“WHITE BIRD”
Starring Ariella Glaser, Orlando Schwerdt, Bryce Gheisar, Gillian Anderson, Helen Mirren, Patsy Ferran, Ishai Golan, Stuart McQuarrie, Olivia Ross, Jo Stone-Fewings
Written by Mark Bomback
Based on “White Bird: A Wonder Story” by R. J. Palacio
Directed by Marc Forster
Produced by Todd Lieberman, David Hoberman and P. J. Palacio
Cinematography by Matthias Joe Koenigswieser
Edited by Matt Chesse
Music by Thomas Newman

By Matt Neufeld

After a long, strange summer lull at the movie theaters that was sadly, depressingly and predictably filled with a too-familiar and too-long nightmare parade of unneeded, unwanted and unaware stodgy, tired and prematurely-moldly sequels, prequels, remakes and reimaginings, the long-awaited autumn movie season—-the prestige movie season—-starts in earnest and in welcome excellence on Friday, October 4, as the beautiful, moving, touching, important and powerfully emotional World War II drama “White Bird” gladly brings originality, creativity and intelligence grandly back to the cinema.

And besides that, “White Bird” just happens to be the best film released so far in 2024.

This wonderfully heartfelt and uplifting film—-uplifting despite its horrendous subject matters of war, hate, prejudice, murder and the Holocaust—-is so beautifully, warmly, smartly and insightfully crafted, you’ll be well advised to bring a few tissues with you to the theater, as “White Bird’s” powerful emotions will move you to tears. But they will be years of sadness, of pure emotion, mixed with some tears of bittersweet joy.

Amid the deep and moving emotions that “White Bird” elicits, this film concurrently delivers an equally positive and uplifting message and lesson of nothing less than the importance of hope and perseverance and survival prevailing over the absolute worst horrors of war and the absolute worst evils that mankind can do. And it is, in the end, that positive, uplifting and even optimistic message that powers and overpowers the story, the characters in the film and the film itself.

Hope, perseverance, courage, strength, friendship, love and the inherent human will to survive at all costs, to help others survive as well and to proudly and boldly live to fight another day can indeed conquer all and win out in the end. These are the main, powerful and powerfully-delivered messages, themes and lessons of “White Bird” and there’s nothing more important than these valuable lessons. “White Bird” aims high with its lofty, powerful messages and emotions, but the filmmakers achieve their goals and missions without ever preaching, without over-reaching or lecturing, and, notably, without falling into tired, familiar tropes and cliches.

There’s still always plenty of room in storytelling for original, and originally-told, tales of the Holocaust and World War II, and “White Bird” is simply the latest excellent film to prove this point. Fortunately, we’ve seen scores of newly-classic films about this era in recent years, including, but not limited to, “Oppenheimer” (2023), “Dunkirk” (2017), “Darkest Hour” (2017), “Resistance” (2020), “The Zone of Interest” (2023), and “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” from earlier in 2024. As long as the stories remain well-crafted, well-told and as long as they maintain a high level of originality and thematic and filmic integrity, again, new tales of World War II and the Holocaust will always be welcome—-and they’ll always be historically important, too, of course.

This point is essential beyond a filmic standpoint as, sadly, the heroic real-life warriors and survivors of World War II and the Holocaust are leaving us year by year in increasing numbers, and their stories of heroism, courage, bravery and survival face the danger of fading away along with the storytellers. So as our real-life survivors unfortunately leave us, the least that society, and our storytellers, and our filmmakers, can do is continue to tell their stories, and to keep the memories and tales of this important era alive for all generations. This is true for all of us, but, well, a personal full disclosure from this corner: My father was a World War II veteran. Imagine that!

“White Bird” tells the story of Sara Blum, a beautiful, smart, engaging and spunky young Jewish girl in Nazi-occupied France who one horrifying day escapes a sudden, abrupt and unannounced Nazi siege of her exclusive school. The Nazis arrive to horrendously round up all of the school’s Jewish students. Sara and other Jewish students are targets of the psycho Nazis simply and solely because they just happen to be Jewish.

Sara is subsequently taken in by a sympathetic classmate, Julien Beaumier, a non-Jewish boy who bravely makes an immediate command decision to hide away Sara in the old barn on his family’s property. Julien is as spunky and independent and courageous as Sara, as he is a youth who has to struggle with polio. Just as Sara was increasingly seen as an outsider, Julian, too, begins to be seen as an outsider by the Nazis, simply and solely because of his disability.

