The film takes place in the winter of 1944 in a Nazi occupied concentration camp in Poland. Three survivors- Eli, Yaduik, and Zigney have managed to escape the madness of the concentration camp evacuations and death marches and remain hidden inside their barrack. Too terrified to go outside, the three of them wait for someone or something, to come. The Muselmann is a gritty Holocaust realism depicted through the narrow eyes of two survivors. At it's heart, the film is a horror-scape, a dialog of symbols, images, and emotions that underscore the Holocaust themes of dehumanization, isolation, brutality, and loss of faith. Embodying these qualities is Zigney, a frail remnant of a man, who haunts Eli and Yaduik, and reminds both of their fading humanity and impending fate.—Anonymous
The film takes place in the winter of 1944, in a German Nazi occupied concentration camp in Poland. The weather has left a fresh blanket of pure snow on the ground and a chill in the air. These are the fading days of WWII. The Wehrmacht has been irrevocably cracked and left a reeling German army fleeing west toward the Fatherland; meanwhile the advancing Soviet counterpart gathers force and momentum every day. Three Holocaust survivors Eli, Yaduik, and Zigny, a survivor on the verge of death (a Muselmann) have managed somehow to escape the madness of the concentration camp deportations and death marches and remain hidden inside their barrack. Too terrified to go outside, there the three of them wait for someone or something to come. The Muselmann is a gritty holocaust realism depicted through the narrow eyes of two survivors. At heart, the film is a horror-scape, a dialogue of symbols, images, remembrances and emotions that underscore the Holocausts themes of dehumanization, isolation, and absolute brutality. Embodying all these are the frail remnants of Zigny, silent throughout, that continue to haunt Eli and Yaduik, and remind them both of their fading humanity and their impending fate.
