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Desperate: A Ray of Light in the Face of Tyranny

On a rainy night in a concentration camp, a ruthless Nazi general is forced to plead with a condemned Jewish doctor to save his dying son. With nothing left to lose, the doctor refuses to aid his hated enemies. But when he is offered his freedom in exchange, he is faced with an unthinkable moral dilemma. The Desperate offers a provocative reflection on the relationship between justice and mercy and serves as a powerful analogy of God’s sacrificial grace.

  • Item 501583D
  • Region: US and Canada
  • Media Type: DVD
  • Running Time: 32 min

Alternate formats: Digital Video - $2.99

Retail: $14.99
Price: $5.00
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Awards

  • Best Short Film

    Won at the Hollywood Film Festival

Description

On a rainy night in a concentration camp, a ruthless Nazi general is forced to plead with a condemned Jewish doctor to save his dying son. With nothing left to lose, the doctor refuses to aid his hated enemies. But when he is offered his freedom in exchange, he is faced with an unthinkable moral dilemma. The Desperate offers a provocative reflection on the relationship between justice and mercy and serves as a powerful analogy of God’s sacrificial grace. Winner of multiple awards including Best Short Film by the Hollywood Film Festival. Widescreen

Editorial Reviews

What a heartbreaking movie with a powerful ending and only 32 minutes long. Here were some highlights:

Inspired by a true story

Circumstances that placed this man in a tough situation and how he eventually responded.

The astounding credentials of this man and where he found himself, just because he was Jewish.

The ending and the final decision and the reasons for the decision of the surgeon.

The general’s love for his son. It would have made for a great chance to witness about the Messiah, if the man had known about and accepted Jesus.

Because this film isn’t a Christian film, it isn’t listed on CFDb, but definitely warranted a review.

It’s difficult for me to understand the dilemma this surgeon faced, because of forgiveness and loving our enemies, but after hearing all he suffered and his family, I understand why it was difficult for him. Jesus, in His prayer to His Father said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” This was true for so many soldiers during war that were just following the commands of their leaders.

Based on a true story, this dramatic short film stars veteran character actor Peter Mark Richman as Dr. Blumenthal, a renowned Jewish surgeon incarcerated at a death camp during World War II. When the son of Nazi commander General Von Ulbricht (Greg Mullavey) is seriously wounded and lies dying in an infirmary, Blumenthal is tapped to save the young man's life. Blumenthal initially refuses, resisting Ulbricht's efforts at pleading, bullying, bargaining, and more, but eventually yields to his own conscience as a man of healing. Ulbricht winds up being reduced to making the cowardly I'm-just-following-orders excuse for his participation in the Holocaust, while Blumenthal is suddenly seen by the German as an actual human being. It's nice to see Richman—a constant presence on series television in the 1960s and '70s—playing a substantial role late in his career. Recommended.

Customer Reviews

- Great film

Well done production which lives up to its claim to "challenge our commitment to human dignity and our understanding of God's grace."

- EXCELLENT!

This is a short movie, based on true events, that leaves you pondering the depth of your very own love and forgiveness. Excellent and great for group discussion.

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