Originally published in Verbicide issue #23

Babelsberg/Sony Pictures Classics
98 min., dir. by Stefan Ruzowitzky, with Karl Markovics, August Diehl, and Devid Striesow

Although the title sounds like what could be the name of a comedic heist flick, in reality The Counterfeiters is the farthest thing from it. Nominated for an Academy Award for best foreign language film, this incredibly heavy World War II film is the best foreign piece I have seen since last year’s Pan’s Labyrinth. If you’re reading this review post-Oscars, I can only hope it has won.

The Counterfeiters, or Die Fälscher, as it is known in its home country of Germany, tells the real life events of Salomon “Sally” Sorowitsch. The real Sorowitsch, magnificently portrayed here by German actor Karl Markovics, was one of the best counterfeiters in the world. When we are introduced to Sally, he is living in World War II Berlin, enjoying a life of crime and its splendor. However, Sally’s luck runs out when he is captured by Superintendent Friedrich Herzog and sent to a concentration camp. Sally, armed with numerous talents and street smarts, succeeds in catching the attention of his captors with his superior art skills. It is not long before Sally is being transported to another camp in order to supervise the biggest counterfeiting operation in history.

There have been no shortages of World War II films throughout the years, so it would be expected for one to think this is merely yet another reminder of what a bummer this period of our world’s history was. But as one gets involved with Sally’s endeavors to survive, it becomes obvious that The Counterfeiters works on a level that other World War II films do not.

First of all, this is a story of WWII that most of us are unfamiliar with. The fact that the Nazis were really performing this operation while the battles of the history books were raging on indeed sends a chill down your spine. You truly will see this historical chapter through a lens never before presented.

Also, while some WWII films focus exclusively on soldiers on the battlefield (Saving Private Ryan), others on the suffering and survival of mistreated Jewish men and women (Schindler’s List), The Counterfeiters serves as a contrast to both. It will be easy to get caught up in Sally’s wheeling and dealings in order to assure his own survival like it were your own, but be ready for moral dilemmas when the character Adolph Burger comes into play. While Sally represents the universal desire to “look out for number one,” Burger fights the battle of a greater good, willing to not only sacrifice himself but others (including Sally) in order to thwart the evil which is the Nazi regime. The Counterfeiters challenges us to ask what we would do in a situation so extreme and unthinkable as the one many found themselves in during this awful war.

Like other movies set in concentration camps, prepare for gut wrenching and heartbreaking imagery from which director Stefan Ruzowitzky does not hold back. It is near impossible to summarize the emotions a film like this conjures in its audience, as looks and glances between the camp’s inmates can express more than any amount of words. Markovics’ performance alone is nothing short of genius, and will undoubtedly leave you wishing this German actor would break into American mainstream cinema. If you thought Don Cheadle’s Paul Rusesabagina of Hotel Rwanda was a crafty fellow, you haven’t seen anything yet.

If you’re not one of the lucky few who will see this great film grace the marquee of your local theater, bide your time till its DVD release. Although many Oscar nominations often make my head spin in confusion, it’s nice to see that sometimes the Academy gets it right when they bring well-deserved attention to films like The Counterfeiters.