TRIUMPH OF THE HEART

TRIUMPH OF THE HEART is a historical drama about the last days of St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish Catholic priest and founder of a monthly Catholic magazine, who’s imprisoned in the Auschwitz death camp during World War II. Kolbe takes the place of a family man being confined to a bunker with nine other men until an escaped prisoner is found. In the bunker, Kolbe encourages the men to never lose hope.

Then movie begins with a man named Albert and his wife, Margaret, as they run in a field, and he tells her the story. The movie then cuts to him wearing prison clothes in the Auschwitz death camp and being lined up with nine other prisoners. A prisoner has escaped, and ten men will be placed in a bunker with no food or water until said prisoner is found. St. Maximilian Kolbe then takes the place of a man who pleads that he has a family. National Socialist German soldiers take Kolbe and nine other men to the bunker.

At first, some of the men refuse to get along. However, as the days pass, Kolbe encourages them to pray and rely on God and each other for strength amidst this great suffering they’re enduring. Meanwhile, Nazi officer Karl Fritzsch tries to keep these ten men in line as he hears reports from a concentration camp soldier under his command and tries to be a good husband and father to his two children.

TRIUMPH OF THE HEART recalls the 1957 movie 12 ANGRY MEN in that most of the movie takes place in the bunker and St. Kolbe must convince the other men they can still have hope to live despite their terrible situation. The movie excels in every category, including direction, writing, acting, cinematography, and emotion. Anyone who has lost hope would benefit from experiencing TRIUMPH OF THE HEART in its entirety. It’s impossible to imagine watching it and not crying, because almost everyone can relate to the human need to be loved and longing for a better life. Best of all, God’s love permeates throughout this inspiring movie.

Almost every actor is Polish in TRIUMPH OF THE HEART, and they all do a phenomenal job. Marcin Kwaśny gives an incredible performance as St. Maximilian Kolbe. Writer/Director Anthony D’Ambrosio stresses both Kolbe’s spiritual and human sides. This portrayal easily could have come across as a person with a holier-than-thou attitude, but Kolbe is a human being who seeks to understand his new friends first. At one point, Kolbe is shocked when something unexpected about his circumstance is revealed, but he chooses to do the right thing anyway. A scene between him and Roman Polonski, who plays Albert, shows Kolbe frustrated with being stuck in the bunker. However, Kolbe tells Albert about Christ suffering on the cross. Thus, the movie tells a classic story of good fighting against evil and how good always wins, even when it seems like all is lost.

TRIUMPH OF THE HEART has a strong Christian, biblical worldview. Kolbe references God and the importance of maintaining hope in God during suffering. Kolbe encourages everyone to perform Christian charity, as well. He quotes Scripture in reference to Christ suffering on the Cross when Christ asks God why He has abandoned Him. Also, Kolbe prays during moments of despair and hears his friends’ confessions. In addition, he forgives someone who wronged him, and he asks for forgiveness for his own transgressions. Because of Kolbe’s inspiring words and example, everyone in the bunker becomes friends with him and each other. They encourage and lift each other up.

However, Kolbe and another character sing the Salve Regina, a song that’s a prayer to Mary instead of to Jesus. Also, the Virgin Mary appears several times during the movie. Finally, one scene shows Mary stepping on a snake, which is a reference to the Messianic verse in Genesis 3:15, which says “the seed of the Women,” a reference the Virgin Birth of the Messiah, who is Jesus Christ, will crush the head of Satan. Many Protestants would object to such content, which seems to replace Jesus Christ’s Messianic role as our Lord and Savior, the propitiation for our sins.

That said, despite tragedy and death, good clearly triumphs over evil in TRIUMPH OF THE HEART. In fact, the physical battle between the Polish inmates and the Nazi soldiers contains a symbolic spiritual battle between God and Satan underneath it.

TRIUMPH OF THE HEART also has positive patriotic themes. Several characters sing in Polish. One character stands up for his country, Poland, after another character insults it. Finally, the movie also shows a Polish folk dance.

TRIUMPH OF THE HEART has a few obscenities and profanities, plus strong some bloody violence and intense scenes of confrontation. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older children, including young teenagers, and sensitive adults.