In 2007 Austrian Director Stefan Ruzowitzky wasn’t afraid to cross over two difficult genres in Oscar-winning true story The Counterfeiters and show that it’s not subject matter than wins at the Academy Awards but the quality of the film making.
The Counterfeiters mainly takes place in Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Germany towards the end of World War Two. Set aside from the rest of the prisoners are a group of the finest Jewish fraudsters, bankers and scientists who have been brought together to forge the British Pound and the American Dollar in an attempt to bankrupt their enemies’ economies. Put in charge of this operation by slimy Camp Commandant Herzog (Striesow) is master counterfeiter Salomon “Sally” Sorowitsch (Markovics), who must work with inmates like Burger (Diehl) who wants to sabotage the plan and others who think he is just a career criminal (which admittedly, he is).
The Counterfeiters concentrates on a smaller scale situation unlike the vast sweeping epics like Schindler’s List and The Pianist and so the theme of weighing up the lives of a few close friends and colleagues against countless masses is prevalent. The contrasts and constant moralising of Sally and Burger serve well to illustrate these two points of view and the tension builds as the audience wonders who will win out. Like in Schindler’s List, although the horrific actions of the holocaust are not at the forefront of the action, there is always a beacon of hope and possible resistance and humanity shining through. Importantly, the thriller aspect is worked in well with its setting and is never in danger of overshadowing its context.
We are treated to well-rounded characterisation which does not over-glorify the main protagonist but rather presents him as a lovable scoundrel with flaws and the weight of the world on his shoulders. The Nazi’s are portrayed in quite a similar way to most modern war movies, except for the more rational Kommandant Herzog but this results in him coming over a lot more creepily.