list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around The Counterfeiters on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/The_Counterfeiters/324295/default.aspx Title: The Counterfeiters
Year: 2008
Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky
Plot: Writer/director Stefan Ruzowitzky explores the moral corrosion of Nazi complicity with this tightly wound adaptation of Adolph Burger's fact-based book The Devil's Workship. Solomon Sorowitsch (Karl Markovics may be a talented artist at heart, but his desire for wealth has driven him to use his creativity for more nefarious means. Arrested by the police inspector Herzog (David Striesow) at the onset of World War II, Sorowitsch is sent to the notorious Mauthausen concentration camp. It's not long before Solomon's thinly veiled opportunism earns him a relatively comfortable position as the camp's resident sketch artist, and five years later he is mysteriously swept away to Sachsenhausen. Upon arriving at the camp Sorowitsch discovers that Herzog, now a commandant, is attempting to destabilize the economies of the Allies while simultaneously fund the Nazi war machine by assembling a special team of counterfeit artists to create millions in fraudulent pounds and dollars. As the operation gets underway, Sorowitsch finds the efforts of the team continually undermined by unyieldingly idealistic collotype specialist Adolph Burger (August Diehl). In the months that counterfeiters the team wrestles with their consciences as Axis forces are gradually overwhelmed by Allied might. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 11
Number of Lists: 15
Number of blog posts: 10
Number of discussion threads: 5
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:53:16 GMTThe Counterfeiters2008Stefan RuzowitzkyWriter/director Stefan Ruzowitzky explores the moral corrosion of Nazi complicity with this tightly wound adaptation of Adolph Burger's fact-based book The Devil's Workship. Solomon Sorowitsch (Karl Markovics may be a talented artist at heart, but his desire for wealth has driven him to use his creativity for more nefarious means. Arrested by the police inspector Herzog (David Striesow) at the onset of World War II, Sorowitsch is sent to the notorious Mauthausen concentration camp. It's not long before Solomon's thinly veiled opportunism earns him a relatively comfortable position as the camp's resident sketch artist, and five years later he is mysteriously swept away to Sachsenhausen. Upon arriving at the camp Sorowitsch discovers that Herzog, now a commandant, is attempting to destabilize the economies of the Allies while simultaneously fund the Nazi war machine by assembling a special team of counterfeit artists to create millions in fraudulent pounds and dollars. As the operation gets underway, Sorowitsch finds the efforts of the team continually undermined by unyieldingly idealistic collotype specialist Adolph Burger (August Diehl). In the months that counterfeiters the team wrestles with their consciences as Axis forces are gradually overwhelmed by Allied might. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide11Tag Target (>10)151053http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s324295.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/The_Counterfeiters/324295/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/jimbell/archive/2009/4/24/41720.aspx Post By: JimBell
Post To: JimBell Blog
Post Date: 4/24/2009 3:53:16 AM
Body: The Counterfeiters (2007) deserves its numerous award nominations. Importantly, it convinces you that you are getting the truth about this slice of World War II, almost like watching a documentary. To follow the fortunes of Jewish prisoners favoured to counterfeit pound and dollar notes, you have to spend two hours in Nazi Germany’s concentration camps. Although I’ve spent enough time under the thumb of Nazis, I was nonetheless glued to the story because it raised repeatedly the question of what I’d do in the same situation: Should I counterfeit and help the Nazi cause, or should I resist and almost certainly be killed for the cause? Amid the excellent cinematography, fine acting, historical credibility, and fine sound track lies one problem: The main character, the master forger, is inscrutable. This makes it almost impossible to figure out what he is thinking in the last half of the film. I asked out loud, “Does he have some master plan that we’re not being let in on?” Wait and see.
]]>Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:53:16 GMTJimBellJimBell Blog4/24/2009 3:53:16 AMThe Counterfeiters (2007) deserves its numerous award nominations. Importantly, it convinces you that you are getting the truth about this slice of World War II, almost like watching a documentary. To follow the fortunes of Jewish prisoners favoured to counterfeit pound and dollar notes, you have to spend two hours in Nazi Germany’s concentration camps. Although I’ve spent enough time under the thumb of Nazis, I was nonetheless glued to the story because it raised repeatedly the question of what I’d do in the same situation: Should I counterfeit and help the Nazi cause, or should I resist and almost certainly be killed for the cause? Amid the excellent cinematography, fine acting, historical credibility, and fine sound track lies one problem: The main character, the master forger, is inscrutable. This makes it almost impossible to figure out what he is thinking in the last half of the film. I asked out loud, “Does he have some master plan that we’re not being let in on?” Wait and see. http://www.spout.com/blogs/windbreaker/archive/2009/4/11/41557.aspx Post By: Windbreaker
