The Search (1948)

Directed by

Fred Zinnemann

Genre

drama film, war film, Holocaust film

Country

Germany, Switzerland, United States

Runtime

1h 47m

Rated

NR

Rating

7.0 of 10 from 85 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A boy separated from his mother during the Holocaust searches for her across war-torn Germany after World War II. The mother also searches for him, determined to find her son alive.

poignanthopefulgrittyrestrainedemotionalgroundedtendersomber

What happens

The Search is a 1948 American film directed by Fred Zinnemann that tells the story of a young Auschwitz survivor and his mother who search for each other across post-World War II Europe. It stars Montgomery Clift, Ivan Jandl, Jarmila Novotná and Aline MacMahon. Many scenes were shot amidst the actual ruins of the postwar German cities Ingolstadt, Munich, Nuremberg and Würzburg. Filming took place between June and November 1947, first on location in Germany and then at a studio in Zurich, Switzerland for interior scenes. Although released in the United States in March 1948, the film was not released in Britain until May 1950. Its European premiere was held at the Empire, Leicester Square in London on November 2, 1949 in aid of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, with Queen Mary in attendance. Jandl's performance was recognized with a special juvenile Academy Award. However, the communist government of Czechoslovakia would not permit Jandl to travel to the United States to collect the Oscar and a Golden Globe award that he had also won. Zinnemann accepted the Oscar on Jandl's behalf and the awards were delivered to Jandl in Prague. The film also earned numerous other accolades (see below), including winning one out of four Oscar nominations, for Best Story. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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