Despite boasting globally recognized star Diane Kruger in the cast, this WWII-adjacent film focuses entirely on the effects of wartime on a preteen boy named Nanning (Jasper Billerbeck). Thematically similar to Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun, director Fatih Akin’s film explores the boy’s loss of innocence as he comes of age during the war. In this case, the boy is German, and believes himself to be safely ensconced on his family farm located on the windswept German island of Amrum.
Buy AmrumAs the war winds down in 1945, Nanning and his family deal with an influx of war-displaced immigrants and dwindling provisions as they await word from his absent father, a Nazi officer. Nanning is a proud Hitler Youth, putting him at odds with the downtrodden new arrivals and further deteriorating his standing when it becomes clear that Germany has no hope of winning the war.
When news of Hitler’s suicide arrives, Nanning’s pregnant mother (Kruger) gives birth and immediately enters such severe postpartum depression that she refuses to eat unless she receives white bread, butter, and honey, all nearly impossible luxury items in the strapped community. This sets young Nanning out on a quest to procure the items by any means necessary. Akin gets plenty of mileage out of his misadventures and multi-stage trades to secure his prizes, even as his quest is primarily a distraction from the reality of his rapidly deteriorating security and shattered worldview.
The story is based on screenwriter Hark Bohm’s personal wartime experiences as a child on Amrum, giving it tangible authenticity. Bohm passed away last November, marking this film as the capstone on a memorable career as an actor and writer most known for his collaborations with Rainer Werner Fassbender. He also makes his final screen appearance here in a cameo as the older Nanning.
The DVD presents the film in its native 1.85:1 aspect ratio with Dolby 5.1 surround and 2.0 stereo soundtrack options. No bonus features are included. DVD picture quality appears somewhat blocky and low res to start, but smooths out as the film progresses. Although colors are a bit dull without HDR, veteran DP Karl Walter Lindenlaub’s top-notch cinematography shines through in spite of the disc format’s technical limitations. No domestic Blu-ray alternative is available, making this the sole U.S. physical release of the film.
Amrum is a fascinating look at Nanning’s struggles to reconcile his crushed fascist ideals with the reality of his precarious future. As his family beliefs are proven to be wrong at the same time he’s maturing into independent thought, he must adjust to a burgeoning new world order as he searches for his path forward.
