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The Painted Bird

Play trailer 2:17 Poster for The Painted Bird 2020 2h 49m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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81% Tomatometer 109 Reviews 71% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
A young Jewish boy in Eastern Europe seeks refuge during World War II.
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The Painted Bird

The Painted Bird

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Critics Consensus

Brutally uncompromising in its portrayal of Nazi Germany, The Painted Bird is a difficult watch that justifies its stark horror with searing impact.

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Critics Reviews

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Nick Schager Esquire Magazine 01/27/2021
Few films are this tough to sit through-or difficult to forget. Go to Full Review
Tim Robey Daily Telegraph (UK) 11/22/2020
4/5
For all its overworked grotesqueries, it attempts an intriguing climb from the deepest pits of horror towards some kind of stoic grace. Go to Full Review
Donald Clarke Irish Times 09/14/2020
4/5
Deals in visual poetry that compels attention even as it wallows in unkindness. Go to Full Review
Joonatan Itkonen Region Free 07/05/2024
5/5
Without fanfare, and even less than a faint promise, it allows us to believe in a chance for something better. How, I don’t know, but I feel it deep in my bones. Go to Full Review
Yasser Medina Cinefilia 11/10/2023
5/10
It reflects, with an atmospheric black and white, a study about evil without borders that lacerates child innocence at times of war, but in its almost three hours it gets lost in a routine of dull and banal episodes of suffering. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies 08/24/2022
4.5/5
It’s pitiless and unyielding conviction forces us to endure scene after scene of appalling cruelty, daring us to grow numb to it and therefore proving its bigger point. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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David R Oct 31 No smiles. Just horror. A great depiction of life during war during the holocaust. A fine adaptation of Kosinski’s book. See more Jeffrey P Jun 20 A powerful sprawling epic across a cruel and harsh war torn landscape seen through the eyes of a child, The Painted Bird is one of the more perfect pieces of cinema one will ever see. This now holds the distinction of being the first ‘foreign film’ to earn a five-star rating from me. See more Dani G 07/01/2024 Powerful. Raw. Tough. Sad See more 04/26/2024 The film improves over the duration of the journey. The main actor is impressive. See more Mary Ann F 10/12/2023 At first I thought I'd never get through this, and as time went on, I wondered if I should I even bother. But about a third of the way through, something gripped me and didn't let go. It's actually a profound and moving film where it's not just scene after scene of horror, but rather a journey of one boy's grotesque suffering during world war II. There is definitely a narrative if you stick with it. And considering the direction of the world in 2023, we should always remind ourselves of the depravity that humans are capable of. Ten years ago, I might have naively thought these kinds of crimes would be behind us, but as our world slips into its Orwellian future, films like this are more important than ever. Those who turn away don't want to be reminded of what we can inflict upon one another, understandably so. Ultimately, the film ends on a hopeful note. Stick with it. See more Randy K 06/18/2023 Its like defecating on a canvas and calling it art. Sadistic and brutal for the sake of nothing. Perhaps man is not redeemable, but neither is this movie. See more Read all reviews
The Painted Bird

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Movie Info

Synopsis A young Jewish boy in Eastern Europe seeks refuge during World War II.
Director
Václav Marhoul
Producer
Václav Marhoul
Screenwriter
Václav Marhoul
Distributor
IFC Films
Production Co
PubRes, Silver Screen Partners II
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Czech
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 17, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 15, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.3K
Runtime
2h 49m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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