A masterpiece of sorrow and shame. No this does not mean it lacked the qualities of a exceptional movie but rather it means that it made me feel sorrow for the Jews during World War II. This made for TV "movie" is beyond any another of its kind in the making today. Uprising has no limits in its ideas and messages. It does not hold back the truth but rather tells the story of a group of Jews in the ghetto, using a naturalistic style. The plot is intriguing from the beginning and never fails to keep you sliding up instead of down in your lazy-boy. Moreover, the message is what needs to really be looked at in this film.
So, what makes this film have such an impact? The actors and the characters they played are the answer. Leelee Sobieski is simply incredible and on the contrary to many of David Schwimmer's TV shows or movies, he plays the part of a serious, brave, and invincible Jew, who is looked at as a leader among his people. Many new faces are seen in this movie and they all do a fantastic job.
The entertainment value is beyond comparison with any other made for TV movie. This was not a cheap movie to make and the actions scenes are not little exploding apples on an indoor movie set. Buildings are blown to pieces, Jews and Germans are slaughtered throughout the movie and tortured. You will not walk away from this movie without learning more about World War II and the Holocaust. Uprising is implicit in its message and entertaining to the very last second. If you are a history buff, an action fan, or someone who just simply likes Leelee Sobieski or David Schwimmer, I highly recommend Uprising for you. When it comes out on DVD on December 18, 2001, I would for sure get it, and watch it over and over again.
I really do hate to say that any movie comes close to Saving Private Ryan, but Uprising does, and ironically, it is a made for TV movie which makes it even that much better. Take the time to rent this or buy the DVD when you can, it is well worth the purchase.
