Irena’s Vow
Danny Elfman Teaches Music for Film
September 7 to September 17, 2023
Content Advisory: Death/harm to Child, The Holocaust
PROGRAMME
Centrepiece
A Polish nurse shelters a group of Jews while working as a housekeeper for a S.S. Major in Irena’s Vow. Irena Gut Opdyke (Sophie Nélisse) is training to be a nurse in 1939 when the Germans invade and she ends up working in a factory for Officer Kruger (Marcel Sabat). Irene is hired by Major Rugemer (Dougray Scott) to supervise Jewish laundry workers, along with middle-aged butler Schultz (Andrzej Seweryn). When Gustapo officer Rokita (Maciej Nawrocki) begins rounding up the Jews, Irene comes up with a plan to hide the workers from the laundry. This is easier when Rugemer makes Irene his housekeeper at his acquired villa.
Irena’s Vow Synopsis
Irena’s Vow is a World War II set drama directed by Louise Archambault (Gabrielle). The film is written by acclaimed screenwriter Dan Gordon (The Hurricane), based on his 2009 play telling the true story of Irena Gut. Sophie Nélisse (Yellowjackets, The Rest of Us, Monsieur Lazhar) stars in the titular role and is joined by Scottish actor Dougray Scott (Mission: Impossible II, Hemlock Grove) as S.S. Major Rugemer, who makes Irena his housekeeper. This opportunity allows Irena to hide a group of Jews in a hidden room in the basement of Rugemer’s house. As the Gestapo begins rounding up Jews, Irena risks it all to protect this small group.
My Thoughts on Irena’s Vow
While most films involving the Holocaust can get quite harrowing, Irena’s Vow probably features one of the most disturbing and hard-to-watch inciting incidents I’ve seen in these types of films. This moment, which involves a brutal S.S. murder, leads Irena to make her vow to save a life. It is for that reason she decides to hide a group of Jews right under the Nazis’ nose, at great risk to herself.
Probaly one of the more interesting plot elements of Irena’s Vow is how, despite being an S.S. Major, Dougray Scott portrays Rugemer as an honourable man who cares about Irena, even if this dynamic becomes a bit icky later on in the film. The true antagonist of Irena’s Vow is Maciej Nawrocki as Gustapo officer Rokita, a frequent attendee of the parties held at the Villa. This results in a cat-and-mouse game as Irena and her friend Schultz entertain the Germans upstairs while trying to protect the Jews downstairs.
Despite a few disturbing on-screen moments that may or may not have been necessary, Irena’s Vow ultimately ends up being an affecting Holocaust drama. Sophie Nélisse is a rising star in Canada and beyond and she gets to shine in the lead role. Irena’s Vow is a drama that is worth checking out.
Trailer for Irena’s Vow
