Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Movie Review: Sunshine

The movie Sunshine follows three generations of a Jewish family in the first half of 20th century Hungary. It tracks the family's loves, successes, secrets and tragedies as they struggle to continue living traditionally as their jewish forefathers did in a place and time of mounting dislike and
distrust of the jews.

Sunshine is a story that needed to be told. It seems to be part fact and part fiction in telling the struggle of Hungary as a nation through the eyes of one family. It highlights the see-saw relationship of the Hungarian government with their Jewish citizens through both world wars and a revolution.

For any people who's national government has been reluctant to impart equal citizenship to them based on religious and cultural reasons or institutes laws that limit their freedom and protection, this movie is a reminder that others have shared and continue to suffer the same injustice. At a time when Hungary was in bed with Hitler's Germany, Hungarian jews suffered.

I believe the final message in Sunshine is to love and cherish family. To appreciate the family sacrifices of past generations that helped mold you into a righteously loving individual and hold strong to whatever faith you practice so that in the end you can die knowing you lived a truthful and fear-free life. Above all, Know Thyself!

The movie clip below is of a grandson reading a letter that was written to his father by his grandfather many years before. Its the best advice I've ever heard a father give a son.


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