Overview
A gripping tale of survival and deception unfolds amidst the horrors of war.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- harrowing
- oppressive
- suspenseful
- serious historical viewing
- holocaust remembrance
What critics said
Critics broadly recognized a gripping survival premise and committed performances, while finding the film's treatment of Nazi humanity and historical morality contentious.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Gilles constructs a Persian vocabulary word by word while pretending to possess knowledge that could save or condemn him.
Gilles claims to be Persian rather than Jewish and continually risks exposure within the concentration camp.
Gilles teaches Koch while their unusual relationship unfolds within the SS officer's authority over prisoners.
The invented Persian lessons function as Gilles's bargaining tool and as the basis for Koch's postwar ambition.
Films like Persian Lessons, and why
The Counterfeiters
Holocaust survival drama centered on deception, moral peril, and an improvised identity under Nazi persecution
Son of Saul
World War II historical drama examining survival, complicity, and unstable relationships within Nazi institutions
Life Is Beautiful
Holocaust drama built around an imprisoned protagonist navigating coercion, identity, and fleeting human connection
The Pianist
Historically grounded survival drama about a prisoner using ingenuity and performance to resist a totalitarian system
Movie Details
- Director
- Vadim Perelman
- Release Date
- 2020-04-17
- Runtime
- 127 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (518)
Cast
- Nahuel Pérez Biscayart
- Lars Eidinger
- Jonas Nay
- Leonie Benesch
- Alexander Beyer
- David Schütter
- Luisa-Céline Gaffron
- Andreas Hofer
- Giuseppe Schillaci
- Antonin Chalon
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Cohen Media Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Persian Lessons about?
- A Jewish prisoner invents an entire language to survive a Nazi camp while teaching an SS officer who believes it is Persian.
- What is Persian Lessons like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Persian Lessons as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Persian Lessons violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Persian Lessons as graphic.
- What did critics think of Persian Lessons?
- Critics broadly recognized a gripping survival premise and committed performances, while finding the film's treatment of Nazi humanity and historical morality contentious.
- Which films are like Persian Lessons?
- Films with a similar feel include The Counterfeiters, Son of Saul, Life Is Beautiful, and The Pianist.
- How long is Persian Lessons?
- Persian Lessons runs 127 minutes.
- Where can I watch Persian Lessons?
- In United States, Persian Lessons streams on Cohen Media Amazon Channel.
