The Search by Richard Schweitzer, with contributions from six others 9 out of 10

The Search by Richard Schweitzer, with contributions from six others
9 out of 10


The Search is a phenomenal drama, winner of the Academy Award for Best Writing and a special prize for the very young actor Ivan Jandl.

This extraordinary feature has also won the Golden Globe in the same category, with another one for Best Picture...Promoting Universal Understanding.

An interesting category that was, but we have it no longer.

The New York Times' Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made list has The Search included with other great works of art.

It is the end of the devastating World War II, in Berlin, where a group of children are brought together.
In a way, they are lucky to have survived, but the trauma, the terrible atrocities they have witnessed will scar them for life.

Furthermore, most of them are now orphans, even if some will be lucky to find a living parent, or another relative.
When they are moved with trucks, they are afraid to get in, because of the horrors they have seen.

The Nazis have used many means to kill multitudes, and using carbon dioxide in vehicles was one of them.
Traumatized and aghast at what might happen, a few break the window of a moving truck and escape.

Among the runaways, we have the hero, Karel Malik, played by the formidable Ivan Jandl.
We would learn later about his story and how he had lost faith and stopped talking at one point.
In his effort to run from further torture, as he fears it, he arrives at a river, where he is presumed to have drowned.

Indeed, when his mother would reach this center for children refugees, she would find that he is dead.
It will be a test of her grit, determination to keep looking for the boy.

As he walks among the ruins of the former German capital, Karel Malik meets Ralph Stevenson.
This character is played by one of the best actor the world has ever had, Montgomery Clift, a troubled man, who would have felt better as the owner of small shop, somewhere in the countryside, those who have known him said.

By not participating in Someone Up There Loves Me, he has launched the career of Paul Newman, passing on the role in On The Waterfront, he gave the world Marlon Brando and finally, saying no to East of Eden, Clift gave the chance to James Dean.
An incredibly powerful man, not literally, although that might have been the case too, Burt Lancaster has stated that his knees would shake when Montgomery Clift entered the room.

The sublime actor was nominated for an Oscar for this film.
Ralph Stevenson offers his sandwich to the visibly hungry boy.

Then he grabs him, trying to protect and offer him the chance to be reunited with his family.
Karel Malek is afraid and tries to run again, until the American understanding his fears, takes a different approach.

Gradually, they become very good friends and the young boy learns English.
Meanwhile, his mother is told at the center for refugees that they have their boy.

Only to discover that another one has taken his place, when Karel was absent for the roll call, the other boy being Jewish, he had to find a way to hide an identity which was anathema for the Nazis.
After the bliss of finding the boy, the tragedy of seeing he is in fact dead, then the resolution to keep The Search.

And maybe she will find him!