Post To: Windbreaker!
Post Date: 4/11/2009 11:06:39 AM
Body: I think it was AICN's weekly DVD column that brought COUNTERFEITERS to my attention. It's not at all what I thought -- it's the truthy story of Nazi Germany using skilled prisoners to develop counterfeit currency. It's really a war flick led by some really strong characters. Recommended, but maybe not for the squemish due to some brutal scenes.
]]>Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:06:39 GMTWindbreakerWindbreaker!4/11/2009 11:06:39 AMI think it was AICN's weekly DVD column that brought COUNTERFEITERS to my attention. It's not at all what I thought -- it's the truthy story of Nazi Germany using skilled prisoners to develop counterfeit currency. It's really a war flick led by some really strong characters. Recommended, but maybe not for the squemish due to some brutal scenes. http://www.spout.com/blogs/ibetolis/archive/2009/1/10/39349.aspx Post By: Ibetolis
Post To: Film for the Soul
Post Date: 1/10/2009 6:01:39 PM
Body: (Stefan Ruzowitzky, 2007)Winner of the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar at the Academy Awards in 2008, The Counterfeiters fictionalises a top secret clandestine Nazi operation, codename Bernhard, during the second world war. In bringing together a band of skilled concentration camp inmates, including the films focus, master forger Sally Sorowitsch (Karl Markovics), the Nazi's attempted the biggest counterfeit operation in history. Adapted from the memoirs of Adolph Burger; a former Jewish book printer who was put to work on the actual Operation Bernhard and whose fictionalised character appears in the film, The Counterfeiters attempts to ask questions of collusion and survival and the moral implications of propping up an enemy's war effort in a bid to save ones neck, without ever answering them.It's of no surprise to this reviewer that The Counterfeiters should be the winner of the Oscar; not to mention that a modern masterpiece, such as 4 months, 3 weeks & 2 days, wasn't even nominated, seeing how it's constructed and deliberately designed to court these sort of awards. In vogue of that trend we see almost too often, the euro-light flick, the one with arthouse pretensions but with mainstream goals, smoothed around the edges but not entirely sand papered down; the perfect alignment between mass appeal and artistic integrity, The Counterfeiters is the sort of film that ticks all the right boxes for the Academy.We open with our hero or, in line with the trend, the anti-hero, sitting, alone on a beach, a scrunched newspaper lays next to him declaring 'The War is Over'; it's as subtle as this film will ever get, before an extended flashback takes up to pre-war Berlin in 1936. Here we see the origins of Sally Sorowitsch, a Russian Jew, laying claim to being the best forger, possibly, in the world, dripping in self satisfaction and drinking expensive champagne, in what appears to be the Kit-Kat Klub, hoisted from Cabaret, within hours his world will come crashing down as he's arrested by the German fraud squad, headed by Police Commander Herzog (Devid Striesow), an initial meeting in what becomes the film's central pairing, a battle of wits and a collusion of spirits, mentality and will.Until the end of the war Sally remains imprisoned, first in Mauthausen, where he learns that extreme flattery earns extra perks, his sketches of his jailers brings rewards of extra food, and then at Sachsenshausen, where he's given a comfy bed, food and privileges with other inmates, all skilled and ready to be exploited by their Nazi jailers. Hand-picked, the inmates set about constructing the largest counterfeit operation ever in existence, forging British currency, and later an attempt at the US dollar, in an effort to flood and destabilise their enemies economic structure.Basking in a world of false hope, shame and guilt the inmates set about their task with a heavy heart and with an innate will to survive. Sally, grounded in the world of the 'criminal', adapts to this environment better than his fellow counterfeiters, his ability to duck and dive, as well as his natural counterfeiter skills, mark him out as a natural leader. Karl Markovics' portrayal of Sally is one of the films major highlights, it's a caricature for sure but with Markovics at the helm, his stature and ability gives the role extra depth and panache to a character that could easily have been a one-dimensional display of a 'crim with a heart'.My overwhelming problem with The Counterfeiters is how calculated it all feels, how convenient the characters fall in to specific roles of morality and ethics; the role of Berger (August Diehl) especially feels too lofty and moulded, guided by a writer's pen. As this is a story based on some pretty horrific true events this just leaves a bitter taste in my mouth; as if this is beyond the pale in some respect but to be honest I've not questioned the moral implications of this issue, it just seems, on the surface anyway, untoward and somehow, ultimately, lacking respect.So when the director, Stefan Ruzowitzky, asks us to judge Sally, or at least to ask questions of collusion, it all seems rather false; believing, for instance, that these people actually had a say in the matter seems preposterous. The lack of any narrative tension to hook this flimsy basis on makes it all the more difficult to care; it's left to the actual weight of history itself to move the audience. So for all it's tough questioning, ethical dilemmas and barraging, it never really goes anywhere, there's a hollowness at the core of The Counterfeiters that doesn't go any deeper than the images on the screen.So overall, it's left me with a feeling of, well, nothing. Originally posted on:Film for the Soul
