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The Counterfeiters
2007 Directed by : Stefan Ruzowitzky
The Counterfeiters follows the true story of the largest counterfeiting operation in history, set up by the Nazi's in 1936.
As the war took it's toll on the German economy, the Nazi's in particular the SS decided to set up a counterfeiting operation that would flood the British and US markets with large amounts of counterfeit notes which would in term destabilize their economies.
At the heart of the story is Salomon " Sally " Sorowitsch, a well known counterfeiter and general all round crook as he strives to make the perfect counterfeit pound and dollar in order to save his own life and the lives of many other men working with him in a Nazi concentration camp.
These men are treated well despite being in a concentration camp, they are detached from the other prisoners and live in relative luxury by comparison, but even this causes divides between co-workers in the counterfeiting operation.
Adolf Burger is intent on sabotaging the operation from within, wary that if successful in their quest, the imprisoned Jews will end up aiding Germany's war effort he relentlessly tries to appeal to the selfish Sally to aid him in his sabotage.
At the start of the film, pre-war we see Sally in his element, a nasty loan shark with a taste for the finer things in life, he is a habitual criminal, and makes no apology for his ill gotten gains.
As the film progresses we watch as Sally struggles to survive and keep those around him alive, he is all to aware that he is aiding the Nazi's, but his own personal survival and that of the other counterfeiters is more important that Burger's idealist stance.
The film strives to be different, the main leads Sally ( Karl Markovics ) and Burger ( August Diehl ) are both complex and flawed characters, each man stands by his beliefs no matter what the consequences, it proves to be compelling viewing as this uneasy relationship between the two men appears to be heading towards only one conclusion.
There is able support from Devid Striesow as the SS commander Friedrich Herzog, a man similar to the pre-war Sally in many ways, a man who will stop at nothing in order to get his ways, but unlike many other films in this genre he is a wolf in sheep's clothing rather than being outright diabolical.
The film kept my intrest from start to finish, it can be a little slow at times, and there can be a sense of deja-vu about some of the film, and whilst it's not quite up there with Schindler's List or the Pianist, it's still a very worthwhile effort.
A though provoking film that you definetly have to be i the right frame of mind to watch.
Rating 3.5/5
2007 Directed by : Stefan Ruzowitzky
The Counterfeiters follows the true story of the largest counterfeiting operation in history, set up by the Nazi's in 1936.
As the war took it's toll on the German economy, the Nazi's in particular the SS decided to set up a counterfeiting operation that would flood the British and US markets with large amounts of counterfeit notes which would in term destabilize their economies.
At the heart of the story is Salomon " Sally " Sorowitsch, a well known counterfeiter and general all round crook as he strives to make the perfect counterfeit pound and dollar in order to save his own life and the lives of many other men working with him in a Nazi concentration camp.
These men are treated well despite being in a concentration camp, they are detached from the other prisoners and live in relative luxury by comparison, but even this causes divides between co-workers in the counterfeiting operation.
Adolf Burger is intent on sabotaging the operation from within, wary that if successful in their quest, the imprisoned Jews will end up aiding Germany's war effort he relentlessly tries to appeal to the selfish Sally to aid him in his sabotage.
At the start of the film, pre-war we see Sally in his element, a nasty loan shark with a taste for the finer things in life, he is a habitual criminal, and makes no apology for his ill gotten gains.
As the film progresses we watch as Sally struggles to survive and keep those around him alive, he is all to aware that he is aiding the Nazi's, but his own personal survival and that of the other counterfeiters is more important that Burger's idealist stance.
The film strives to be different, the main leads Sally ( Karl Markovics ) and Burger ( August Diehl ) are both complex and flawed characters, each man stands by his beliefs no matter what the consequences, it proves to be compelling viewing as this uneasy relationship between the two men appears to be heading towards only one conclusion.
There is able support from Devid Striesow as the SS commander Friedrich Herzog, a man similar to the pre-war Sally in many ways, a man who will stop at nothing in order to get his ways, but unlike many other films in this genre he is a wolf in sheep's clothing rather than being outright diabolical.
The film kept my intrest from start to finish, it can be a little slow at times, and there can be a sense of deja-vu about some of the film, and whilst it's not quite up there with Schindler's List or the Pianist, it's still a very worthwhile effort.
A though provoking film that you definetly have to be i the right frame of mind to watch.
Rating 3.5/5