Basically “The Song of Names," directed by François Girard (“The Red Violin”), is a different sort of Holocaust film. It poses the question: Why doesn’t a gifted young Polish-Jewish violinist show up for the planned concert showing off his skills in 1951 London?
The screenplay by Jeffrey Caine, based on a novel by music critic Norman Lebrecht, concerns the disappearance by violinist Dovidl Rapoport and the subsequent hunt 35 years later by his childhood friend, Martin (Tim Roth) to find him and express his anger for his leaving Martin’s gentile family in the lurch.
In the back story, Dovidl’s father has sought refuge for him from the war and arranged for him as a violin prodigy to be raised by a gentile family in London and get musical training. When Dovidl is taken in and his expertise developed, he and Martin grow up together practically as brothers. Martin’s father invested heavily in setting up the 1951 concert. There is a mix of anger and curiosity on the part of Martin as to why Dovidl skipped the event and vanished, and therein lies the film’s mystery waiting to be solved.
The film’s complexity weighs it down somewhat, but the acting is effective, and there is a certain amount of suspense as the film moves toward its climax. Music plays a major role, both in the violin soloing and with respect to Dovidl and his family.
Dovidl is played as a youngster by Luke Dolye, then by Jonah Hauer-King and later by Clive Owen. Martin is played at at various ages by Misha Handley, Garran Howell and Roth.
The screenplay provides a rich story encompassing relationships, the need of Polish Jews to find refuge, the quest to give full opportunity to a budding violin virtuoso, and the fate of Jews who could not escape and deserve to be remembered. There is also the issue of a bond of brotherly-like friendship being broken and whether the closeness can be resurrected.
That’s a lot to cover and “The Song of Names” takes us meticulously on that journey. A Sony Pictures Classicas release. Reviewed December 25, 2019.