]]>Sat, 10 Jan 2009 23:01:39 GMTIbetolisFilm for the Soul1/10/2009 6:01:39 PM(Stefan Ruzowitzky, 2007)Winner of the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar at the Academy Awards in 2008, The Counterfeiters fictionalises a top secret clandestine Nazi operation, codename Bernhard, during the second world war. In bringing together a band of skilled concentration camp inmates, including the films focus, master forger Sally Sorowitsch (Karl Markovics), the Nazi's attempted the biggest counterfeit operation in history. Adapted from the memoirs of Adolph Burger; a former Jewish book printer who was put to work on the actual Operation Bernhard and whose fictionalised character appears in the film, The Counterfeiters attempts to ask questions of collusion and survival and the moral implications of propping up an enemy's war effort in a bid to save ones neck, without ever answering them.It's of no surprise to this reviewer that The Counterfeiters should be the winner of the Oscar; not to mention that a modern masterpiece, such as 4 months, 3 weeks & 2 days, wasn't even nominated, seeing how it's constructed and deliberately designed to court these sort of awards. In vogue of that trend we see almost too often, the euro-light flick, the one with arthouse pretensions but with mainstream goals, smoothed around the edges but not entirely sand papered down; the perfect alignment between mass appeal and artistic integrity, The Counterfeiters is the sort of film that ticks all the right boxes for the Academy.We open with our hero or, in line with the trend, the anti-hero, sitting, alone on a beach, a scrunched newspaper lays next to him declaring 'The War is Over'; it's as subtle as this film will ever get, before an extended flashback takes up to pre-war Berlin in 1936. Here we see the origins of Sally Sorowitsch, a Russian Jew, laying claim to being the best forger, possibly, in the world, dripping in self satisfaction and drinking expensive champagne, in what appears to be the Kit-Kat Klub, hoisted from Cabaret, within hours his world will come crashing down as he's arrested by the German fraud squad, headed by Police Commander Herzog (Devid Striesow), an initial meeting in what becomes the film's central pairing, a battle of wits and a collusion of spirits, mentality and will.Until the end of the war Sally remains imprisoned, first in Mauthausen, where he learns that extreme flattery earns extra perks, his sketches of his jailers brings rewards of extra food, and then at Sachsenshausen, where he's given a comfy bed, food and privileges with other inmates, all skilled and ready to be exploited by their Nazi jailers. Hand-picked, the inmates set about constructing the largest counterfeit operation ever in existence, forging British currency, and later an attempt at the US dollar, in an effort to flood and destabilise their enemies economic structure.Basking in a world of false hope, shame and guilt the inmates set about their task with a heavy heart and with an innate will to survive. Sally, grounded in the world of the 'criminal', adapts to this environment better than his fellow counterfeiters, his ability to duck and dive, as well as his natural counterfeiter skills, mark him out as a natural leader. Karl Markovics' portrayal of Sally is one of the films major highlights, it's a caricature for sure but with Markovics at the helm, his stature and ability gives the role extra depth and panache to a character that could easily have been a one-dimensional display of a 'crim with a heart'.My overwhelming problem with The Counterfeiters is how calculated it all feels, how convenient the characters fall in to specific roles of morality and ethics; the role of Berger (August Diehl) especially feels too lofty and moulded, guided by a writer's pen. As this is a story based on some pretty horrific true events this just leaves a bitter taste in my mouth; as if this is beyond the pale in some respect but to be honest I've not questioned the moral implications of this issue, it just seems, on the surface anyway, untoward and somehow, ultimately, lacking respect.So when the director, Stefan Ruzowitzky, asks us to judge Sally, or at least to ask questions of collusion, it all seems rather false; believing, for instance, that these people actually had a say in the matter seems preposterous. The lack of any narrative tension to hook this flimsy basis on makes it all the more difficult to care; it's left to the actual weight of history itself to move the audience. So for all it's tough questioning, ethical dilemmas and barraging, it never really goes anywhere, there's a hollowness at the core of The Counterfeiters that doesn't go any deeper than the images on the screen.So overall, it's left me with a feeling of, well, nothing. Originally posted on:Film for the Soul http://www.spout.com/groups/FilmCouch/FC_102_Listeners_Top_5_Analysis/302/39107/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mciocco
Post To: FilmCouch
Post Date: 1/5/2009 2:34:25 PM
Body: At the end of FC #102, you requested that listeners send you their top 5 and then you'd attempt to figure out their biography from said list. That sounds like fun! So here's my tentative list (still want to see a few before finalizing my top 10, but I think I have the top 4 at least ironed out) in roughly descending order (starting with the best): 1.The Dark Knight 2.The Counterfeiters 3. Timecrimes 4. Let the Right One In 5.The Bank Job (after #4, things sort of even out for me, so #5 could probably be interchanged with my next several films - I chose The Bank Job for this list because I'm probably the only one in the world that would put it in a top 10 list, so I figured it would be more interesting to include it here, even though I suspect that it will eventually be a bit lower on the top 10 when I get around to compiling it. Also, I tried to go by when the movie was released in the US, so a movie like The Counterfeiters still counts as 2008, even though it won the 2007 oscar). The biggest movie I still want to see before finalizing my list would be The Wrestler, which I plan on seeing this weekend. So there. I'm not sure what kind of biographical info you can glean from that, but I'm interested to see what you come up with:) FYI, if you want to cheat a bit and see what other movies I liked from last year, I did create this list on spout
]]>Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:34:25 GMTmcioccoFilmCouch1/5/2009 2:34:25 PMAt the end of FC #102, you requested that listeners send you their top 5 and then you'd attempt to figure out their biography from said list. That sounds like fun! So here's my tentative list (still want to see a few before finalizing my top 10, but I think I have the top 4 at least ironed out) in roughly descending order (starting with the best): 1.The Dark Knight 2.The Counterfeiters 3. Timecrimes 4. Let the Right One In 5.The Bank Job (after #4, things sort of even out for me, so #5 could probably be interchanged with my next several films - I chose The Bank Job for this list because I'm probably the only one in the world that would put it in a top 10 list, so I figured it would be more interesting to include it here, even though I suspect that it will eventually be a bit lower on the top 10 when I get around to compiling it. Also, I tried to go by when the movie was released in the US, so a movie like The Counterfeiters still counts as 2008, even though it won the 2007 oscar). The biggest movie I still want to see before finalizing my list would be The Wrestler, which I plan on seeing this weekend. So there. I'm not sure what kind of biographical info you can glean from that, but I'm interested to see what you come up with:) FYI, if you want to cheat a bit and see what other movies I liked from last year, I did create this list on spout http://www.spout.com/groups/Friends_of_Foreign_Flicks/Re_The_Counterfeiters/591/38336/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Molly_Firegiver
Post To: Friends of Foreign Flicks
Post Date: 12/12/2008 7:19:21 PM
Body: [quote user="leeroy711"] The Counterfeiters (2007) So, I finally watched this one and although I thought it was pretty good, I was surprisingly underwhelmed. What do you guys think? Anybody else see it? I kind of had a hard time believing that this won the Oscar for best foreign language film. Most of it was shot in a hand-held digital camera, which allready turns me off but I don't know. I liked the fact that the main character was sort of an anti-hero but overall it just didn't really move me. I think I may have just scene a few too many Nazi concentration camp movies. [/quote] The Counterfeiters (2007) I saw this movie a couple of months back. I really enjoyed this movie. I thought it was different from most of the concentration movies I have seen because it didn't really show the horror but rather how well these guys had it. I couldn't help but like the anti-hero. From the beginning we knew that he was not the role model for morals. But he did what was right in the end.
]]>Sat, 13 Dec 2008 00:19:21 GMTMolly_FiregiverFriends of Foreign Flicks12/12/2008 7:19:21 PM[quote user="leeroy711"] The Counterfeiters (2007) So, I finally watched this one and although I thought it was pretty good, I was surprisingly underwhelmed. What do you guys think? Anybody else see it? I kind of had a hard time believing that this won the Oscar for best foreign language film. Most of it was shot in a hand-held digital camera, which allready turns me off but I don't know. I liked the fact that the main character was sort of an anti-hero but overall it just didn't really move me. I think I may have just scene a few too many Nazi concentration camp movies. [/quote] The Counterfeiters (2007) I saw this movie a couple of months back. I really enjoyed this movie. I thought it was different from most of the concentration movies I have seen because it didn't really show the horror but rather how well these guys had it. I couldn't help but like the anti-hero. From the beginning we knew that he was not the role model for morals. But he did what was right in the end. http://www.spout.com/groups/Community_Recommendations/Re_Collaboration_Best_Films_of_2008/643/38281/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mciocco
Post To: Community Recommendations
Post Date: 12/11/2008 9:43:37 PM
Body: A couple years ago, I started putting together top 10 lists. I had no problem in 2006... indeed, several of my honorable mentions could easily have made the list. 2007 was more difficult, but there were some great late year entries and discoveries that made the list easier. 2008 has been difficult so far, but I'm still holding out hope. I only have two definites for this year's list: The Dark Knight Timecrimes As far as some other films I enjoyed and am considering for the list: Forgetting Sarah Marshall The Bank Job Teeth Burn After Reading Let the Right One In And some movies I want to see before finalizing my list: The Counterfeiters Slumdog Millionaire Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Doubt The Brothers Bloom Kung-Fu Panda (got the DVD this week!) Frost/Nixon Man on Wire The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Wrestler And probably 15 others:p I think I'll be able to put together 10 that I consider worthy... ~Mark
]]>Fri, 12 Dec 2008 02:43:37 GMTmcioccoCommunity Recommendations12/11/2008 9:43:37 PMA couple years ago, I started putting together top 10 lists. I had no problem in 2006... indeed, several of my honorable mentions could easily have made the list. 2007 was more difficult, but there were some great late year entries and discoveries that made the list easier. 2008 has been difficult so far, but I'm still holding out hope. I only have two definites for this year's list: The Dark Knight Timecrimes As far as some other films I enjoyed and am considering for the list: Forgetting Sarah Marshall The Bank Job Teeth Burn After Reading Let the Right One In And some movies I want to see before finalizing my list: The Counterfeiters Slumdog Millionaire Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Doubt The Brothers Bloom Kung-Fu Panda (got the DVD this week!) Frost/Nixon Man on Wire The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Wrestler And probably 15 others:p I think I'll be able to put together 10 that I consider worthy... ~Mark http://www.spout.com/groups/Friends_of_Foreign_Flicks/The_Counterfeiters/591/36970/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: Friends of Foreign Flicks
Post Date: 11/4/2008 5:01:37 PM
Body: The Counterfeiters (2007) So, I finally watched this one and although I thought it was pretty good, I was surprisingly underwhelmed. What do you guys think? Anybody else see it? I kind of had a hard time believing that this won the Oscar for best foreign language film. Most of it was shot in a hand-held digital camera, which allready turns me off but I don't know. I liked the fact that the main character was sort of an anti-hero but overall it just didn't really move me. I think I may have just scene a few too many Nazi concentration camp movies.
]]>Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:01:37 GMTleeroy711Friends of Foreign Flicks11/4/2008 5:01:37 PMThe Counterfeiters (2007) So, I finally watched this one and although I thought it was pretty good, I was surprisingly underwhelmed. What do you guys think? Anybody else see it? I kind of had a hard time believing that this won the Oscar for best foreign language film. Most of it was shot in a hand-held digital camera, which allready turns me off but I don't know. I liked the fact that the main character was sort of an anti-hero but overall it just didn't really move me. I think I may have just scene a few too many Nazi concentration camp movies. http://www.spout.com/blogs/warmovieblog/archive/2008/8/29/34519.aspx Post By: WarMovieBlog
Post To: WarMovieBlog Blog
Post Date: 8/29/2008 9:01:37 AM
Body: The Counterfeiters / Die Fälscher (2007) IMDB The Counterfeiters (or Die Fälscher as its known in its native Deutschland) is a sad, sad, depressing, and somber look at the Nazi's effort to undermine the economies of its enemies during the war by dumping millions in counterfeit notes into their systems.Unfortunately they utilized Jewish prisoners who possessed specific skills for their nefarious deeds. The story is told from the point of view of one of them, Salomon Sorowitch (Karl Markovics), who was a gangster and counterfeiter in his former life. Just the kind of man they need. Early on, he's betrayed, arrested and thrown into prison by Friedrich Herzog. Herzog will later re-appear as the leader of this "project." The movie, though, is about one thing. Survival. Sorowitsch and his counterparts are torn between helping the Nazis in the war effort and simply staying alive. Dealing with the guilt of having it relatively well, with proper beds, and food, while their Jewish compatriots are tortured and murdered. Only one of them has any designs on sabotaging the operation, and nearly finds himself on the wrong side of his comrades.Interestingly, Herzog's character finds himself in much the same predicament. Unlike your typical Nazi thug, he is simply doing what he must to survive as well. By fulfilling his duty and performing his job in order to keep himself and his family safe. He actually employs Sorowitsch at one point to create a set of Swiss passports to get his family out of the Nazi regime. While