So here's, I have to say, another concentration camp story, this time focusing on a counterfeiting operation aimed at providing the Nazi regime with foreign currency. And it is a group of Jewish ex counterfeiters, printers and bankers now camp prisoners who are supposed to do the job.
The very largest part of the story is concerned with a group conflict being related to a much discussed historical question, i.e. why the Jewish people didn't put up more resistance. Accordingly, there's the party voting for and performing sabotage, represented mainly by one group member, and the majority primarily interested in saving their lives by conforming. This group conflict comprises basically the whole plot.
And that's already my complaint. There's little else then repeating discussions about why or why not the prisoners should comply, occasionally interrupted by random Nazi guard violence almost appearing to be included just for beefing up the otherwise thin story.
While the principal plot idea isn't that bad, it's unfortunately poorly performed, very linear and shallow in various respects, including character portrayal. Story wise I mean, the acting generally is pretty good, like much of the raw production aspects, camera, sets, editing etc.
While I wouldn't call a single watching of this movie a total waste of time, I also wouldn't regard this a must see. Why this movie received an Oscar for best foreign film is, frankly, a mystery to me.
The very largest part of the story is concerned with a group conflict being related to a much discussed historical question, i.e. why the Jewish people didn't put up more resistance. Accordingly, there's the party voting for and performing sabotage, represented mainly by one group member, and the majority primarily interested in saving their lives by conforming. This group conflict comprises basically the whole plot.
And that's already my complaint. There's little else then repeating discussions about why or why not the prisoners should comply, occasionally interrupted by random Nazi guard violence almost appearing to be included just for beefing up the otherwise thin story.
While the principal plot idea isn't that bad, it's unfortunately poorly performed, very linear and shallow in various respects, including character portrayal. