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IMDbPro

The Counterfeiters

Original title: Die Fälscher
  • 20072007
  • RR
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
46K
YOUR RATING
The Counterfeiters (2007)
Home Video Trailer from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Play trailer2:14
1 Video
68 Photos
  • Crime
  • Drama
  • History
The story of the Operation Bernhard, the largest counterfeiting operation in history, carried out by Germany during WWII.The story of the Operation Bernhard, the largest counterfeiting operation in history, carried out by Germany during WWII.The story of the Operation Bernhard, the largest counterfeiting operation in history, carried out by Germany during WWII.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
46K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Stefan Ruzowitzky
  • Writers
    • Adolf Burger(book "The Devil's Workshop")
    • Stefan Ruzowitzky(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Karl Markovics
    • August Diehl
    • Devid Striesow
Top credits
  • Director
    • Stefan Ruzowitzky
  • Writers
    • Adolf Burger(book "The Devil's Workshop")
    • Stefan Ruzowitzky(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Karl Markovics
    • August Diehl
    • Devid Striesow
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 126User reviews
    • 168Critic reviews
    • 78Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 7 wins & 10 nominations total

    Videos1

    The Counterfeiters
    Trailer 2:14
    The Counterfeiters

    Photos68

    August Diehl and Karl Markovics in The Counterfeiters (2007)
    Karl Markovics in The Counterfeiters (2007)
    Devid Striesow in The Counterfeiters (2007)
    Karl Markovics in The Counterfeiters (2007)
    Karl Markovics in The Counterfeiters (2007)
    Karl Markovics and Devid Striesow in The Counterfeiters (2007)
    August Diehl in The Counterfeiters (2007)
    August Diehl and Karl Markovics in The Counterfeiters (2007)
    Karl Markovics in The Counterfeiters (2007)
    Karl Markovics in The Counterfeiters (2007)
    Karl Markovics in The Counterfeiters (2007)
    Karl Markovics in The Counterfeiters (2007)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Karl Markovics
    Karl Markovics
    • Solomon 'Sally' Sorowitsch
    August Diehl
    August Diehl
    • Burger
    Devid Striesow
    Devid Striesow
    • Sturmbannführer Friedrich Herzog
    Martin Brambach
    Martin Brambach
    • Hauptscharführer Holst
    August Zirner
    August Zirner
    • Dr. Klinger
    Veit Stübner
    • Atze
    Sebastian Urzendowsky
    Sebastian Urzendowsky
    • Kolya
    Andreas Schmidt
    Andreas Schmidt
    • Zilinski
    Tilo Prückner
    Tilo Prückner
    • Hahn
    Lenn Kudrjawizki
    Lenn Kudrjawizki
    • Loszek
    Marian Kalus
    • Plappler
    Norman Stoffregen
    • Abramovic
    Bernd Raucamp
    • KZ-Insasse Dusche
    Gode Benedix
    • 1. KZ-Insasse
    Oliver Kanter
    • 2. KZ-Insasse
    Hans Peter Kortenbruck
    • 3. KZ Insasse
    Dirk Prinz
    • SS-Wache
    Hille Beseler
    Hille Beseler
    • Grete Herzog
    • Director
      • Stefan Ruzowitzky
    • Writers
      • Adolf Burger(book "The Devil's Workshop")
      • Stefan Ruzowitzky(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    The Counterfeiters

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      First Austrian film to win an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film Category.
    • Goofs
      While Sally and Kolya are being transported on a moving train, a German guard is bringing them food. In the camp hierarchy, German guards seldom interacted with prisoners, instead having other prisoners undertake menial tasks of serving food. Prisoners were seldom fed during transport as these cattle-wagons were not inter-connected and most likely locked from outside.
    • Quotes

      Salomon 'Sally' Sorowitsch: Ich bin ich. Die anderen sind die anderen.

      [I'm myself. Everyone else is everyone else]

    • Connections
      Featured in The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008)
    • Soundtracks
      Down By The Riverside
      (uncredited)

    User reviews126

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    laughter in the dark
    Salomon "Sally" Sorowitsch (Markovics) is a master counterfeiter, living a life of debauchery in pre-war Berlin, until his luck finally runs out, and he is captured and shipped out to the Mauthausen concentration camp. He witnesses the horrors of camp life; fellow prisoners are beaten, shot, and starved, but Sally, determined to survive, looks out for himself and uses his skills as an artist to secure a more comfortable lifestyle during his incarceration. After taking advantage of his talents, his superiors transfer him to Sachsenhausen, where he is to oversee the largest counterfeiting operation in history.

    Here, Sally is provided with all the men and equipment he needs to crack the pound and the dollar; his criminal enterprises are now government funded. The price of failure is made clear, but the counterfeiters are also wary of the price of success, as once the currencies have been cracked, they will be surplus to requirements; their lives depend not only on their successes but also their failures.

    This is where Burger (Diehl), the film's moral centre, comes into play. Unlike Sally, he sees the bigger picture, struggling to come to terms with the fact that while his work keeps him alive, it helps the Nazi war effort. Neither can he reconcile himself with the fact that while he lives in relative comfort other detainees, including his wife and children, live in squalor.

    These moral dilemmas form the basis of the film, and in the face of the horrors of camp life, Sally tries to shrug them off with De Niro squints and smiles; the maxim that one must look after oneself is one repeated throughout the film. It's a very interesting idea, and it's one that is presented very well, both in terms of style and performance. The camera-work captures the bleak setting effectively, and the lead performances are uniformly excellent, but the use of tango for the score is inspired. The contrast between the music and the images adeptly complement the film's complicated moral tone. There is also a surprising amount of humour; while the bigger picture is indeed bleak, there are moments of comedy, and even if it is laughter in the dark, it is welcome and helps not only to carry the film along but humanise it and its characters.

    The Counterfeiters is a very enjoyable film, which isn't something that can be said for many World War II "true stories". Its interesting exploration of adaptation and survival under extreme circumstances makes for an engaging story, and one that is definitely worth seeking out.
    helpful•141
    18
    • snow0r
    • Oct 17, 2007

    FAQ1

    • Is this movie based on a book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 18, 2008 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Austria
      • Germany
    • Official sites
      • Official site
      • Official site (Austria)
    • Languages
      • German
      • Russian
      • English
      • Hebrew
    • Also known as
      • Фальшивомонетники
    • Filming locations
      • Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France
    • Production companies
      • Magnolia Filmproduktion
      • Aichholzer Filmproduktion
      • Beta Cinema
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • €4,200,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $5,488,570
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $87,514
      • Feb 24, 2008
    • Gross worldwide
      • $18,814,713
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 39 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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