Secret Lives: Hidden Children and Their Rescuers During WWII
Cinema Guild | Release Date: May 16, 2003 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
71
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 17 Critics
Positive:
15
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
Watch Now

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
Artfully, even elegantly constructed, Secret Lives skillfully probes issues of conflicting emotions and allegiances in a dark time, yet emerges as a loving affirmation of humanity's remarkable potential for goodness in the face of pervasive evil. Read full review
80
Washington PostCurt Fields
While the stories are heroic, the film doesn't omit less noble aspects. It acknowledges in passing that some rescuers did so merely for profit, and that others were abusive. Read full review
80
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
Riveting, gracefully constructed film. Read full review
80
Village VoiceLeslie Camhi
Slesin's film is a profound meditation on the resilience of children -- their ability to take sustenance from whatever love is available -- and on the persistent presence of the child hidden within each grown-up. Read full review
80
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
Serves as a powerful tribute to a group of heroes who gave those they saved something nearly as valuable as life: proof that the best of the human spirit can endure even through the worst of times. Read full review
80
The New RepublicStanley Kauffmann
It lets us glimpse once again the stubborn, if slender, persistence of the humane. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneJohn Petrakis
The overriding sense one gets from this short but powerful film is awe. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Although it isn't very original in style, this heartfelt account is always instructive and frequently very touching. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
Sometimes painful, often joyous, and altogether illuminating. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeJanice Page
These children are indeed the faces of war. It's just harder to recognize them because they're the ones someone cared enough to save. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldMarta Barber
The stories touch our sensibilities, but the documentary never sugarcoats the childrens' experiences. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
Even the “good” Holocaust stories are chased by heartbreak, as we learn from this straight-ahead documentary. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
The consequent pain, anger, and confusion on all sides disrupts the standard martyrology of the genre and exposes the ordinary human wreckage that can follow even the most extraordinary acts of heroism. Read full review
70
VarietyRonnie Scheib
Their interwoven stories, backgrounded by concise narration, well-chosen archival imagery and an evocative score by John Zorn, make for an absorbing and revealing examination of the ties that bind. Read full review
70
The New York TimesDave Kehr
Ms. Slesin sums up the complicated feelings of Secret Lives with one well-chosen phrase: what these people are suffering from, she says, is the "trauma of gratitude." Her film is as complex and moving as that formulation. Read full review
60
The A.V. ClubNoel Murray
The lack of a splashy style puts the tales of the rescued and their rescuers properly at the center, but whether viewers connect will depend in part on how saturated they are with Holocaust lore. Read full review
50
New York PostV.A. Musetto
It's a touching story that deserves to be told. Unfortunately, Slesin's presentation is conventional and uninspired (lots of boring talking heads). These heroes deserve better. Read full review
More From This Movie

71 Critic Reviews

tbd User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy Userscore
1 88 Black Panther
2 82 Isle of Dogs
3 82 A Quiet Place
4 79 Annihilation
5 73 Love, Simon
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Instant Video
New on Netflix
New on DVD/Blu-ray
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL