FILM:               LORE

DIRECTOR:       CATE SHORELAND

TOWERS:         3.5/5

by Drew Waller

The first few, stunning moments of LORE are filled with a rushed, striking viewpoint of a unsuspecting family of German children who unknowingly burn their father’s documents and out-in-the-open home evidence to be able to escape the Allied forces after the second World War.  Germany has officially lost and this family represents one of the many displaced ones that had no idea the ramifications of this war, what it did and how they are implicated.  Focus on our lead character Lore and her younger siblings.  Excited to see her father (lovingly called Vati until she begins to realize things aren’t as they seem, a first layer of innocence removed) she is told by her mother to hurry and pack everything to aid the journey of her mother, brothers and sisters.  Her father already knows he is doomed because of his place in the army and will not go with them to escape.  This isn’t your parent’s The Sound Of Music, for sure.  Ironically, in the first ten minutes, the mother carefully wraps up her favorite Hummel – a doe, a deer, a female deer – while telling her children to only pack six plates as that is all they’ll need, with their valuables.

The year is 1945 and these five German children have to venture in the wilderness to pass through the mistakes of their SS parents.  The countryside is vast, treacherous and completely destroyed.  Lore, falling within that perfect age range of youth that straddles naivety and curiosity of the world around her, is soon put in the harrowing position of leading all of them to what could be unreachable freedom.

It is at this time the family runs into Thomas, a young refugee that helps them in a time of dire need and puts Lore into a twisted perception of hatred and longing for her savior.  Much like Hannah Arendt that came out within the same time span, it seems like enough time has passed from this stain of recent history that other viewpoints can be shared without major revolt or boycott by the general and discernable public.  Good thing too as both films help showcase the “banality of evil”: the fact that most involved in the horrendous crimes of that era did so unknowingly and with a blind faith that their decisions were the right ones because that is what they were told by the highest power they know.

What do you believe? Do you latch onto those beliefs without question?  These ideas are explored with tender introspection by our Lore and should be watched with an objective palette as some of her thoughts aren’t of current conjecture and working through them with her help ingest this film with the integrity the writer and director intended and to strong results. She is understandably transfixed by her fear of the man who helped her and her family.  He however is not “pure” to the standards taught to her at an early age so is he worthy of her feelings?

There is a beautiful seen where Lore sees this stranger in another, beautiful light and it pains her.  She can’t believe what her own head is asking her to think.  It will have you doing the same thing to dramatic and defining results.