-Written by Kyle Bain.
A quasi-sequel to Wonder, White Bird follows Julian (Bryce Gheisar) as he ventures to visit his Grand-mére (Helen Mirren), a survivor of the Holocaust. As she tells him the story of her youth, he finally begins to understand the importance of being a good person.
I truly had no intentions of seeing this film, as I hadn’t seen Wonder–but there’s no need to have seen White Bird’s predecessor in order to understand and/or appreciate this film. It’s riveting from start to finish. It’s a very human story, one that follows a young man who has wronged others throughout his short time on earth, but is soon tasked with understanding how important it is to be kind to others.
Gheisar has a small role in this film in terms of screen time. He’s only seen on screen a handful of times, with no more than ten minutes of total screen time, but that doesn’t mean that his role isn’t of the utmost importance. White Bird ultimately tasks Gheisar with bridging the gap between the past and the present, to let viewers know that these horrific stories of the Holocaust still serve a purpose, still elicit an emotional response. His time on screen is effectively spent reacting to his grandmother’s story, to the emotion that she once felt, and allowing younger audiences to appreciate her struggles and how that’s affected her today.
Additionally, Ariella Glaser, who plays Sara Blum, the younger version of Mirren’s character, is a spectacular actor. She exhibits emotion as well as anyone, and the most intense, hard-hitting moments work because of her.
I guess my question going into White Bird was “how do they tell another Holocaust story, and how do they make it original?” I don’t think it’s fair to say that Holocaust stories have run their course, because there’s still so much to learn from them. However, I think it’s hard to find something new in this arena. White Bird focuses heavily on the beautiful landscapes of France, those that juxtapose the horrid actions of such a hateful group. The drastic contrast between the aesthetic and the actions of the Nazi’s (and Nazi-adjacent individuals) creates something astounding, adds depth, and helps to bring to life a story that manages still to be something new.
White Bird is better than I anticipated, especially considering I hadn’t seen its predecessor. The film is compelling, the story incredibly interesting, and the overall pacing of the film (even though it is a tad long) is effective. Mirren, Glaser, and Gheisar deliver brilliantly, and they ultimately lead an entertaining film in White Bird.
Directed by Marc Forster.
Written by Mark Bomback & R.J. Palacio.
Starring Bryce Gheisar, Priya Ghotane, Teagan Booth, Randy Duke, Helen Mirren, Laura Hudeckova, Ishai Golan, Olivia Ross, Ariella Glaser, etc.
7.5/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING
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