Synopsis
Everybody agrees MGM's The Search is a wonderful motion picture!
In postwar Germany, a displaced Czech boy, separated from his family during wartime, is befriended by an American GI while the boy's mother desperately searches for him.
Directed by Fred Zinnemann
In postwar Germany, a displaced Czech boy, separated from his family during wartime, is befriended by an American GI while the boy's mother desperately searches for him.
Achter de Wolken, Die Gezeichneten, Les déshérités, Los ángeles perdidos, Les Anges marqués, איה בני?, Odissea tragica, Perdidos na Tormenta, Poznamenaní, 乱世孤雏, Поиск, La búsqueda, La cerca, Yksin maailmassa, Det dagas, 山河遥かなり
Whenever people talk about iconic actors, they often don't mention or will barely mention Montgomery Clift. It's crazy to me that he's not talked about more. This might seem like a radical statement, but I honestly believe Clift could act circles around most other actors. Every role Clift played he became that role. I've never had trouble seeing him play different characters. It doesn't matter what kind of guy he plays, I always believe it and I don't have trouble separating his characters. He was such a powerful actor. His acting style is so modern, it's crazy. I wish so badly he was in more movies.
In The Search, Clift actually doesn't even show up until thirty minutes or so into the…
I really liked The Search. The opening voice-over narration felt unnecessary, almost as if it was over-explaining what the film could have conveyed naturally. But once the story got going, I was completely drawn in. I love movies about missed connections that eventually lead to a reunion, and this one handles that theme beautifully.
Montgomery Clift is fantastic here—he brings such warmth and authenticity to his role, reinforcing why he’s one of the greats. His performance feels natural and understated, making his bond with the child even more moving. The little boy, Ivan Jandl, is also excellent, delivering a deeply affecting performance. Knowing that he was an actual survivor of the concentration camps adds another layer of emotional weight to…
This tells a far different Holocaust story than we are used to- children having to live with the PTSD of what they experienced, and doing so as orphans. It is a painful watch but such an emotionally raw and exceptionally important one. In addition to casting Ivan Jandl as the young boy, putting Montgomery Clift alongside him was genius. Clift has such gentility, but such a deep capacity for conveying profound emotion that he complements Jandl's own pain perfectly. What an actor Clift is, too, that through this he never once overpowers or overshadows Jandl. He lets him have the film, and that is what makes it so exceptionally powerful. It is the child's story and we grieve alongside him, while also feeling helpless alongside Clift.
Flawed, primarily for two reasons—the absolutely intrusive and unnecessary voice-over narration that goes on for the first twenty minutes, in a tone that is both preachy and an appeal to our empathy, giving the film the tone of an educational picture.
As it begins we see children getting off a train. Hundreds of them, lost and confused, in torn clothes, some of them from concentration camps. The voice says: "They are scared." YOU THINK?! I kinda sensed that from the look in their eyes. "They haven't slept in a clean bed in a very long time." YOU DON'T SAY!
Secondly, I think Zinnemann is just not the right director for EMOTION. The visuals are often reminiscent of Neorealism, but they don't evoke quite the same feeling. I kept thinking this should have been directed by an Italian. It should have leaned into the melodrama.
BUT!
At its core, this is still quite touching. And the score is lovely.
A film about the difficult task of reintegrating child survivors of the Holocaust into society following World War II, "The Search" is not unlike most of the adult characters in the movie itself: well-intentioned, but clumsy and blunt. If, like me, you're largely here for a young Montgomery Clift, the actor does his best to imbue some lifeforce into a curiously underwritten role (it'd be helpful to know something about his past, anything at all, to explain his attachment to the young boy 'Jim').
*Air mata saya tidak dapat terbendung saat melihat endingnya
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Film yang sangat menarik, Plotnya Yang simple dan mudah ditangkap ditambah dengan shot-shot yang megah dan memanjakan mata. Terkadang kita dibikin senang,sedih,haru di setiap saat.Latar yang diambil Setelah Perang dunia Ke II yang sangat Mendukung Keseluruhan Cerita Dan Menghidupkan suasana Yang Kelam akan dampak dari Perang Dunia ke II. Dari film ini juga kita akan tahu dampak yang ditimbulkan dari perang Dunia Ke II ini, yang salah satu Dampak Utamanya ialah "Kehilangan seseorang yang dicintai",Fred zinneman selaku sutradara di film ini sangat sukses Menyampaikan Hal Tersebut di film ini.
Sedih melihat Jim seorang anak Kecil yang lolos dari Kamp Auschwitz dan harus Terpisah jauh dari Seorang Ibu ditambah ia Kehilangan Ingatannya, dan sangat beruntung ia bertemu dengan steve seorang tentara amerika yang sangat baik hati dan mau Merawat dan Menjaganya
Montgomery Clift never fails to amaze me. He was not a movie star in the Gable or Bogart sort of way but a real actor who chose his roles with care and devoted his full attention to them, pulling off something unexpected every time. He had real talent, versatility and a certain vulnerability which is an essential part of becoming a truly great actor.
Montgomery Clift, I’m sorry I didn’t know your game sooner.
I picked up a 1970s Clift biography at a thrift store this week, and this—my first Monty film—was the perfect starting point. His performance here is magnetic. The bond he builds with the little boy is heartwarming, creating a genuine father-son dynamic that really stands out. The post-war setting is beautifully captured, with some striking on-location shots that add a layer of authenticity. If anything holds it back, it’s the overdone narration and rushed ending. The scenes with the boy’s mother could have used more emotional weight too.
Just a sweet little feel-good film. No narrative surprises, but a good Clift performance and a rare quality child performer. Would've expected a bit more of a reaction in that final moment, but I'll forgive it. Smile-on-your-face movie.
By design, Fred Zinnemann's THE SEARCH is meant to tug at the heartstrings. And though it's not a perfect film, it is hard not to be affected by the simple story presented.
Before going any further...
You know I love some Montgomery Clift. Damn! He is so freakin' hot in this...maybe why I've watched this several times over the years! This was also his first Best Actor Oscar nod, and he doesn't even appear until the 40 minute mark.
THE SEARCH occurs in the aftermath of World War II, with American troops occupying parts of war-torn Germany. Many kids have been displaced from concentration camps, and the movie concerns one mother and one damaged little boy (each, at some point,…
Simply a heartwarming picture from Zinnemann with a magnificent Clift Debut and a nice direction. I missed something special like in Zinnemanns the men his similar one man show picture (there with Brando).
I’ve watched now all of Clifts Oscar nominations and can gladly say all of them more than well deserved. He had something like Brando and dean. A true gem.