the attic with her family during World War II from the Nazis. She wrote in her diary about life in the attic and how they lived under constant fear and terror. The cast has Sir Ben Kingsley as Anne's father, Otto Frank, and lone survivor. Brenda Blethyn OBE is also in the cast. It's chilling when they get to the concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen, the separation, hair-shaving, and ritual act of dehumanizing everybody there. There was no talk among them as they sat with their hair being cut off for another purpose. We know who made it and didn't. After visiting Auschwitz in 2000, I didn't feel what I supposed to feel like ghosts and hauntings which I feared the most because it drains you emotionally. Even 60 years after the Holocaust, I fear that people are forgetting about it and not learning from it. We haven't learned because there are other Anne Franks out there. It is still a haunting and chilling testament of survival and the human spirit.

What can I say about Anne Frank:The Whole Story that hasn't already been said?Not much I guess.I saw it a week ago when it premiered in Finland and was totally devastated by it.It's quite possibly the saddest movie I've ever seen.There were tears in my eyes throughout the movie and the last half an hour was almost unbearable to watch.

Hannah Taylor Gordon is a revelation.She looks just like Anne Frank but,more importantly,manages to capture her wide-eyed optimism and indomitable spirit perfectly.It's truly heart breaking to see her at the end,her spirit finally broken and all her hope gone.Gordon is so believable in her role,it's almost scary.Ben Kingsley is also wonderful as Anne's father.You really believe they are a father and a daughter.The other actors are good too,but Gordon and Kingsley really stand out.

As I said,there's nothing I can say about this movie that hasn't already been said.It's an experience that will stay with me for a long time and possibly the best holocaust movie I've ever seen. 10/10

This movie is so much more realistic than every other Anne Frank film. For starters it does not show Anne as a saint-like person and although she was a great, great person, she was just like every other girl (excuse me) young lady, she had her faults, and beyond Anne there were the others who had their problems.

Anne was magnificently played by Hannah Taylor Gordon. She is one of the best Annex that I have seen yet. She was perfect in her characterization and really made you love her. You looked at her on screen and you were caught in love with instantly, she was like magic on screen. She as well as Ben Kingsley and Brenda Blethyn both deserve Emmy nominations for their work.

Otto and Auguste van Pels were spot on. Ben playing Otto Frank not as a regal saintly savior of the Annex members (although in many respects he really was) but as a guiding light, the leader, and the most intelligent. Brenda Blethyn turns in another great performance as the spoiled and unadaptable Mrs. van Pels. Great in all her scenes you learn to give sympathy to this woman in a way you don't give anyone else, especially when you see her in the end.

The rest on the Annex members were also nice. Edith Frank was shown as she might really have been in real life. A woman going through a mid-life crises of sorts. Looking back and perhaps not being quite satisfied with her marriage and life. Peter van Pels was as I've never seen him before. The actor was excellent and gave life to Peter which is something I've always wanted to see from the Peter van Pels actors. Mr. van Pels and Mr. Pfeffer are wonderful too. And all of the Secret annex occupants really made a great relationship with the workers.

Lili Taylor pulled of a nice performance as Miep, very selfless and hard working. The rest were great too, including the warehouse worker. However, my main complaint was that Bep Voskuijl was shown to be an utter ditz. Maybe she was written this way because Miep said that that was the way she was, however, I did find it somewhat sad to see her portrayed that way.

The crew also pulled of excellent work. The costuming was nice. Barbara Lane was able to show with good quality how that Franks, van Pels, and Mr. Pfeffer were not poor. Never were they poor, they were very well off. I feel many costumers in the past have assumed that because they were all Jews being persecuted and in hiding that they were poor. Although the quality of clothing would have gone down with time (as shown) she still was able to put forth wonderful work. As did the art department going into nice detail to recreate the annex and the Frank house. Brilliantly filmed all around, power to the writer and producers for going outside the annex.

I was skeptical of this TV movie when I found out it was not based on Anne's diary, but on a biography of Anne Frank written by Melissa Muller. I am sure I am not the only one who wondered if any truth would be presented. I was pleasantly surprised.

I have just finished watching the second half of this movie on ABC. The scenes of the concentraion camps are horrific, and really tug at your heart. I can only imagine what these camps were like for the real people and how survivors live life today. Since the story wasn't told from Anne's diary, the viewers got another view of the short but significant life Anne lived, headed by a wonder all-star cast. The movie began with Anne in 1936 and ended upon her death at Bergen-Belsen in 1945.