I was surprised to find such a compassionate (for lack of a better word) portrayal of a Nazi officer, especially in a German-borne film, it does make the film a great deal thicker. Is there any difference between Sorowitsch and Herzog? Which one of them is "the bad guy" here? You'll have to figure that out for yourself.Unfortunately the film just seems to really lack any personality. Other that being consistently dark and gloomy and depressing. Sorowitsch never seems to be anything but sullen, even in the "before" and "after" scenes, he doesn't seem to portray much emotion at all. On purpose? Hard to say, but he could have been a bit more, well, something.The horrors of the camps are only touched upon here and there, and that is probably for the best as far as this movie is concerned. To do otherwise would have shifted the focus away from the counterfeiting operation and the struggles within, and would have made for a much more confusing picture.Did I like it? It was interesting throughout, although I can't say it was particularly "enjoyable", and that's how it should be. Parts were downright uncomfortable, but not enough to completely ruin it.The Counterfeiters provides a semi-historical look into an oft overlooked aspect of the war, and does so with enough grit and realism to make it believable, but just seems lacking in a few respects, while excelling in others. I really did like it, as a movie, but I'm not sure I'd watch it again any time soon. The Counterfeiters / Die Fälscher (2007) on Spout.com Originally posted on:War Movie Reviews and News
]]>Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:01:37 GMTWarMovieBlogWarMovieBlog Blog8/29/2008 9:01:37 AMThe Counterfeiters / Die Fälscher (2007) IMDB The Counterfeiters (or Die Fälscher as its known in its native Deutschland) is a sad, sad, depressing, and somber look at the Nazi's effort to undermine the economies of its enemies during the war by dumping millions in counterfeit notes into their systems.Unfortunately they utilized Jewish prisoners who possessed specific skills for their nefarious deeds. The story is told from the point of view of one of them, Salomon Sorowitch (Karl Markovics), who was a gangster and counterfeiter in his former life. Just the kind of man they need. Early on, he's betrayed, arrested and thrown into prison by Friedrich Herzog. Herzog will later re-appear as the leader of this "project." The movie, though, is about one thing. Survival. Sorowitsch and his counterparts are torn between helping the Nazis in the war effort and simply staying alive. Dealing with the guilt of having it relatively well, with proper beds, and food, while their Jewish compatriots are tortured and murdered. Only one of them has any designs on sabotaging the operation, and nearly finds himself on the wrong side of his comrades.Interestingly, Herzog's character finds himself in much the same predicament. Unlike your typical Nazi thug, he is simply doing what he must to survive as well. By fulfilling his duty and performing his job in order to keep himself and his family safe. He actually employs Sorowitsch at one point to create a set of Swiss passports to get his family out of the Nazi regime. While I was surprised to find such a compassionate (for lack of a better word) portrayal of a Nazi officer, especially in a German-borne film, it does make the film a great deal thicker. Is there any difference between Sorowitsch and Herzog? Which one of them is "the bad guy" here? You'll have to figure that out for yourself.Unfortunately the film just seems to really lack any personality. Other that being consistently dark and gloomy and depressing. Sorowitsch never seems to be anything but sullen, even in the "before" and "after" scenes, he doesn't seem to portray much emotion at all. On purpose? Hard to say, but he could have been a bit more, well, something.The horrors of the camps are only touched upon here and there, and that is probably for the best as far as this movie is concerned. To do otherwise would have shifted the focus away from the counterfeiting operation and the struggles within, and would have made for a much more confusing picture.Did I like it? It was interesting throughout, although I can't say it was particularly "enjoyable", and that's how it should be. Parts were downright uncomfortable, but not enough to completely ruin it.The Counterfeiters provides a semi-historical look into an oft overlooked aspect of the war, and does so with enough grit and realism to make it believable, but just seems lacking in a few respects, while excelling in others. I really did like it, as a movie, but I'm not sure I'd watch it again any time soon. The Counterfeiters / Die Fälscher (2007) on Spout.com Originally posted on:War Movie Reviews and News http://www.spout.com/blogs/pal/archive/2008/3/11/26089.aspx Post By: PaL
Post To: PaL Blog
Post Date: 3/11/2008 2:43:48 PM
