DIE FALSCHER (THE COUNTERFEITERS)

Austria, 2007, 98 minutes, Colour.
Karl Markovics, August Diehl, Devid Striesow.
Directed by Stefan Ruzowtzky.

At the Berlin film festival, there are always films which take audiences back to World War II, often the German film industry examining the conscience of the past as well as offering lessons for younger generations, especially as it is over 60 years since the end of the war.

The main offering for 2007 was an Austrian film, The Counterfeiters, a well-told story of a Jewish conman and forger who was arrested before the outbreak of war by the Berlin chief of the forgery squad. It is based rather closely on a true story. The forger is a survivor, first of all pandering to the guards and officials by flattering them with sketches and then called up, along with other printing experts, to work on a project to produce sterling and then American dollars to flood the markets and, later, to buy munitions.

The film boasts a strong performance by television actor, and highlights the major themes with which we are familiar, the suffering and humiliation (and the horror by the time of the liberation of the camps), but shows this group getting special treatment and incentives to keep them on target with the counterfeit notes. The film moves quite briskly and keeps the interest.

1. World War Two sixty years later, history, memories, for modern generations? The tradition of Nazism? The understanding of the Holocaust? The concentration camps? This film as a contribution to understanding and memory?

2. Based on a true story, adapting the true story (eliminating some of the developments of the camp in the alps at the end)? The survivors and the witnesses?

3. The plan, Bernhard and his idea, getting an expert crew, the setting of 1944-45? Bernhard’s motivation, the investments, the counterfeit money flooding and destroying economies? Getting money to buy munitions for the war? The effect of the scene of the Nazi going to the Swiss bank, verifying the counterfeit notes, getting the Bank of England to verify them?

4. The issue of the concentration camps, suffering, death, survivors? Principals for protest, for survival? Pragmatic aspects? The crew and their being given comforts? The issue of sabotage or collaboration? The ending, the emaciated prisoners arriving, facing the privileged crew? The man who committed suicide? Burger and his weeping?

5. The opening in Monte Carlo, the beach, going to the casino, the money, the gambling, the night with the call girl? The tables – and the flashback? The return at the end? Frittering the money away? Back to the beach, the girl again, the comments, dancing, the possibility of making more money?

6. Berlin 1936, the cabaret lifestyle, Sally and his lending, the various types, the Nazis, the issues of interest, his demands? The old man, the young man? His ability at forging? The plan for a passport? The girl and her friend coming to the apartment, the night together, the arrest? Herzog and his arresting Sally?

7. Sally going to the camp, its brutality, in squads, the work in the quarries, listening to the sounds of death, his idea, sketching the fat officer, his being pleased with the sketch, the commanders being interested, his painting them? The years going by and his surviving by pandering to the vanity of the SS? Yet his continually being humiliated?

8. The issue of his transfer, puzzle, in the train, the encounter with Collyer, talking with him, his story? The five-man squad and the inspection, being given better clothes, the fact that they were the clothes of Auschwitz victims? Burger refusing to wear them? The tour of the machinery? The nature of the job? The conditions to encourage them, better food, the beds, work situation? Going into the shower and Collyer’s fear of gas? The reward of the ping-pong table? The concerts and performance, the opera songs? Yet still feeling in a concentration camp, the clothes, the continued insults, the brutality, victims being shot? Their complying, resentment? Coping? The news of deaths from Auschwitz?

9. The work and the technical skills required (and the man pretending to be a printer to survive)? The work on pounds Sterling, the detail, the skills, the night they were rounded up out of bed and the announcing of the success? The attempt to work on the dollar, the excuses for not having success, the pressure from Herzog for six days and success? Sally and his being shrewd, asking for an alternate chemical and not the gelatine? Burger and his sabotaging the gelatine?

10. Sally as a character, shrewd, a crook, pragmatic, living a day at a time, not wanting to live on principles alone - yet his background, Russia, the family, his sexual relationships, his contacts, handling people, organising skills? The friendship with Collyer, the talk on the train, bonding in the camp, Collyer’s illness, his protecting him, bartering for the medicine? The shock of his death? The doctor, his handling the rebellion and the threat? Menacing the complainant? The confrontations with Burger, the physical fight? The end, the confrontation of Herzog, not killing him? Holst and his urinating on him, the last straw in humiliation?

11. Collyer, his Russian background, art in Odessa, his age, his fears, languages, the bonding with Sally and the discussions about art and art teachers? His work, the TB, his illness, concealing his cough, the authorities knowing? Holst and his talking with him then shooting him?

12. Burger, his wife, their arrest, political stances? The work, his decision to sabotage? His grief at the news of his wife’s death? The battles with Sally, the physical fight, his being outwitted? His finally weeping when he saw the other prisoners?

13. The other members of the group, the doctor and his skills, concern, the big man and his expertise, the rebel and his almost reporting the sabotage? The man whose wife was killed, the children? His survival? His suicide at the end?

14. Herzog, his role with the counterfeit police, his idea, establishing the crew, the plans, urging them on, treating them as dirt – and Holst saying dirt being treated as humans? Cajoling them, the deadlines? Sally’s visit to his family? The issue of documents? Opening again in the alps? His stash of money, being confronted by Sally?

15. Holst and his brutality, weeping at the opera song, shooting Collyer? Talking about it?

16. The presentation of Germans, of Nazis, of the end of the war?

17. The bonds amongst the group, work, ambitions, survival? The contrast with the squad testing out the shoes? Emaciated at the time of liberation?

18. The film as both memorial and challenge?