Narrative Structure: How the Plot Unfolds
The action of George Stevens’ The Diary of Anne Frank spans two years, from July 1942 to July 1944, during which Anne Frank (Millie Perkins) chronicles the restrictions placed upon Jews that drove the Franks into hiding over a spice factory.
Sharing the Franks’ hiding place are the Van Daans (Lou Jacobi and Shelley Winters) and their teenage son, Peter (Richard Beymer).
Kraler, who works in the office below, and Miep, his assistant, have arranged the hideaway and warn the families that they must maintain strict silence during daylight hours while the workers are there.
On the first day, the minutes drag by in silence. After work, Kraler delivers food and a box for Anne, which contains beloved photos of movie stars and a blank diary. In the diary’s first pages, she describes the oppressive strangeness of not being able to go outside, or breathe fresh air.
As the months pass, Anne’s renewed energy is manifest in her interactions with with Peter, whose only attachment is to his cat, Moushie. Isolated from the world outside, Otto schools Anne and her sister, Margot (Diane Baker), as the sounds of sirens and bombers frequently fill the air.
Mrs. Van Daan passes the time by recounting fond memories of her youth and stroking her one remaining possession, the fur coat given to her by her father. The strain of confinement causes the Van Daans to argue and pits the strong-willed Anne against her mother, Edith Frank (Gusti Huber).
One day, Kraler brings a radio to the attic, providing the families with ears onto the world. Soon after, he asks them to take in another person, a Jewish dentist named Albert Dussell (Ed Wynn). When Van Daan complains that the addition will diminish their food supply, Dussell recounts the dire conditions outside, in which Jews are shipped to concentration camps. When Dussell confirms the disappearance of friends, the families’ hopes are dimmed. Anne, dreaming of seeing a friends in a concentration camp, wakes up screaming.
In October 1942, news comes of the Allied landing in Africa but the bombing of Amsterdam intensifies, fraying the refugees’ already ragged nerves.
During Hanukkah, Margot longingly recalls past celebrations and Anne produces little presents for everyone. When Van Daan abruptly announces that Peter must get rid of Moushie because he consumes too much food, Anne protests. Their argument is cut short when they hear a prowler break in the front door. The startled thief grabs a typewriter and flees.
A watchman notices the break-in and summons two police officers, who search the premises, shining their flashlights onto the bookcase that conceals the attic entrance. The families wait in terror until Moushie knocks a plate from the table and mews, reassuring the officers that the noise was caused by a cat. After they leave, Otto, hoping to foster faith and courage, leads everyone in a Hanukkah song.
In January 1944, Anne begins to attract Peter’s attention. When Miep brings the group a cake, Dussell and Van Daan bicker over the size of their portions and Van Daan asks Miep to sell Petronella’s fur coat so that he can buy cigarettes. After Kraler warns that one of his employees asked for a raise and implied that something strange is going on in the attic, Dussell says that it is just a matter of time before they are discovered. Anne, distraught, blames the adults for the war which has destroyed hope and ideals. When she storms out of the room, Peter follows and comforts her. Later, Anne confides her dreams of becoming a writer and Peter voices frustration about his inability to join the war effort.
In April 1944, the Franks watch helplessly as more Jews are marched through the streets. Tensions mount, and when Van Daan tries to steal some bread from the others, Edith denounces him and orders him to leave. As Dussell and Van Daan quarrel over food, the radio announces the Normandy invasion and Van Daan breaks into tears of shame. Heartened by the news, everyone apologizes for their harsh words, and Anne dreams of being back in school.
By July 1944, the invasion has bogged down and Kraler is hospitalized with ulcers. Upon hearing that the police have found the stolen typewriter, Anne writes that her diary provides her with a way to go on living after her death. After the Van Daans begin to quarrel once more, Peter declares that he cannot tolerate the situation and Anne soothes him by reminding him of the goodness of those who have helped them. Their conversation is interrupted by the sirens of an approaching police truck. As Anne and Peter bravely stand arm in arm, certain of their impending arrest, they passionately kiss. After a brief moment of bliss, reality sinks and the German police break down the entrance to the hideout.