Body: I have another movie to recommend--this one in current theatrical release: The Counterfeiters. Set in the German concentration camps during World War II, the based-on-fact story concerns the Nazis' attempt to scuttle the Allies' economic standing by flooding the global economy with counterfeit pounds sterling and American dollars. To that end, they assembled a team of the most skillful Jewish artisans and put them to work in a privileged quarter of the Sachsenhausen camp, under the leadership of one Salomon Sorowitsch (Sally), portrayed here with intense conviction by Karl Markovics.Under the constant threat of death and at the dubious mercy of their Nazi overseers, they managed to produce several denominations of English banknotes that were declared genuine even by experts at the Bank of England. Put back to work on the production of the American dollar, the team's efforts were delayed by a single recalcitrant fellow-prisoner whose conscience balked at the idea that their work risked helping the Germans win the war. As the war's end approached, the threat became more imminent: produce, or die. One of the many great, irresolvable moral questions at the heart of the movie was whether to betray one of their own--whose choice was inarguably the right one, from the idealistic point of view--and save themselves; or whether to tacitly go along with his sabotage at the certain cost of their own lives.What gives the movie its edge, I think, is the constant imminence of death. The barbarous brutality of the German guards and their bland, unquestioning assumption that their charges are subhuman, scheming Jews unworthy of anything but contempt reinforces this sense of imminence: as we see at several dreadful moments in the course of the film, it means nothing to their keepers to exterminate those they consider to be vermin. Knowing this, the Jews are forced into cowering servility, simply to stay alive. As viewers, we cringe for them and are sickened by the treatment they receive.
]]>Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:43:48 GMTPaLPaL Blog3/11/2008 2:43:48 PMI have another movie to recommend--this one in current theatrical release: The Counterfeiters. Set in the German concentration camps during World War II, the based-on-fact story concerns the Nazis' attempt to scuttle the Allies' economic standing by flooding the global economy with counterfeit pounds sterling and American dollars. To that end, they assembled a team of the most skillful Jewish artisans and put them to work in a privileged quarter of the Sachsenhausen camp, under the leadership of one Salomon Sorowitsch (Sally), portrayed here with intense conviction by Karl Markovics.Under the constant threat of death and at the dubious mercy of their Nazi overseers, they managed to produce several denominations of English banknotes that were declared genuine even by experts at the Bank of England. Put back to work on the production of the American dollar, the team's efforts were delayed by a single recalcitrant fellow-prisoner whose conscience balked at the idea that their work risked helping the Germans win the war. As the war's end approached, the threat became more imminent: produce, or die. One of the many great, irresolvable moral questions at the heart of the movie was whether to betray one of their own--whose choice was inarguably the right one, from the idealistic point of view--and save themselves; or whether to tacitly go along with his sabotage at the certain cost of their own lives.What gives the movie its edge, I think, is the constant imminence of death. The barbarous brutality of the German guards and their bland, unquestioning assumption that their charges are subhuman, scheming Jews unworthy of anything but contempt reinforces this sense of imminence: as we see at several dreadful moments in the course of the film, it means nothing to their keepers to exterminate those they consider to be vermin. Knowing this, the Jews are forced into cowering servility, simply to stay alive. As viewers, we cringe for them and are sickened by the treatment they receive. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/2/27/25649.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 2/27/2008 3:00:57 PM
Body: Stefan Ruzowitzky won the Best Foreign Film Oscar for his movie The Counterfeiters, a WWII narrative based on true events around an enormous Nazi counterfeiting scheme. It’s been quite common to see movies based on the holocaust taking home Oscars (Nazis are a modern archetype making for great good versus evil showdowns). But what you don’t often see is an Austrian filmmaker making a movie for an apparently large audience that still refuses to believe Nazis were the BAD GUYS. I revived an interview I did in Telluride with Ruzowitzky an hour before he premiered The Counterfeiters. He talks about why he made the movie and his desire to beat up old people after the jump… (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 27 Feb 2008 20:00:57 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com2/27/2008 3:00:57 PM Stefan Ruzowitzky won the Best Foreign Film Oscar for his movie The Counterfeiters, a WWII narrative based on true events around an enormous Nazi counterfeiting scheme. It’s been quite common to see movies based on the holocaust taking home Oscars (Nazis are a modern archetype making for great good versus evil showdowns). But what you don’t often see is an Austrian filmmaker making a movie for an apparently large audience that still refuses to believe Nazis were the BAD GUYS. I revived an interview I did in Telluride with Ruzowitzky an hour before he premiered The Counterfeiters. He talks about why he made the movie and his desire to beat up old people after the jump… (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/war/MemberTagFilms.aspxwar
Number of films tagged: 6177

