Die Fälscher (The Counterfeiters) (The Counterfeiter) (2007)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Jan Marc M

  
  The Counterfeiters is a fictionalized do-or-die tale of survival by a group of talented counterfeiters set World War II Nazi concentration camp. Bold, brave, and provocative new perspective on Operation Bernhard and its role in the Holocaust. Credible cast and performances. A… More
  The Counterfeiters is a fictionalized do-or-die tale of survival by a group of talented counterfeiters set World War II Nazi concentration camp. Bold, brave, and provocative new perspective on Operation Bernhard and its role in the Holocaust. Credible cast and performances. A deserving 2007 Academy Award Best Foreign Language Film winner.

• Emile T

  
  It may be hard to some to dare say negative things about a movie with such a delicate storyline, but The Counterfeiters has really nothing extraordinary to it and I now seem to be the only one to say it is a terribly overrated movie. The direction, which gives a TV look to the film… More
  It may be hard to some to dare say negative things about a movie with such a delicate storyline, but The Counterfeiters has really nothing extraordinary to it and I now seem to be the only one to say it is a terribly overrated movie. The direction, which gives a TV look to the film (it was a great thing for The Pianist; here, it is only making it look cheap), is unfortunately very unsensitive while strong emotions should be what you'd find in a movie that is supposed to be inspiring. While it failed to inspire anything in me, it did manage to protray the horror of the Holocaust but never came close to other great films of the genre. Its qualities are never enough considerable to overcome its tactless and cold portrayal of a journey that was supposed to feel inspiring.

• Carlos M

  
  A dark, gripping true story that works as a challenging moral exercise on the terrible choices that some were forced to make in order to survive the horrors of the Holocaust. An absorbing film that deserves even more credit for making us sympathize with a not-very-likable anti-hero.

• Anthony L

  
  An excellent German thriller based on a true story. The cast is fantastic, particularly Markovics, as is the direction. Brilliant considering is was made on a shoe-string. Highly recommended!

• Daniel P

  
  I would hardly be the first to compare Nazi concentration camps to Hell, but this film brought to mind an interesting way to do so: the notion of contrapasso, from Dante's Divine Comedy (the first volume, Inferno, if that wasn't obvious). Quite simply, contrapasso is when… More
  I would hardly be the first to compare Nazi concentration camps to Hell, but this film brought to mind an interesting way to do so: the notion of contrapasso, from Dante's Divine Comedy (the first volume, Inferno, if that wasn't obvious). Quite simply, contrapasso is when the sinner in Hell is punished by having to continually commit his or her sin for eternity... or at least until enough prayers get the spirit out of Hell and into Purgatory and then Paradise. The lead character, Sally, is a master counterfeiter, both a criminal and a Jew, and as such he finds himself arrested. The punishment, in a Dantean sense, fits the only one of the two qualifications that is actually a crime: the counterfeiter is doomed to continue counterfeiting. When Dante and Virgil reached the very depths of Hell and discovered Satan, it was not fiery, but effectively frozen solid, and though incredibly powerful, all Satan could do was flap his wings. This is what circulated the air in the Inferno, and effectively kept the whole system moving. The point? In a Dantean world view, even the greatest evil has a role to play in God's plan. No, I'm not about to defend the Nazis, I hope you didn't stop reading. Like Oskar Schindler, the master counterfeiter Sally is able to keep a staff and thereby save his workers' lives. Much to the chagrin of Burger, another inmate who can't bear the thought of bankrolling the Nazi's war effort, Sally and his crew print forged British Pound and American Dollar notes simply to stay alive. And so, in a larger sense, printing the money - though aiding an evil force - had a benevolent role to play, as it allowed the group to stay alive until the camp was liberated. And Burger, being a deceiver and continually sabotaging the Dollar project just enough to delay them longer, was also a hero despite his seemingly reprehensible actions making him persona non grata by the end. (Bit of a spoiler, I know, but Holocaust movies are so depressing already, it's almost unheard of to kill the main character... if you watch a lot of them you generally know that they'll survive.) Other Holocaust films have moved me more (Fateless) or had a bigger/better production values (Schindler's List), but this might be the one of the best plots among those that that I've seen: the contradiction is exciting, as you spend the whole film unsure if you want them to "crack the Dollar" or not, as neither succeeding nor failing guarantees survival. I also found it interesting that the counterfeiters were first artists, for some would argue that to attempt to make a film about the Holocaust in and of itself is, like counterfeiting money, a perversion of artistic talent. It always blows me away to see a director entertain the notion of what humanity will do when reduced to its basest level of existence, and in this case, it was the flaws of the counterfeiters that made them human, and separated them from the faceless and automatic Nazis. A well written and acted film that certainly deserved its Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, one that you can either just watch as a good, straight-forward Holocaust movie, or if you want, think a ton about it - the film lends itself to both approches, and should be on your list.

