A Compelling True Story

The Counterfeiters - 4/5

You might have thought that there was little new to tell about the concentration camps of Nazi Germany and then along comes a tale, that it weren't true, would probably be labelled unbelievable. The Counterfeiters tells the true story of a Nazi plot to undermine the economies of the allies by flooding them with counterfeit pounds and dollars. A team of Jewish inmates were assembled (a combination of bankers, printers and forgers from across the territories controlled by the Nazis) and set to work on the task.

The film centres on professional forger Salomon Sorowitsch (played by Kark Markovics, pictured) and explores more the dilemmas of the inmates than the brutality of the Nazis. They were a privileged group, aware of the conditions faced by their fellow Jews on the other side of the wall. The central dilemma is how far to compromise in order to survive. Sorowitsch is a pragmatic survivor, doing what he must in order to stay alive and keep his friends alive. He is contrasted with the idealistic Burger (August Diehl) trying to sabotage things in order to hold up the Nazi war effort. It is the tension, and friendship, between these two that provides the main driving force for the film. On the Nazi side, the brutality of one officer is contrasted with the commander Herzog (Devid Striesow) who is just as much of a pragmatist and survivor as Sorowitsch, but does this make his actions any more excusable than the brutal Nazis that serve under him?

There are some incredibly poignant moments, not least of which is the moment after the Nezis leave and these privileged few are brought face to face with those who haver suffered the full brunt of the camps and the full range of emotions experienced. If the horror of the camps in slightly underplayed compared to other films, then that is the experience of these men and it uses the audience's existing knowledge to highlight the impossible situation they were placed in. Were they heroes or collaborators or just men trying to find their way through impossible choices. There are no easy answers.

The film is anchored by two outstanding performance by Diehl and especially from Markovics who conveys and a mix of melancholy, defiance and despondancy as he tries to cling on to his humanity.

Its a compelling story and moving, thought-provoking film. Well worth checking out.