MAX AND HELEN

US, 1990, 100 minutes, Colour.
Treat Williams, Alice Kriege, Martin Landau, Jonny Phillips, Johdy May.
Directed by Philip Saville.


Max and Helen is based on a novel by Nazi-hunter, Simon Wiesenthal, here played by a rather intense Martin Landau.

Information comes to hand that the manager of a German factory in the early 1960s is a neo-Nazi, brutal to his staff. Wiesenthal gets his staff to take photos and finds a link with Doctor Max Rosenberg living in Paris. Doctor Rosenberg is unwilling to talk, but is visited by Wiesenthal and eventually opens up and tells his story, beginning in the 1930s.

Rosenberg studied medicine, was engaged to a young woman, his father wanted him to marry her and take her to Paris where he was studying, but, on principle, he refused. After the invasion of Poland, the Jews are rounded up and Max and Helen’s family are taken to a concentration camp on the road to Kiev where they are part of a road gang to build highway for the troops. The camp is managed as a work base with a new commandant, Werner Schultz, played by Jonny Phillips, it turns into prison and a harsh concentration camp, the commandant himself taking prisoners to his room at night, playing music and beating them almost to death. The men and women are separated but the Commandant discovers that Max knows medicine and he is made the doctor of the camp.

A group plan an escape, Helen says she cannot go because she has promised their mother to look after her frail sister in the camp. Max joins the partisans, is freed, but, after the war, is accused of being pro-Nazi and sentenced to 10 years in Siberia. After his release, he continues his search for Helen.

The screenplay keeps the audience in suspense to late in the film as to whether Max finds Helen or not. He does, and discovers that she was raped by Schultz and that she has a son who resembles him closely but has brought him up as Jewish.

Max refuses to testify against the owner of the factory as does Helen who wants to protect her son. Wiesenthal, at the end of the film, burns the documentation.

Treat Williams and Alice Kriege are sympathetic in their portrayals of Max and Helen.

1. The film based on a story by Simon Wiesenthal and his tracking down Nazis over so many decades. This story is one of his novels?

2. The film made in 1990, the events happening in 1960s, remembering the 1930s and 40s?

3. Paris locations, apartments, the streets? Wiesenthal’s office? German locations? The pre—war years in Poland, the walk, the taking of the Jews, the concentration camp, Ukraine? The aftermath of the war, Max and his visits to Poland, Germany?

4. Wiesenthal, his staff, their resources, documentation, his tracking down information? The situation for the film, the factory, the manager, his Nazi statements, brutalising his staff? A candidate for Wiesenthal’s hunting?

5. Max Rosenberg, his age, experience, doctor, not wanting to be interviewed, his refusals while walking away from Wiesenthal? His coming to the hotel, the long night and his recounting his story, the insertion of the flashbacks? The effect on him having told the story after so many decades?

6. Max and his story, the Polish town, Helen and her family, the parents, the fragile sister? Max and his being asked to marry Helen, his refusal? The family’s being rounded up? The trains, going to Ukraine, the concentration camp, the hard work, building the highway? A more genial regime, the men not separated from the women, Helen able to look after her sister?

7. Schultz, his harshness, his cane, the parades, his ridiculing people? Seeing that Max had medical skills, making him the doctor? His treatment of people, the man with a wounded hand and his being beaten, the representative of the Jews and his being beaten and killed? The hard labour, the guards, some sympathetic? Max and his meeting with Helen?

8. The plan for the escape, Max discussing with Helen, her refusing, staying to look after her sister? The escape, with the partisans? The Polish authorities, the hearing, condemning Max to Siberia, using evidence against him? 10 years in Siberia, his being released, the visit to Austria, seeking asylum and becoming a citizen?

9. His search for Helen, the documents, visiting the town, Wanda and the memories of the past, her information about having a card? Max going to Germany, finding Helen’s house? The shock when the young man opened the door, and the same actor who portrayed Schultz?

10. Helen’s story, the rape, holding her sister’s health over her? the rape, the attack on the camp? Helen’s escape, pregnant? The birth, her son, love, bringing him up as Jewish, his wanting to help Wiesenthal, her secrets?

11. Max, trying to accept the situation, having to leave? Wiesenthal coming, Helen pleading with him not to harm her son? The debt to the dead? The debt to the living?

12. A year, Max’s return, a future? Wiesenthal destroying the documents?