The Memory Thief
Encyclopedia
The Memory Thief is an American
independent
DV
drama film from 2007. It was directed by Gil Kofman, and features Mark Webber
and Rachel Miner
in the leading roles. The film chronicles the experiences of a young man who becomes involved in documenting the experiences of survivors of the Holocaust, as his commitment turns into obsession and madness. Critics were generally favourable of the movie, which was Kofman's debut as a feature director.
) is a young man who works as a tollbooth operator. He does not have much of a social life and spends much of his free time visiting his catatonic mother in the hospital. One day, one of the tollbooth customers tosses him a copy of Hitler
's Mein Kampf
, and Lukas starts reading it. While he is reading the book, a Holocaust survivor (Allan Rich
) drives by, and angrily berates Lukas for his choice of reading material. Lukas makes little of it at the time, but the next day the old man comes back and gives him a videotape
containing his testimony from the concentration camps
. Watching the tape, Lukas becomes captivated, not less so when he spots the old man's obituary
in the newspaper shortly after.
He decides to get a job working for the organisation that makes the interview tapes with the survivors. At the same time, while visiting his mother, he meets the medical student Mira (Rachel Miner
), whose father (Jerry Adler
) is also a camp survivor. At this point, Lukas's behaviour becomes more and more obsessive. He hoards interview tapes, watching several simultaneously on different television set
s. He plasters his wall with pictures from the camp, and buys lottery tickets based on the interviewees identification numbers
from the camps. Eventually he persuades Mira's father to record an interview, but the burden of recalling the memories is too much for the old man, who kills himself shortly afterwards.
Mira blames Lukas for her father's death, but Lukas is undeterred in his pursuit to document the memories of the survivors. Eventually, his erratic behaviour gets him fired, both from his tollbooth job and from his work with the Holocaust foundation. Gradually he comes to believe that he himself is the last Holocausts survivor. He shaves his head and gets an identification number tattooed on his arm. He deliberately picks a fight with a group of neo-Nazi skinheads, and gets beaten up. It also becomes clear that the old woman in the hospital is not Lukas's mother at all, revealing his obsessive commitment to the suffering of other people. As the movie ends, he is seen putting on a suit reminiscent of the uniforms worn by concentration camp prisoners, and he embarks on what he describes as a death march
.
-born playwright Gil Kofman.
Kofman himself had married into a family of Holocaust survivors, so the topic of the film related to his personal life.
In the interview sequences shown, the movie makes use of the testimonies of actual Holocaust survivors.
gave the movie a 79% fresh rating, based on 14 reviews. Jeannette Catsoulis, writing for The New York Times
, called it "a strange and melancholy journey to the heart of madness," and she commended the way the movie presented a counterbalance to formulaic Hollywood movies about the Holocaust. Maureen M. Hart of the Chicago Tribune
wrote that Kofman had "crafted an unusual tale of post-traumatic stress and pain and the ownership thereof," and she singled out for praise Jerry Adler's performance as an old Holocaust survivor. Leba Hertz, on the other hand, in a review for the San Francisco Chronicle
, complained that "something rings false" about the movie. For instance, she had difficulties understanding why a girl like Mira should be attracted to someone such as Lukas.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
independent
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
DV
Digital video
Digital video is a type of digital recording system that works by using a digital rather than an analog video signal.The terms camera, video camera, and camcorder are used interchangeably in this article.- History :...
drama film from 2007. It was directed by Gil Kofman, and features Mark Webber
Mark Webber (actor)
Mark Allen Webber is an American actor, screenwriter and director known for his roles in the films Snow Day and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.-Personal life:...
and Rachel Miner
Rachel Miner
Rachel Miner is a Broadway, film and television actress, born in New York City.-Personal life:A third generation Miner in show business, she is the daughter of director and teacher Peter Miner and the granddaughter of director/producer Worthington Miner and actress Frances Fuller...
in the leading roles. The film chronicles the experiences of a young man who becomes involved in documenting the experiences of survivors of the Holocaust, as his commitment turns into obsession and madness. Critics were generally favourable of the movie, which was Kofman's debut as a feature director.
Plot
Lukas (Mark WebberMark Webber (actor)
Mark Allen Webber is an American actor, screenwriter and director known for his roles in the films Snow Day and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.-Personal life:...
) is a young man who works as a tollbooth operator. He does not have much of a social life and spends much of his free time visiting his catatonic mother in the hospital. One day, one of the tollbooth customers tosses him a copy of Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf is a book written by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitler's political ideology. Volume 1 of Mein Kampf was published in 1925 and Volume 2 in 1926...
, and Lukas starts reading it. While he is reading the book, a Holocaust survivor (Allan Rich
Allan Rich
Allan Rich, is an American character actor, author, and activist.-Personal life:Allan Rich was one of the many alleged communist sympathizers blacklisted in the 1950s Hollywood blacklist.-Activism:...
) drives by, and angrily berates Lukas for his choice of reading material. Lukas makes little of it at the time, but the next day the old man comes back and gives him a videotape
Videotape
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
containing his testimony from the concentration camps
Nazi concentration camps
Nazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi concentration camps set up in Germany were greatly expanded after the Reichstag fire of 1933, and were intended to hold political prisoners and opponents of the regime...
. Watching the tape, Lukas becomes captivated, not less so when he spots the old man's obituary
Obituary
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
in the newspaper shortly after.
