Die Fälscher (2007)

Director:

Stefan Ruzowitzky

Writers:

Adolf Burger (book)
Stefan Ruzowitzky (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 March 2007 (Germany)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | War

Tagline:

It takes a clever man to make money, it takes a genius to stay alive

Plot:

The Counterfeiters is the true story of the largest counterfeiting operation in history, set up by the Nazis in 1936...

Plot Keywords:

Nazi | Counterfeiter | Concentration Camp | Counterfeiting | Mauthausen

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Karl Markovics	...	Salomon 'Sally' Sorowitsch
August Diehl	...	Adolf Burger
Devid Striesow	...	Sturmbannführer Friedrich Herzog
Martin Brambach	...	Hauptscharführer Holst
August Zirner	...	Dr. Klinger
Veit Stübner	...	Atze
Sebastian Urzendowsky	...	Kolya Karloff
Andreas Schmidt	...	Zilinski
Tilo Prückner	...	Dr. Viktor Hahn
Lenn Kudrjawizki	...	Loszek
Norman Stoffregen	...	Abramovic
Bernd Raucamp	...	KZ-Insasse Dusche
Gode Benedix	...	1. KZ-Insasse
Oliver Kanter	...	2. KZ-Insasse
Dirk Prinz	...	SS-Wache

Also Known As:

The Counterfeiters (Canada: English title) (UK) (USA) (new title)
Der Fälscher (Austria) (working title)
The Counterfeiter (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong violence, brief sexuality/nudity and language.

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

Austria | Germany

Language:

German | Russian | English | Hebrew

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Argentina:16 | UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Sweden:15 | Finland:K-15 | France:Unrated | Czech Republic:12 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Germany:12 | Australia:MA | Hong Kong:IIB | Norway:15 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Singapore:NC-16 | New Zealand:R13 | Peru:14

Filming Locations:

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Company:

Magnolia Filmproduktion

Trivia:

Austria's Official Submission to the Best Foreign Language Film Category of the 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008).

Goofs:

Continuity: When Solly and Burger are arguing in their sleeping quarters, Burger pulls down a bunk bed. In the next shot the bed is standing up.

Quotes:

Salomon 'Sally' Sorowitsch: Ich bin ich. Die anderen sind die anderen.
[I'm myself. Everyone else is everyone else]

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008) (TV)

Austria's Oscar contender

This is the rare - and by that I REALLY mean rare! - case of an Austrian movie being able to bear comparison with international competition. "Die Fälscher" is a well-made and touching movie about the Holocaust and a special division of Jews in a K.Z. that survived by counterfeiting money (or pretending to do so) for the Nazis. Karl Markovics is the shining light of the cast. Who thought that the guy who came to greater popularity by starring in "Kommissar Rex" would end up getting roles like this one and playing them to perfection? August Diehl is good, too, but he comes across as a bit too dramatic at times. The Nazis - and that's the only weakness of Stefan Ruzowitzky's movie - are the way they always are. Ruthless, cruel, craven and at the same time stupid pigs who do everything to humiliate the Jews at any time. Even though, that is probably the way 99% of them really were, it would have been more interesting to get a differentiated view on some of them.

While "Die Fälscher" may not reinvent the wheel, it is a pretty great movie. And although it's typical that Hollywood would pick only a Holocaust-story from Austria as an Oscar contender, it is exciting as hell for a movie from this country to get a nomination. I really hope that Stefan Ruzowitzky will get the award, because his movie deserves it and it could help the Austrian film industry to finally get momentum again.