The Shop on Main Street

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Sam N Catastrophe sprouts from tiny choices in Slovak New Wave gem The Shop on Main Street. In 1942 a mild carpenter becomes “Aryan controller” of a Jewish widow’s button shop. He tries to stay decent; the regime leans harder. Ida Kaminska lends the widow wary warmth, every twitch caught by the lens. Directors Kadár and Klos favour steady shots, dry wit and the odd dream flicker. No gore, only rising moral torque, ending with a thud that keeps echoing. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/25/25 Full Review dave s Would you sacrifice your own life in order to save the life of another? This is one of several moral dilemmas faced by the protagonist of The Shop on Main Street. In 1942 Slovakia, an impoverished carpenter is given the opportunity to take over a haberdashery run by an elderly Jewish woman as part of an effort to reduce Jewish influence and make the town strictly Aryan, consistent with the views of their German allies. While the first third of the film sometimes seems unfocused and meandering, the remainder of the film is a powerful testament to the instinct to survive and the untenable temptation to side with the forces of evil in order to protect your own best interests, at least in the short term. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member In advance of a weekend in Slovakia I thought I'd view their most critically acclaimed film. It lived up to its reputation. Traverses multiple emotions but ultimately this tragic movie was brilliantly filmed and acted. Has aged well and remains tantalising viewing. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review William L "Had I been there, I wouldn't have returned the salute. I know I would've been a fighter in the Resistance. I'm sure I would've socked Hitler in the jaw." Well, the power of social expectations and simply being carried with the current of opinion would like to have a word with you. The Shop on Main Street is a brilliant portrayal of one of the most uncomfortable realities in the rise of fascism - the balance between simply adhering to majority rule and compromising one's own moral code. Kroner's Tóno is patently unremarkable - not particularly intelligent or ambitious - but is instilled at a position of minor influence as the Aryan agent of a local haberdashery owned by a doddering Jewish widow, Kamińska's Rozália. Tóno is timid and less than malicious, settling into a role more akin to an assistant than a supervisor, but maintaining the facade of authority even as the caring relationship between the two oddly deepens with time. However, the state's tolerance of Jews gradually deteriorates to the point at which any individual displaying an ounce of kindness to them is ostracized. At the final deportation of the town's Jewish population, Tóno's mounting unease is forced to reckon with momentous change, as he must quickly decide between sheltering the innocent and ignorant Rozália or risk his own safety. It's a very human conflict, balancing practicality against supposedly certain moral benchmarks that many prize as inviolable, with nary a swastika shown on screen (only domestic collaborators). The quality of the visuals is stunning, the definition makes it look like a film produced in the modern day. Carefully designed by the writer-director team of Kadár, Klos, and Grosman, littered with premonition, and crafted with the intent to cause viewers to question themselves, The Shop on Main Street deserves a position as one of the most nuanced, painful, and controlled depictions of the Holocaust in any language, and a landmark in Czech cinema. (4/5) Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/01/21 Full Review robert m A beautiful movie. It deserves a much large audience. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review s r 1001 movies to see before you die. A cyclical tale of fascism in Slovakia that took a dark turn to the holocaust. It was well made and a surprising victory for film under communism. It was on YouTube. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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