AllMovie

Le Temps du Ghetto is an excellent and compelling film about the Warsaw Ghetto, put together from archival footage. The tragic story is covered in chronological sequence and begins when the Jews are rounded up and herded into the ghetto area. It continues with clips that show how the leaders of the ghetto were strong-armed into believing that they could save their compatriots by following a modified fascist coda. In fact, no matter what the leaders did, good or bad, the entire community was doomed from the very beginning. Their worsening human condition is heartbreaking as they head into rebellion -- and the emptying of the ghetto. This was the first documentary made by director Frederic Roussif whose focus was to remain primarily in that genre.