Hannah Taylor-Gordon was excellent as Anne. At first I wondered if she was too young (at age 14) to portray such a dramatic role, but as Anne grew, Hannah grew as well. Ben Kingsley and Tatjana Blacher played Anne and Margot's parents wonderfully, and the rest of the cast added to the beauty, horror, and passion of the film: Lili Taylor, Rob Das, Brenda Blethyn, and many more.

Having read several books about Anne Frank and seeing the wonderful documentary, ANNE FRANK REMEMBERED, I was very curious about this film. I could not have been more impressed. The casting was excellent, and the acting superb, especially with Hannah Taylor-Gordon as Anne and the riveting presence of Ben Kingsley as Otto. Yes, it was difficult to watch and yes, it was not "entertaining" by definition. But if you want a very accurate portrayal of the before, during and after events of the group who inhabited the "secret annexe," you won't do better than this film. I'm sure it will be a treasure for years to come. Beware: Although it is an excellent educational tool, the last 45 minutes are quite intense and do include some brief nudity. Small children may find it too graphic.

we been reading the play of Anne frank is school.i thought that was SO sad..but yesterday @ school we watched this movie in the black & white version i cried and cried and cried,the teachers actually had to pause the movie so i could calm down..you should all know why i was crying.but i was also crying cause everyone else was making fun of me cause i was crying,and when someone died are something sad happened,everyone would laugh..i have never really hung out with people my age.i always knew most kids my age were immature.now i just think that they are dis respectful and very rude.people have always said i am mature for my age but seeing people of the same age be so cruel and mean makes me so ashamed.Anne frank is now like a role model to me,she has made me change the way i think about people and the way i live my life.....i thank her very much...

I've watched my dvd of this particular Anne Frank movie over and over. It's the best one I've seen yet for accuracy. It's closest to the unabridged version of her diary that I've viewed. Portrays her thoughts accurately. It is to difficult watch, but as a world, we MUST.

Being an Anne Frank fanatic since I first learned about her, I was thrilled when I saw this movie for rental at the video store. I saw it many times since because it shows her whole life from 1939 - 1945. Gordon, Kingsley, Blethyn and Taylor are good names and they did splendid jobs but so did all the actors in this film. I read the biography too and Melissa Müller portrays a full, true picture of these people and their lives in those dark times. I gave it 9 out of 10 only because it contains a few errors but otherwise best Anne Frank and Holocaust movie to date in my opinion! Also, I wish it would have been shot on location in Amsterdam. The last part of it is an important part of our history that simply can't be allowed to happen again and therefore it must be shown through movies like this!

Anne Frank. When many people hear this name they think of the horrors of the Holocaust. For me it just reminded me of what a talented person this girl was. How her life was based on her dream of becoming a famous writer and movie star. Well, she has the writer part flat out. The movie starts off with Anne leaving school with her friends and about 45 minutes into the movie is when her life is shut out from the rest of the world when she was confined to an attic for two years until she was discovered. Some of the moments in the attic were a little dull but it all comes together when they are discovered. The whole bunch is in a train on there way to a "camp" as they know it as. Anne is marked with her number and is told that she will never see her family again. This is when the tears started coming. Just imagine how that must've felt! When Anne's sister dies in her arms, I just cried through the rest of the movie. This is a great movie. The little ones may not understand and there is some nudity. This movie really helps you to understand Anne and everything she went through in her short life period. I gave it 10/10.

CONTAINS SPOILERS!

This is a story of a young girl called Anne Frank.She was born in Frankfurt, Germany but she moved with her family to Amsterdam, Netherlands in the 30's.They had to make this decision because in Germany there was a psychopath called Adolf Hitler in power and the Franks happened to be Jews.They were living a normal life in Holland at first.In 1939 Hitler started the second world war and in the early 40's the Nazis made also the lives of Dutch Jews very hard.Anne received a diary for her 13th birthday which became very important to her.In July of 1942 the lives of the Franks changed radically after they had to go hiding.That's because the Nazis wanted their daughter, Margot.The hiding place was at Princengracht 263, in the middle of the town.Later they were joined by other people, as well.All the people of the secret annexe were; Otto Frank (Ben Kingsley), Edith Hollander-Frank (Tatjana Blacher), Anne Frank (Hannah Taylor-Gordon), Margot Frank (Jessica Manley), Hermann van Pels (Joachim Krol), Auguste Rottgen-van Pels (Brenda Blethyn), Peter van Pels (Nicholas Audsley) and Fritz Pfeffer (Jan Niklas).Of course they needed some Christian friends from outside.These good people were; Miep Gies (Lili Taylor), Jan Gies (Rob Das), Victor Kugler (Peter Bolhuis) Johannes Kleiman (Johannes Silberschneider) and Elisabeth 'Bep' Voskuijl (Ela Lehotska).

