Obviously deeply felt by the writer and director, immaculately designed on what appears a lavish budget by veteran Alexander Trauner (who appears early on playing the caretaker) and photographed in widescreen suffused in a nostalgiac glow by cameraman Bruno De Keyzer, its hard to believe there is still a large enough audience out there ignorant of the tragedy about to unfold; about which it doesn't really have anything terribly original to say. But Konradin's credulous willingness to give a demagogic snake-oil salesman like Hitler the benefit of the doubt - "He really impressed me. He is totally sincere. He has such... he has true passion. I think he can save our country. He is our only hope." - remains depressingly familiar today. And the leisurely pace at which it proceeds conveys something of the gradualness with which the appalling reality overwhelms its characters.But for the final, very abrupt, 'surprise' ending to work, the audience is assumed not to be able to recognise the ferrety face of Roland Freisler seen throughout, who ironically - as played by Roland Schäfer looking remarkably like John Malkovich in heavy eye-liner - comes across here as a relatively restrained version of the bellowing maniac preserved for posterity in newsreels. And would it really have taken over forty years and a trip all the way back to the very school were they were originally pupils for Henry to finally learn Konradin's fate?

The Holocaust is so shocking that perhaps a more appropriate way to comprehend its import is to focus on the time just before it happened. Cabaret is one such film, however its highly entertaining music detracts attention from the story characters. A better fit is the 1989 movie Reunion, which lavishly illustrates the threat to Germany's beautiful scenery, intellectual heritage, and setting for a rare and idyllic friendship.In a 1932 German boy's school, Hans meets new student Konradin. Gradually becoming best friends, they admit having no other friends. Yes, as Hans is Jewish and Konradin a Count, others might be deterred from approaching them, but the pair possesses a mutual chemistry that exclusively draws each other.Exquisite actors convincingly depict the depth of their friendship as they walk to school, camp overnight at breathtaking sites, swim, eat, and endlessly converse on numerous subjects. A fascinating pleasure to behold, you feel as if you are participating with them.But your participation forces you to experience the negative consequences impacting their lives. Several children, neighbors of Hans, die in a fire. Hans is angry at God and believes that if He exists, He is a monster for letting innocents burn to death. We recognize this as merely a taste of the forthcoming Holocaust.Friction arises when Hans learns that his friend's parents are supporters of Hitler. Konradin himself is being drawn into the movement though he rationalizes that an exception will be made for good Jews like Hans. Hans knows better. As his parents send him to America, the two friends awkwardly depart company. Thus ironically Hans escapes the Nazis while the fate of his former buddy remains unknown to him. Hans spends decades unable to forget, finally returning to Germany seeking a reunion.I discovered months ago the 1971 Reunion novella crafted by English painter Fred Uhlman, published in 1977 with Arthur Koestler's introduction. I then acquired the film available only on VHS. Let me quote from the book's opening paragraphs, "I can remember the day and the hour when I first set my eyes on this boy who was to be the source of my greatest happiness and of my greatest despair." The book and movie are clearly complementary.In both vehicles, the account abruptly ends after Hans determines Konradin's whereabouts. Emotionally, you will find yourself left in a vacuum, literally gasping for air. A haunting epitaph for the Holocaust, a haunting epitaph for the idyllic friendship in Reunion.

The performance of Jason Robards is incredibly understated, precisely what Harold Pinter's marvelous writing skills demand. I consider his performance a masterpiece of character development and found the movie spellbinding. Of all the holocaust stories this is the one I was able to relate to the best. I wish it would be available in video for all to appreciate.

Despite some traumatic sequences, this picture boasts careful, almost nostalgic location work in Stuttgart and the Schwarzwald. The conclusion may surprise you, mainly because the actions of the characters don't appear to foreshadow it at all. Nevertheless, it's a good piece of work, worthy of home-video release.