This is about the Nazis, trying to produce false pounds and dollars in the concentration camp of Sachsenhausen. The aim is to destroy the British and American economies. For this purpose, they use Jewish experts, who have their privileges, like clean sheets, classical music, showers and the possibility of not being murdered.
It could have been just another Nazi movie, but many ethic questions are raised. What is treason and can you possibly survive without it? The drama between the Hauptsturmführer and the main character, Sally, is described in an interesting way, not at least because of the brilliant acting from Karl Marcovics.
Being in concentration camp, are there any more questions than surviving the next day? Obviously there were.
93% - Critics
88% - Audience
7.5Keywords: world war ii1940snazibased on memoir or autobiographyholocaust (shoah)
Plot summary
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 Bernhard. The team, which also includes detainee Adolf Burger, is given luxury barracks for their assistance. But while Salomon attempts to weaken the economy of Germany's allied opponents, Adolf refuses to use his skills for Nazi profit and would like to do something to stop Operation Bernhard's aid to the war effort. Faced with a moral dilemma, Salomon must decide whether his actions, which could prolong the war and risk the lives of fellow prisoners, are ultimately the right ones.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
August Diehl as Burger
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU 874.71 MB
1280*688
English 2.0
R
Movie Reviews
Reviewed by
How they didn't win the war
Reviewed by
While there are tons of films about the Nazis and the holocaust, this one manages to be different and stands apart from the rest.
There have been countless films about WWII and the holocaust--lots. I have watched many of them but my family refuses. As my oldest daughter has said many times "I know what happened then. It was awful and evil. And, I've seen enough of them!". However, "The Counterfeiters" is not just another film about the holocaust but discussed an obscure but true story about a small number of Jewish prisoners who were able to spare their lives by working WITH the Nazis. Let me explain. The Nazis came up with a plan to destroy the economies of their enemies. First, they wanted to produce tons and tons of British pounds and flood the market with them. Then, do the same with the American dollar. And, while most may not know it, they were successful in producing perfect qualities pounds and dollars. This film is about how they did it and why, ultimately, the plan didn't change the outcome of the war.
The film has some wonderful acting, a taut script and recreates the horror of the concentration camps. It's not pleasant but it IS also very fascinating--particularly the story of the hero (??) of the film--a cheap criminal with a talent for forgeries. Well worth seeing and a film that took the Best Foreign Language Oscar.
Reviewed by
great character in compelling story
Salomon Sorowitsch is a criminal counterfeiter. He is arrested in Berlin by investigator Herzog failing to copy the American dollar. He struggles to survive in the concentration camp. He uses his artistic skills to ingratiate himself to the guards. He and others are recruited by Herzog who is running a program with Jewish prisoners to counterfeit Allies currencies called Operation Bernhard. They are treated better and Salomon cooperates. His pride keeps him striving to achieve the impossible. Some advocate for sabotage as he struggle for preservation. This award-winning movie depicts a fictionalization of the real Nazi counterfeiting operation. It all centers on Salomon and his conflicted morality. He's a great character in a compelling historical story. It's a first rate movie all around.