Number of people who tagged: 180

Number of times used: 608

]]>Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:16:35 GMT6177180608Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/crime/MemberTagFilms.aspxcrime
Number of films tagged: 401

Number of people who tagged: 70

Number of times used: 303

]]>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:51:32 GMT40170303Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/money/MemberTagFilms.aspxmoney
Number of films tagged: 508

Number of people who tagged: 46

Number of times used: 145

]]>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:03:25 GMT50846145Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/WWII/MemberTagFilms.aspxWWII
Number of films tagged: 58

Number of people who tagged: 41

Number of times used: 75

]]>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:49:02 GMT584175Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/nazi/MemberTagFilms.aspxnazi
Number of films tagged: 428

Number of people who tagged: 36

Number of times used: 67

]]>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:50:17 GMT4283667Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/holocaust/MemberTagFilms.aspxholocaust
Number of films tagged: 363

Number of people who tagged: 27

Number of times used: 42

]]>Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:07:18 GMT3632742Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Jews/MemberTagFilms.aspxJews
Number of films tagged: 13

Number of people who tagged: 12

Number of times used: 15

]]>Tue, 28 Apr 2009 23:45:50 GMT131215Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/forgery/MemberTagFilms.aspxforgery
Number of films tagged: 92

Number of people who tagged: 8

Number of times used: 9

]]>Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:30:23 GMT9289Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/concentrationcamp/MemberTagFilms.aspxconcentrationcamp
Number of films tagged: 321

Number of people who tagged: 7

Number of times used: 7

]]>Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:07:18 GMT32177Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/telluride/MemberTagFilms.aspxtelluride
Number of films tagged: 55

Number of people who tagged: 6

Number of times used: 64

]]>Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:39:36 GMT55664Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/warcrimes/MemberTagFilms.aspxwarcrimes
Number of films tagged: 150

Number of people who tagged: 4

Number of times used: 5

]]>Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:03:28 GMT15045Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/counterfeit/MemberTagFilms.aspxcounterfeit
Number of films tagged: 174

Number of people who tagged: 3

Number of times used: 3

]]>Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:11:27 GMT17433Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/gestapo/MemberTagFilms.aspxgestapo
Number of films tagged: 65

Number of people who tagged: 0

Number of times used: 0

]]>Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:02:14 GMT6500Tag