The Truce

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The Truce

R

1997

2h 5m

History

Drama

Biography

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

46%

Tomatometer

13 Reviews

53%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Based on his autobiography of the same name, the film details the long and arduous journey home of Italian prisoner of war Primo Levi (John Turturro), after the liberation of Auschwitz at the end of World War II. A chemist before being captured by the Nazis, Levi is one of the first prisoners to leave the concentration camp upon its fall at the hands of Soviet forces in 1945. However, his route back to his home in the Italian city of Turin is torturous, with stops throughout Eastern Europe.

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Rick Groen

Globe and Mail

Apr 12, 2002

2.5/4

It fails to find a way of capturing the fine moral discriminations inherent to Levi's prose.

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Stephen Holden

New York Times

Jan 1, 2000

3.5/5

Turturro gives what may be the screen performance of his career.

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Stanley Kauffmann

The New Republic

Jan 1, 2000

Despite all that Rosi and Turturro can do, the Levi we look at and listen to is not near the Levi we know.

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Aug 27, 2005

4/5

Ed Scheid

Boxoffice Magazine

Jun 5, 2002

2.5/5

Contains too many characters and scenes that are familiar from other films set in the same period.

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Mary Ann Brussat

Spirituality & Practice

Mar 2, 2002

Bears witness to the courage, patience, and resiliency of Holocaust survivors. It is another chapter in the film recreation of the nightmare of World War II.

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Alain E

@AlainE May 16, 2026

I have not read Primo Levi’s war recollections that form the basis for this movie. Unfortunately the result in film form is very mediocre. John Turturro is being wasted here.

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Lesia M

@RT15228414 Jan 6, 2025

This movie starts at the end of Auschwitz, with the liberation by the Russians. Getting home back to Italy as a Jew who was an educated chemist was difficult and long. The whole world seemed to be suffering from hunger. So landing in Russia was more suffering and people sent to camps to re live the oppressive role of slave laborer under Russian rule. To escape that independently and travel with men were bitter about everything that happened. The families that died in the gas chambers, wondering why they were chosen to survive by God. Atlas their faith in god was gone, if theirs an auschwitz, then no god. The main character finally finds his way home but it’s surreal. There is no going back to living a normal life after that. I was left with a feeling of overt sadness, the many valuable lives lost, especially that of children. Who knows if one could have been the next Einstein, Picasso or world leader of compassion instead of hatred.

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Lev R

@BjornOslo Jun 19, 2024

I haven't read Primo Levi's books in a long time, but what bothered and bored me about this film is that we never really got to know Levi as a person. He was always seen from the outside and came across as flat and uninteresting, which seems a bizarre way to tell his story.

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May 12, 2013

world war ll is over. the concentration camps are liberated. now what. a group of Italian, Greek and a few Poland's. decide to find their way home and they do find some interesting Russians along the way. very well written film.

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Dec 27, 2010

an interest film , little slow some times . the road back home throw half Europe of a group of Italian-Jew

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Oct 17, 2008

I never would have believed anybody could film Primo Levi's "The Reawakening" so well. Profoundly moving. You should see this.

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Francesco Rosi

Director

Massimo Ghini

Cesare

John Turturro

Primo Levi

Roberto Citran

Unverdorben

Stefano Dionisi

Daniele

Andy Luotto

D'Agata

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Synopsis

Based on his autobiography of the same name, the film details the long and arduous journey home of Italian prisoner of war Primo Levi (John Turturro), after the liberation of Auschwitz at the end of World War II. A chemist before being captured by the Nazis, Levi is one of the first prisoners to leave the concentration camp upon its fall at the hands of Soviet forces in 1945. However, his route back to his home in the Italian city of Turin is torturous, with stops throughout Eastern Europe.

Director: Francesco Rosi
Producer: Leo Pescarolo, Dino De Laurentiis
Screenwriter: Francesco Rosi, Stefano Rulli, Sandro Petraglia
Production Co: Miramax, Mikado Film S.r.l.
Rating: R
Genre: History, Drama, Biography
Original Language: Italian
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 23, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA): $149.9K
Runtime: 2h 5m
Sound Mix: Surround

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