Through certain circumstances, Sara is separated from her parents. Additionally, eventually, Julien’s parents come to support Julien’s plan to safeguard Sara by keeping her hidden in the family’s barn. As the war, and the Nazi’s insanity, cruelty and murders increase, Julien and his family do everything they can to keep Sara hidden, safe—-and alive.

Sara can’t leave the barn, as Julien’s family believes some quiet, somewhat suspicious neighbors could be Nazi sympathizers.

As what was expected to be a short stay extends into a longer and longer stay, out of necessity, and safety, as the war intensifies, the smart, nice, attractive and engaging Julien becomes Sara’s main caretaker, bringing her meals, keeping her company and teaching her school lessons that she’s missing. And what starts as a friendship soon tenderly, sweetly and charmingly evolves into love. And this beautiful, wholly heartfelt love story is what becomes literally the heart of the movie.

To watch these two young, brave, attractive outsiders fall in love, grow up and mature as their tenuous, insular world, centered mainly in Julien’s family’s barn, becomes the center of their tense, but loving, lives, is just a pleasure to watch. Ariella Glaser as Sara and Orlando Schwerdt as Julien carry this movie on their young shoulders, and they deliver just absolutely stellar, steady and impressive performances. Regarding the characters, you care deeply about these two young, likeable heroes, and you fall in love with them just as they fall in love on screen. The two young actors’ performances here are exceptional.

This captivating core story would be enough, but, to the gratification of everyone, the talented and inventive screenwriter Mark Bomback and director Marc Forster elevate the story and the movie by crafting some purely magical scenes with Sara and Julien in the barn. These scenes, the specifics of which which won’t be revealed here so as not to spoil them, are pure movie magic at its best. Suffice to say, Sara and Julien let their inventive, spirited imagination overtake their reclusive existence and carry them away, if only for a few brief, shining moments, to worlds far better and brighter than their tenuous, terrifying Nazi-occupied France of World War II.

Supporting the always-watchable and engaging Ariella and Orlando is an expensive, spirited cast of talented actors in varying roles. Gillian Anderson turns in a beautiful, understated, but strong performance as Julien’s sympathetic, understanding mother, Vivienne Beaumier. And the always-reliable, always-powerful Helen Mirren is astoundingly touching and moving as the older Sara, now a successful artist in modern times. Mirren, in a few, brief scenes and with some brief narration, manages to co-carry the movie with Ariella and Orlando. Mirren is the type of strong, classic actress whose power and talent permeates the movie, in a good way, even though she’s absent from the screen for long stretches of screen time. And Mirren delivers a rousing, moving and incredibly effective concluding monologue that manages to wrap up the story, the movie’s many important messages, the overall plot and story and character development, and the movie itself. Mirren delivers a powerhouse performance.

Yes, you know that Sara survives, and that she lives long after the horrors of World War II to fight and win and survive for many other days, and that is absolutely not a spoiler in any way. Knowing that Sara survives, and thrives, does absolutely nothing to spoil the thorough enjoyment of “White Bird.”

While “White Bird” does indeed stand strongly as a solid, original, stand-alone film, the movie is a combination prequel and sequel, of sorts, to the 2017 film “Wonder.” But only by a bit of a stretch. The films stand as separate films, completely; they just happen to share a character. Both films are from the creative imagination of writer R. J. Palacio. “White Bird” is based on Palacio’s “White Bird: A Wonder Story.” Thanks to Palacio for these uplifting, creative and well-meaning stories.

Director Forster and screenwriter Bomback are also due much credit. Forster directs “White Bird” with such a strong heart, with rich compassion, and with deep, heartfelt care for his characters. Despite the atrocities of World War II, the Nazis and the Holocaust, Forster manages to keep the story, plot and characters, and their attentive developments, centered squarely on the more positive and hopeful humanistic aspirations and longing for survival of his lead characters. There can, and must, be hope, courage and bravery amid the ruins, death, destruction, madness and fog of war, and Forster imparts this underlying sense of hope with his steady, caring and human-focused direction.

Bomback’s screenplay and Palacio’s core source writings carry the same humanistic elements, of course, and their contributions are essential, too. The screenplay never descends into trite sentimentality or easy romanticism. There’s sentiment, and romance, but it’s handled intelligently, creatively and originally.

Matthias Koenigswieser’s cinematography, Matt Chesse’s editing and Thomas Newman’s music score are all also top-notch, adding to the overall quality of the
film.

What the world needs right now is more films like “White Bird,” a film that should be seen and never forgotten. Just like World War II and the Holocaust and that era’s legions of soldiers, warriors, fighters, heroes and survivors. Like those brave soles, and the battles they fought, “White Bird” sends a valuable, important message and lesson once again: Never forget.

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