Those eight hiders were forced to be hiding for over two years.They didn't have any chance to go out.Anne just waited for the time when the war would be over and she could go out in the nature.She really loved the nature.They had all kind of dreams what they would do after the war.Anne wanted to be a writer.And we all know now that she was a very talented writer.But she never had a chance to be what she wanted to be. All those people had was hope.They couldn't do anything but wait and hope.June 6th in 1944 was the day of the D-Day.After that day they got more hope.Finally they had some faith for the future.Maybe the girls and Peter will go back to school on Fall.But that never happened.On August 4th the Gestapo came and took them to the concentration camp.Only Otto Frank came back.This year it will be 60 years since that horrible day.Who was the idiot that told them about the hiding place? Was it the cleaning lady that was said in this film? That we may not ever know for sure.

Anne Frank:The Whole Story (2001) is a movie with a brilliant cast.Ben Kingsley's role work as Otto is really something to remember.This 60-year old actor has done some memorable roles earlier, like in Schindler's List.Tatjana Blacher is very good as Edith.Joachim Król and Brenda Blethyn are terrific as Hermann and Auguste van Pels.Jan Niklas is brilliant as Fritz Pfeffer.Lili Taylor is great as Miep Gies.And so is Rob Das as Jan Gies.Peter Bolhuis is excellent as Victor Kugler.Johannes Silberschneider is superb as Johannes Kleiman.I especially have to give credit to the young actors.Hannah Taylor-Gordon as Anne is just amazing.She's very beautiful and very talented, just like Anne Frank.I really hope success for this 16-year old actress. I can tell the same about Jessica Manley who plays Margot.Nick Audsley does magnificent job as Peter.Anne's friends are played by Victoria Anne Brown as Jacque van Maarsen, Michaela Horakova as Sanne Ledermann and Jade Williams as Hannah Goslar.They're all really great.

This movie is a very realistic portrait of what happened.Sometimes it feels like you're watching the actual events.Like you're going through all those things with Anne.You laugh when Anne laughs, you cry when Anne cries.During that time in hiding Anne found someone she could share her feelings with.That boy was Peter van Pels.In the movie their relationship is portrayed very beautifully.It also has the most beautiful music, kind of music that brings tears to your eyes. This isn't a movie you can watch as entertainment.You can't just take a bowl of popcorn and enjoy the show.These people were real.They had to suffer because they were Jewish and so did millions of others.Nobody should die for the sake of the religion or race they represent.We should all just pray that nothing like that will ever happen again.If only it was just a bad dream. The latter part of the movie is pretty painful to watch.Watching Anne and her sister suffer in the cold camp, it just makes you wonder how cruel people can be.There are parts where you can't do nothing but cry. Tears fill your eyes when Anne is separated from Pim, her father, as she used to call him.All you can ask is why.

Thank God all the people aren't such monsters.Miep Gies is one of those people.She did everything she could to help her Jewish friends.She has a heart of gold and I would like to thank her and give her a big hug for what she did.Next month this amazing woman will turn 95 years.Congratulations Miep! If there were more people like you, this world would be a much better place to live.

This movie is based on Melissa Muller's book Anne Frank:The Biography.It's good if you have read it before seeing the movie.Even more important is that you have read The Diary of a Young Girl.That book makes you understand who Anne Frank really was.I also recommend Miep's book Anne Frank Remembered.

This program wasn't sanctioned by Anne's first cousin Buddy Elias, apparently because they showed Anne and the others in the concentration camp.It wasn't easy to watch that, and maybe they should have left that out.They weren't allowed to use Anne's text from the diary in this program.Steven Spielberg was to be the executive producer, but declined after Anne's relatives asked him not to be involved in this project since it's not based on the authorized account of Frank's life.

This year, on June 12th, Anne would turn 75.She was forced to leave this Earth way too soon.But she will live on in her diary.

From beginning to end this story was totally accurate

I watched this movie two years ago, and since that time, it is one of my favorite movies! I would like describe in short. The music of the movie is wonderful, the cast is perfect, and Robert Dornhelm, the director, was able to make this movie wonderfully. The cast is perfect. Ben Kingsley and Hannah Taylor Gordon are perfect for their role as Otto and Anne, Brenda Blethyn, Jessica Manley and Lili Taylor also give nice performances. When I first saw the movie it brought tears to my eyes. Hannah Taylor Gordon looks like Anne Frank, and Ben Kingsley also looks like Otto Frank. This is the best Anne Frank movie I've seen, as it shows the whole story of Anne Frank.

To me this was the best Anne Frank movie because it showed parts of the real story than other movies have. Which I think is why it is so unique. I just love this movie! I will watch it thousands of times. In fact, I think I already have.

So, I rated this movie 10/10!

The power in the original Anne Frank was in the fact that it was based upon Anne's actual diary. This version is not from her diary. I feel the spirit of Anne was present in the original but not so much here. This movie was very realistic but not better. Realism and detail is not always better. The original was almost mystical and much more idealistic which actually made it closer to the human heart. This film plays much more to horror and sympathy and our version of reality and less to the higher ideals of humanity and Anne herself. Read her book: Diary of Anne Frank.

Anne Frank. A girl like anyone else. Anne Frank. A girl who wanted to travel, to do great things, to be a "modern woman". Just an ordinary girl, who lived and died under extraordinary circumstances. Forced into hiding after the Germans gained control of the Netherlands, she was confined in an annex for two years, and then discovered and with her family was taken to a concentration camp. She later perished there. The only survivor of the annex group was Anne's father, Otto Frank. All that is left of her story is the diary she left behind. Her diary, her legacy to the world, defined the voice of a generation. Her irrepressible spirit and pure heart shine through within its pages. Her words, some of the most precious words in history, have been preserved for posterity in the novel, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. This movie, Anne Frank: the Whole Story, tells this tale with such power it leaves the viewer in tears. From her bright, hopeful beginning to her heart-wrenching end, this movie grows a step further than the diary and really does show the "whole story". Inspiring, truthful, tragic, heartbreaking, yet triumph. 10/10

although i found the actual story very depressing, i finished the book and could not possibly avoid the film with it, therefor i must agree with most that this IS the best Anne Frank film I have ever seen. The acting was rediculously perfect and the right people for the part, and a very good Anne Frank actress, rather adorable i think. If possible, drop me a line, i believe my e-mail address is posted.

I'm a grown man and it takes a lot to make me cry, but the story of Anne Frank makes me unashamed to let my tears out. I first read the book in 1992 when I was 13, and although I remembered being touched by it then, I was too young to draw any lessons from it. Recently, I read an article about Hezbollah campaigning to remove extracts of the book from a Lebanese school textbook, and was reminded of her story. I found my old copy, read it again, went on the internet to read about her life in more details..origin, childhood...I want to find out more about her entire life, not just the period from her going into hiding to her death.

In a way, this TV movie had helped me learn more about Anne Frank's tragic life, and brought me into her world. I imagined myself being a carefree child, leading a normal life, dreaming of becoming a writer or journalist, I imagined myself stored away for 2 years in a home that is not a home, a prison that is not a prison, wondering why there are people who want to harm you, if anyone will come and save you, if there is light at the end of the tunnel, and probably always dreading an unfamiliar sound or voice floating into your ears.

At the end of the movie, I was left with a hollow feeling and tears in my eyes, tears I am proud to admit I can't stop. I reflected on Anne Frank's short life, a life never lived, dreams never fulfilled, places never visited, romance never found, children never had, and I want to go back there and help her when she was hiding, when she was suffering in the concentration camp. This movie had that effect on me, although I must admit it was mainly because she touched me so much. The underlying story will shine through any poor portrayal of her life; the fact that this is a very good and realistic production only serves to enhance and reinforce the lessons Annelise Marie Frank taught the world about courage, humanity, kindness and so many more.

I suggest that firstly you have to read Anne Frank's Diary and then to watch movie. I think the best Anne Frank movie. I wish she could live after camp :(. it is really sad story. if I would talk frankly, I watched it 5 times for now and every time it made me cry.

Beautifully made movie but sad to watch because of the content. What made this movie stand out for me as opposed to other movies that portray this sad and tragic event was the human element so wonderfully portrayed especially by Hannah Taylor-Gordon in the title role and Ben Kingsley as her father. Hannah Taylor-Gordon captured the innocence of Anne as well as showing how totally evil the Nazi's were in their hatred of the Jews. seeing the family as just a normal family really drives this home and seeing the humanity of Anne who is just like any other young girl should drive home to anyone just how ridiculous all national or religious hatred is.