Ellis (2015) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Robert DeNiro narrates and is featured in this short film, which is a tribute to Ellis Island. Basically we see DeNiro walking around and narrating his story of an immigrant and what happened to him on the island.At just fifteen-minutes this is a pretty good short that works on many levels. Technically the film is extremely impressive and especially the cinematography by Andre Chemetoff. The camera-work is really some of the best that I can remember from any recent movie because it pulls you into the story but it also manages to make you float into the past where the narration is talking about.DeNiro is also in fine form here as the narrator. Eric Roth's screenplay is direct with its words and there's no question that the film works as a tribute as well as having something to say about immigration. DeNiro manages to turn in a tender performance as he tells the story of one man, his dreams and his outcome.

I watched this for two reasons: I love history, and Ellis Island has plenty of it, and DeNiro who is arguably one of the greatest actors of all time. I found it lacking. Through the short film I found myself absorbed, thinking this was one of my favorite actors' personal story. Alas, that was not the case and there was no mention at all as to the identity of the young boy who was being characterized or the young girl who died. The film was the worse for that omission of these pertinent details. By the end it seemed more like a plea for donations to a cause to keep Ellis Island as a national monument. It was heartfelt but I felt betrayed at the end.

For a short time in the late 1970s the government allowed the public to tour parts of the decaying buildings on Ellis Island. This was before some parts were spruced up for visitors as they are today. I was one of the few fortunate to be able to take the tour, and it gave a very profound look into the sadness and terror the island represented to so many. This film very ably conveys the feelings they must have experienced.I am a student of New York history, especially that related to its Port and the significance of all in it. I recommend this short film because it certainly gives a very insightful look at Ellis Island.

Confused by the earlier review here, but for those of us on US shores that are intimate with the profound import of Ellis Island to this country, it's a touching tribute to those who were hoping for a better life but were either quarantined or turned away, and reflects on the continuing struggles of immigrants today as well. The enigmatic French artist JR evokes an unsettling portrait of the ghosts of the Ellis Island Hospital complex, abandoned for over 60 years and rarely granted public access, and Robert DeNiro, in a refreshing contemporary serious turn, deftly narrates and embodies the travails of one particular immigrant as we travel through the crumbling hallways and cracked windows of the past. A perfect subject and location for a short film, and a heartfelt homage to not only the US but the universal immigration experience. It's only 15 minutes, and it's free. Watch it.