Divided We Fall

The cinematic journey begins in 1939 Czechoslovakia, where the stark reality of Nazi occupation looms large. Horst, a complex individual with dual allegiances as a Czech-German collaborator married to a German woman and working alongside Josef, arrives at the doorstep of his friends Marie and her husband Josef, who are proud Czechs. The atmosphere is tense, as Josef's disdain for the Nazis is palpable. It is against this backdrop that the trio's lives become intertwined with David, a young survivor who had narrowly escaped the horrors of a concentration camp in occupied Poland after being initially imprisoned at Theresienstadt.

As Marie and Josef take David under their wing, they decide to conceal him from prying eyes in their apartment. Horst makes an unanticipated visit, bearing gifts as was his custom. However, this time his presence is laced with tension, particularly for Marie, who is torn between her husband's increasing complicity with the Nazi regime and her growing sympathy towards the desperate young refugee locked away in their closet.

As tensions simmer beneath the surface, Marie finds herself entangled in a web of moral dilemmas. On one hand, she seizes every opportunity to blame Horst for bringing the Jew into their midst; on the other, she is moved by David's plight and longs to protect him from the dangers that lurk outside. It is within this precarious balance that Marie advises Josef to accept Horst's job offer to evict Czech Jews from their homes, hoping to secure a measure of protection and deflect suspicion.

As events unfold, the neighbor Franta, who had previously attempted to turn David over to the Nazi authorities, views Josef with disdain, perceiving him as a collaborator. Meanwhile, Marie dedicates her days to learning French from David, fostering a deep bond that transcends their circumstances. Horst's visits become increasingly frequent and ominous, culminating in a disturbing incident where he makes a calculated attempt to breach Marie's boundaries.

The stage is set for a gripping narrative that probes the human condition under the shadow of oppression, as the lines between morality, loyalty, and survival are repeatedly blurred and redrawn.

As the reality of their childlessness is starkly confirmed through fertility testing, Josef's insecurities and doubts come flooding to the surface, leaving him reeling from the humiliation. Meanwhile, Horst seizes the opportunity to exact revenge on Marie by forcing them to take in his supervisor, a zealous Nazi bureaucrat still reeling from the devastating loss of his son at the hands of his own comrades for deserting the front lines following a stroke. Marie's unwavering refusal to accept this unwanted guest is met with stiff resistance, citing her very real pregnancy as the reason. The community, however, remains acutely aware of Josef and Marie's inability to conceive, prompting Josef to propose an audacious solution: David, seemingly oblivious to the moral implications, agrees to father a child with Marie in a desperate attempt to stage a "miracle" and deflect further scrutiny. After a grueling battle for consent, Marie eventually relents, and the consequences of their actions unfold. As Horst's malevolent schemes begin to unravel, his behavior undergoes a subtle yet palpable transformation as the tide of war turns against Germany. The erstwhile Nazi sympathizer redirects German authorities' attention towards Josef and Marie's humble abode, driven by suspicions that someone else is living under their roof. Ultimately, however, it is the Czech people who exact brutal revenge on their former oppressors as the Germans are forced to retreat in disarray. Amidst the chaos of war-torn streets, Marie's labor pains begin to intensify, prompting Josef's frantic search for medical assistance, only to find that the city's streets are now a battleground and the once-Nazi-affiliated doctor has fallen into enemy hands.

As Josef finally locates the new triumvirate governing the land, he's met with a mix of emotions when he discovers that his old neighbor Franta has taken up a position within the Czech Resistance. However, Franta's memories of Josef as a collaborator prove to be a significant obstacle, leading him to order the arrest of the unsuspecting man. Undeterred, Josef pleads his case, offering to arrange a meeting with David (perhaps the only individual capable of vouching for his ambiguous stance towards the Jewish community) in exchange for permission to track down the Nazi doctor responsible for delivering Marie's child. The desperation in his voice is palpable as he implores Franta and the other resistance members to spare him, hoping that this gesture will ultimately prove his sincerity.

In the depths of the city's jails, Josef stumbles upon a shocking discovery - the doctor responsible for the child's delivery has taken his own life. Amidst the chaos, he also finds Horst, crouched in a corner, a figure whose prior actions had once saved David's life. Recognizing this, Josef seizes the opportunity to fabricate an elaborate ruse, convincing the Czech partisan guards that Horst is, in fact, the doctor they've been seeking. The partisans obligingly escort them back to Josef's household, their journey winding through the devastated streets of the city like a twisted, war-torn rosary.

As the group returns home, Horst, drawing upon his own experience delivering his sons, seamlessly assumes the role of Marie's obstetrician, much to her initial trepidation. However, the partisans remain skeptical, demanding proof of Josef's allegiance by requesting an audience with David himself. Chaos erupts as gunfire rings out and David disappears into the fray, leaving Josef to face a grim fate at the hands of the partisan captain - a seasoned member of the Czechoslovak Army. In his desperation, Josef cries out, "Let us be human!" A cry that echoes through the desolate landscape like a beacon of hope.

In the aftermath of this tumultuous evening, Marie and David's child is born, a poignant reminder that even amidst destruction and chaos, life persists. As the dust settles, the partisans interrogate David about Horst's past, but David, having come to realize the depth of Horst's knowledge and his subsequent silence over the years, chooses to support Josef's claim, thus saving Horst from certain execution.

Days later, as Josef walks through the ruins of his city, cradling the infant in his arms, he is visited by a haunting vision. In the devastation that surrounds him, he envisions David's deceased family and his supervisor's youngest son sitting around a small table, their faces upturned towards him, beckoning him to join them. With tears welling in his eyes, Josef lifts the child into the air, waving back at these ethereal figures as an aria from J.S. Bach's St Matthew Passion - "Erbarme dich, mein Gott, God, please have mercy on our frailty!" - serves as a poignant denouement to this cinematic masterpiece.