He decides to get a job working for the organisation that makes the interview tapes with the survivors. At the same time, while visiting his mother, he meets the medical student Mira (Rachel Miner
Rachel Miner
Rachel Miner is a Broadway, film and television actress, born in New York City.-Personal life:A third generation Miner in show business, she is the daughter of director and teacher Peter Miner and the granddaughter of director/producer Worthington Miner and actress Frances Fuller...
), whose father (Jerry Adler
Jerry Adler
Jerry Adler is an American theatre director, production supervisor and a television and film actor.Adler was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Pauline and Philip Adler, who was a general manager of the Group Theatre...
) is also a camp survivor. At this point, Lukas's behaviour becomes more and more obsessive. He hoards interview tapes, watching several simultaneously on different television set
Television set
A television set is a device that combines a tuner, display, and speakers for the purpose of viewing television. Television sets became a popular consumer product after the Second World War, using vacuum tubes and cathode ray tube displays...
s. He plasters his wall with pictures from the camp, and buys lottery tickets based on the interviewees identification numbers
Identification in Nazi camps
Identification of inmates in Nazi concentration camps was performed in two ways: by special badges and by identification numbers.-Badges:...
from the camps. Eventually he persuades Mira's father to record an interview, but the burden of recalling the memories is too much for the old man, who kills himself shortly afterwards.
Mira blames Lukas for her father's death, but Lukas is undeterred in his pursuit to document the memories of the survivors. Eventually, his erratic behaviour gets him fired, both from his tollbooth job and from his work with the Holocaust foundation. Gradually he comes to believe that he himself is the last Holocausts survivor. He shaves his head and gets an identification number tattooed on his arm. He deliberately picks a fight with a group of neo-Nazi skinheads, and gets beaten up. It also becomes clear that the old woman in the hospital is not Lukas's mother at all, revealing his obsessive commitment to the suffering of other people. As the movie ends, he is seen putting on a suit reminiscent of the uniforms worn by concentration camp prisoners, and he embarks on what he describes as a death march
Death march
A death march is a forced march of prisoners of war or other captives or deportees. Those marching must walk over long distances for an extremely long period of time and are not supplied with food or water...
.
Cast
- Mark WebberMark Webber (actor)Mark Allen Webber is an American actor, screenwriter and director known for his roles in the films Snow Day and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.-Personal life:...
– Lukas - Rachel MinerRachel MinerRachel Miner is a Broadway, film and television actress, born in New York City.-Personal life:A third generation Miner in show business, she is the daughter of director and teacher Peter Miner and the granddaughter of director/producer Worthington Miner and actress Frances Fuller...
– Mira - Jerry AdlerJerry AdlerJerry Adler is an American theatre director, production supervisor and a television and film actor.Adler was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Pauline and Philip Adler, who was a general manager of the Group Theatre...
– Mr. Zweig - Allan RichAllan RichAllan Rich, is an American character actor, author, and activist.-Personal life:Allan Rich was one of the many alleged communist sympathizers blacklisted in the 1950s Hollywood blacklist.-Activism:...
– Zvi Birnbaum - Peter JacobsonPeter JacobsonPeter S. Jacobson is an American film and television actor.-Life and career:Jacobson was born to a Jewish family in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Chicago news anchor Walter Jacobson. He is a graduate of Brown University and Juilliard...
– Mr. Freeman - Douglas SpainDouglas SpainDouglas Spain is an American film and television actor, director and producer. In 1998 Spain was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award in the category of Best Debut Performance for his role in the film Star Maps...
– Dominic - Stella Hudgens – Amanda
- Carlos GomezCarlos Gómez (actor)Carlos Gomez is an American actor.-Biography:Carlos was born in New York, the son of Cora Gomez. He is a versatile character actor who has starred in both film and the small screen since the late 1980s. His first part in a film came in the form of a dancer looking to make it big in "Dance to Win "...
– Amanda's father - Karen Landry – Mother
- Mary Pat GleasonMary Pat GleasonMary Pat Gleason is an American film and television actress. From 1983-85 she appeared on The Guiding Light as Jane Hogan.Since the early 1980s she has appeared on such television series as Full House, Murphy Brown, Empty Nest, L.A...
– Hospital patient (Mary) - Richard RiehleRichard Riehle-Life and career:Riehle was born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, the son of Mary Margaret , a nurse, and Herbert John Riehle , an assistant postmaster. He attended the University of Notre Dame....
– Judaica store clerk
Production
The Memory Thief was the first feature film directed by the NigerianNigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
-born playwright Gil Kofman.
Kofman himself had married into a family of Holocaust survivors, so the topic of the film related to his personal life.
In the interview sequences shown, the movie makes use of the testimonies of actual Holocaust survivors.
Reception
The Memory Thief received mostly favorable reviews from critics. The review aggregate website Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gave the movie a 79% fresh rating, based on 14 reviews. Jeannette Catsoulis, writing for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, called it "a strange and melancholy journey to the heart of madness," and she commended the way the movie presented a counterbalance to formulaic Hollywood movies about the Holocaust. Maureen M. Hart of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
wrote that Kofman had "crafted an unusual tale of post-traumatic stress and pain and the ownership thereof," and she singled out for praise Jerry Adler's performance as an old Holocaust survivor. Leba Hertz, on the other hand, in a review for the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, complained that "something rings false" about the movie. For instance, she had difficulties understanding why a girl like Mira should be attracted to someone such as Lukas.