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Starring Karl Markovics, Devid Striesow
Directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky
“You Jews. Tricks and fakeries. It’s what you’re good at.” The Counterfeiters is not for the faint of heart. Austria’s Oscar-winning war-thriller has an unwavering devotion to a clear voice, one that excites and disgusts in equal measure.
‘Fascinating’ undersells the story. Operation Bernhard was a Nazi scheme to ruin the economies of Britain and the US with the largest counterfeiting operation in history.
They needed a good forger and in ‘Sally’ Sorowitsch they had “the most charming scoundrel in Germany”. He and a group of erstwhile printers were seconded, and so good was their labour that they were rewarded for duping the Bank of England with a ping-pong table.
“One adapts or dies,” explains Sal to a principled inmate, disgusted that Jews were aiding the Nazi war. It’s a heady brew that challenges divisive morality and the ambiguity of survival.
An overwhelming claustrophobia surrounds Ruzowitzky’s elegant film as he examines on ocean of guilt through which Sally must navigate.
Anchored by Markovics’ wiry, angular performance and an insistent tango score that gets to the bones of the film – impudent and dominant – The Counterfeiters ranks among the greats.
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