• Stella D

  
  intense and well acted ww2 drama about the largest counterfeiting operation of all time, undertaken by the nazis using prisoners in a concentration camp who soon face a moral dilemma...blah blah blah. based on a true story and of interest to history buffs as the plot could have… More
  intense and well acted ww2 drama about the largest counterfeiting operation of all time, undertaken by the nazis using prisoners in a concentration camp who soon face a moral dilemma...blah blah blah. based on a true story and of interest to history buffs as the plot could have become a turning point of the war

• Mark H

  
  Powerful drama about a man who must weigh his desire for self preservation and his guilt at aiding Nazi forces. Dramas involving the Holocaust are always difficult to endure and this is no exception, but the moral dilemmas it raises are thought provoking and the performances are… More
  Powerful drama about a man who must weigh his desire for self preservation and his guilt at aiding Nazi forces. Dramas involving the Holocaust are always difficult to endure and this is no exception, but the moral dilemmas it raises are thought provoking and the performances are first rate. 2007 Academy Award Winner for Best Foreign Language Film.

• Stefanie C

  
  not just another WWII / Holocaust movie. this film is engrossing, and resplendent with its truthfulness and humanity.

• Shauna R

  
  Tremendous film-making. Die Falscher is an extremely intense film, and no doubt an achievement in cinema. It covers a different angle to your usual holocaust film, and tells a remarkable story that had yet to be told. Die Falscher follows the lives of prisoners in a concentration… More
  Tremendous film-making. Die Falscher is an extremely intense film, and no doubt an achievement in cinema. It covers a different angle to your usual holocaust film, and tells a remarkable story that had yet to be told. Die Falscher follows the lives of prisoners in a concentration camp forced with the task of counterfeiting for the Nazis. Karl Markovics plays a great leading man and very believable as the 'King of Counterfeiters'. August Diehl is also brilliant as the rebellious hero Adolf Burger. The script, direction and atmosphere of the film can not be criticised. Die Falscher is a raw, engaging and inspiring piece of cinema that ultimately must not be missed.

• Luke B

  
  A moral dilemma raises its ugly head as a group of Jews are seduced into working for the Nazis. They can work and save themselves or stall and possibly end the war. It's excellently constructed in the gradual build up. It keeps its focus on what is going on with the… More
  A moral dilemma raises its ugly head as a group of Jews are seduced into working for the Nazis. They can work and save themselves or stall and possibly end the war. It's excellently constructed in the gradual build up. It keeps its focus on what is going on with the counterfeiters and keeps the atrocities of teh camps at an eerie distance, with only sound and stories influenceing our imaginations. One very moving and traumatic scene has a counterfeiter finding his children's passports in a box of materials from Auschwitz. None of the Jews are villains here and even the Nazis are humanised, given a brief glimpse inside the house of a Nazi officer. The film should also be commended on its matter of fact, this is how it is tone. Exceptional if a little short, it's main focus are the moral decisions and the plot itself which often sacrifices characterization.

• danny d

  
  holocaust films are always so interesting and powerful to me, while also being by far the most depressing to me as well. this is a great film and very deserving of its oscar for best foreign language film, but it is incredibly sad all the same. to see that real people suffered such… More
  holocaust films are always so interesting and powerful to me, while also being by far the most depressing to me as well. this is a great film and very deserving of its oscar for best foreign language film, but it is incredibly sad all the same. to see that real people suffered such a fate is always disturbing. wonderful film covering an angle of WW2 that many havent heard about.

• William D

  
  [font=Georgia][size=3]"The Counterfeiters," which a few months ago won the Oscar for Best Foreign-Language Film, has been playing in New York continuously since the Oscar broadcast. That's impressive longevity. I cannot recall any other film in the last 10 years… More
  [font=Georgia][size=3]"The Counterfeiters," which a few months ago won the Oscar for Best Foreign-Language Film, has been playing in New York continuously since the Oscar broadcast. That's impressive longevity. I cannot recall any other film in the last 10 years attracting ticket-buyers for months. Judging from the people in my audience, the film has struck a chord particularly with older Jews; not surprisingly given that the film is about the Holocaust.[/size][/font] [font=Georgia][size=3][img]http://www.exclaim.ca/images/up-counterfeiters.jpg[/img][/size][/font] [font=Georgia][size=3]The film is moving and important, but it's ultra-conventional approach blunts its impact. There is almost a cottage industry now in Holocaust films, and they are all so alike. Director [b]Stefan Ruzowitzky [/b]doesn't do anything to carve out new creative territory. He's a strict traditionalist. This made "The Counterfeiters" seem at times like it was made for television. I'm quite surprised that it won the Oscar, given its predictability and conventionalism. Surely there were films nominated that were more artistically significant than this.[/size][/font] [font=Georgia][size=3]The story is based on fact. In Berlin in the 1930s a Jewish counterfeiter somehow eluded arrest until 1936, despite being a near-celebrity in the nightclubs. But he does eventually get arrested and is sent to a concentration camp. The scenes in the camp are as brutal as you'd expect.[/size][/font] [font=Georgia][size=3]But then something surprising happens. He is sent to a different camp, where he is treated more humanely and given a pretty good amount of food. The reason: he's put in charge of a secret project to create counterfeit British Pounds and American Dollars. This creates the predictable dilemma of having to support the Nazi war effort (by providing it with foreign currency) to survive.[/size][/font] [font=Georgia][size=3]Should they collude with the Nazis by making foreign currency that fools all the banks? Or should they pretend to do it, but sabotage the process somehow? This becomes an intense battle in the group.[/size][/font] [img]http://blog.oregonlive.com/ent_impact_tvfilm/2008/03/large_counter%201.JPG[/img] [font=Georgia][size=3]There are other struggles that emerge, such as when the youngest member of the group, a gentle, vulnerable 20-year-old, develops tuberculosis, and the group has to decide whether to turn him over to the authorities or protect him, thus exposing themselves to the disease. The outcome of this dilemma was the most heart-wrenching sequence of the film.[/size][/font] [font=Georgia][size=3]There are also powerful scenes when the other inmates in the camp express their hostility toward these well-fed Jews. They accuse them of being SS. This was tough and interesting. But it's a brief scene and is not explored with any depth.[/size][/font] [img]http://www.exclaim.ca/images/up-counterfeiters_lg.jpg[/img] [font=Georgia][size=3]Overall I'd recommend this film, but not very highly. We've seen too many films like this already, and ones that have explored the horrors of the Holocaust more effectively. And for the record, I found the previous year's winner of the Best Foreign-Language Oscar, "The Lives of Others," also from German-speaking Europe incidentally, to be a vastly greater artistic achievement. "The Lives of Others" is an absolute must-see. But I couldn't say the same for "The Counterfeiters."[/size][/font]

• Lorenzo v

  
  This movie is an excellent film. It portrays an aspect of World War II that may or may not have been known by people. The acting in it is great throughout the film. The leading character did what he had to do to survive the concentration camps and survive the war. Other people do… More
  This movie is an excellent film. It portrays an aspect of World War II that may or may not have been known by people. The acting in it is great throughout the film. The leading character did what he had to do to survive the concentration camps and survive the war. Other people do things to survive. The other prisoners did the same thing. The commander of the concentration camp wasn't exactly an angel. I feel that he had his own selfish interests at heart and really didn't have a true allegiance to the Nazis. The movie being based on a true story gives it credence and credibility. Of course, Hollywood dickers around with the facts so as to give the film entertainment value. 4/5

• Nate Z

  
  [CENTER][img]http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/4628/22counter600ff2.jpg[/img][/CENTER] [COLOR=DarkRed][FONT=Arial]The Oscar-winner for 2007 foreign film is certainly a fine film and a respectable winner, but let's be honest, the foreign film category was watered down a tad.… More
  [CENTER][img]http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/4628/22counter600ff2.jpg[/img][/CENTER] [COLOR=DarkRed][FONT=Arial]The Oscar-winner for 2007 foreign film is certainly a fine film and a respectable winner, but let's be honest, the foreign film category was watered down a tad. France nominated [I]Persepolis[/I] over [I]The Diving Bell and the Butterfly[/I] because a country is only allowed to nominate a single film (sucks to be you, countries with good movies). This rule has resulted in past incidents like Spain nominating [I]Tuesdays in the Sun[/I] over Pedro Almodovar's [I]Talk to Her[/I], which ended up winning the 2002 Best Original Screenplay Oscar despite Spain's snub. The hard decision by France was moot because [I]Persepolis[/I] didn't make the Academy 2007 shortlist of nine nominees. The biggest snub from that shortlist was Romania's [I]4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days[/I], a harrowing film about two college-aged women seeking an illegal abortion in 1980s communist Romania. It won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and also won the Best Picture award by the European Film Awards (Austria's [I]The Counterfeiters[/I] wasn't even nominated). Then there was Israel's amusing and touching film, [I]The Band's Visit[/I], about an Egyptian band that takes a wrong bus and finds itself in an Israeli town. But the Academy's foreign films ruled that The Band's Visit had too much spoken English and therefore could not be ruled as a foreign film. Also left out were Germany's [I]Edge of Heaven[/I] and Spain's [I]The Orphanage[/I]. Nothing against [I]The Counterfeiters[/I] but the foreign language field had already snubbed most of the main contenders. [I]The Counterfeiters[/I] is a deeply fascinating true-story about the world's largest counterfeiting ring. Sal Sorowitsch (Karl Markovics, with a face as hard as flint) is a master forger leading a life of luxury in Berlin until the police capture him and send him to a concentration camp with his fellow Jews. As World War II carries on, the Nazis recruit Sal to lead a team to forge the British pound and the American dollar. The Nazis hope to destabilize their enemies' economies. Sal is given greater freedoms in the camp and the S.S. officers try to become his chums. But he has to ask himself what his cost his actions will have. He could be prolonging the conflict and actually helping Germany win, but if he doesn't assist the Nazis then he will surely be murdered as will his team. Write/director Stefan Ruzowitzky creates great tension from scene to scene but it is the moral dilemmas that stick. What are principles worth? Are they worth dying for? Are they worth endangering others' lives? The movie takes a docu-drama approach with bobbing handheld camerawork; even the film stock looks like it was soaked in grime for authenticity. And yet I wish [I]The Counterfeiters[/I] had chosen to be less enigmatic. The main character is a criminal that keeps his emotions close to the vest, but Ruzowitzky cheats the audience by keeping Sal mostly in his head. The story is filled with factual intrigue and the natural tension given the situation, but after it's over there isn't much that's memorable for a genre that expects more of itself. The Holocaust genre (and let's not kid ourselves, it is a genre at this point) has some pretty high dramatic expectations and produces films that sear into our brains. [I]The Counterfeiters[/I] is a very well told tale with great acting and some interesting character relationships but it can't fully measure up to other Holocaust parables. Nate's Grade: B+[/FONT][/COLOR]

• Aaron N

  
  Burger: Don't you see that we're helping support the Nazi war effort. This year's winner for best foreign film is set inside a concentration camp, portraying a true story of the biggest currency counterfeiting operation of all time. We follow Solomon Sorowitsch, Karl… More
  Burger: Don't you see that we're helping support the Nazi war effort. This year's winner for best foreign film is set inside a concentration camp, portraying a true story of the biggest currency counterfeiting operation of all time. We follow Solomon Sorowitsch, Karl Markovics, one of the best known European counterfeiters. After being caught and sentenced to jail time for his work, the time of war and Sorowitsch being a jew puts him into a concentration camp. He is eventually transported to a specific area where his talents make him a leader in the Nazi's counterfeiting operations in order to keep their economic status functioning. Solomon must now find ways to manipulate his position in favor of his other prison mates and himself. This leads to a tricky moral position where he knows that his contributions are both keeping him alive but fueling evil tyranny at the same time. This is a good enough movie, with an interesting premise and a well acted leading role from Markovics. There is nothing particularly bad about it, but I was just not too enthralled in the movie as a whole. Its not that its too depressing or mishandled, I just wasn't too engrossed in this movie. This doesn't mean much about the quality of the film, but I've seen similar films before, and this time around I just did not feel too involved. It is a good film however, with some tense moments, a soundtrack that makes good use of the tango, and an ending that finds a neat end to the moral dilemma Soloman faced. Burger: Are you really doing this to survive, or are you just trying to counterfeit the dollar?

• moon r

  
  ach du leiber! those damn lowdown dirty krauts! they want to take over the world! again! and this time they're doing it by having a crook phony up some phony tony for them so's they can upset the economical world applecart, those creeps. well, how does the poor schmuck… More
  ach du leiber! those damn lowdown dirty krauts! they want to take over the world! again! and this time they're doing it by having a crook phony up some phony tony for them so's they can upset the economical world applecart, those creeps. well, how does the poor schmuck they get to do it feel about it? how would he feel if maybe they gave him some incentives, like letting him live f'instance? it's a bit of a ethical conumdrum...okay, no, it's not tough to figure out at all, but still it's interesting watching our hero learn the obvious anyway. 4 stars worth of interesting. one of the best out at theaters right now.

• Rico Z

  
  This movie is on par with the likes of Schindler's List or Sophie's Choice in terms of Holocaust awareness and the profound nature of its message. However, where this film differs is in its methods to bring an aging theme such new life. This films tells the story of a group… More
  This movie is on par with the likes of Schindler's List or Sophie's Choice in terms of Holocaust awareness and the profound nature of its message. However, where this film differs is in its methods to bring an aging theme such new life. This films tells the story of a group of concentration camp prisoners rallied by the Nazis to work for the German government. Their skills as printers, graphic designers, paper specialists, etc. have made these men indispensable to the Nazis (at least for a short time.) Where the conflict lies is when an idealist Jew refuses to cooperate and threatens to undermine the entire operation--thus, putting all his partners' lives at risk. The movie is quite entertaining and grazes on light-heartedness despite its heavy and bogging subject matter. The movie could've dragged and been utterly depressing; but the script chooses to focus more on dark humor and handles the more heavy stuff with brilliance and taste. This film won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language film at this year's ceremony (2008.) It is deservedly rewarded and I feel very fortunate to have had the chance to see it. I know many never will get to.

• Sarah G

  
  <u>Director:</u>Stefan Ruzowitzky <u>Released:</u> 2007 <u>Stars:</u> Karl Markovics, August Diehl, Devid Striesow and Martin Brambach <u>Genre:</u> Crime / Drama / War <u>Country:</u> Austria / Germany <a… More
  <u>Director:</u>Stefan Ruzowitzky <u>Released:</u> 2007 <u>Stars:</u> Karl Markovics, August Diehl, Devid Striesow and Martin Brambach <u>Genre:</u> Crime / Drama / War <u>Country:</u> Austria / Germany <a href="http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k223/cbesseling/?action=view¤t=Counterfeiters.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k223/cbesseling/Counterfeiters.jpg" border="0" alt="thumb"></a> The Counterfeiters is the true story of the largest counterfeiting operation in history, set up by the Nazis in 1936. Salomon "Sally" Sorowitsch is the king of counterfeiters. He lives a mischievous life of cards, booze, and women in Berlin during the Nazi-era. Suddenly his luck runs dry when arrested by Superintendent Friedrich Herzog. Immediately thrown into the Mauthausen concentration camp, Salomon exhibits exceptional skills there and is soon transferred to the upgraded camp of Sachsenhausen. Upon his arrival, he once again comes face to face with Herzog, who is there on a secret mission. Hand-picked for his unique skill, Salomon and a group of professionals are forced to produce fake foreign currency under the program Operation Berhard. The team, which also includes detainee Adolf Burger, is given luxury barracks for their assistance. A well-deserving Best Foreign Language film winner! One of the most intriging films that I have seen. <b>Review to come soon</b>

• Gordon A

  
  Less than gripping tale of survival under Nazi rule which covers over familiar themes with little to add.

• Ross C

  
  An amazing true story about a group of talented Jews seconded from their various WW2 concentration camps to perfect counterfeit pound and dollar notes. One of counterfeiters this story is based on was even at the cinema to tell his tale!

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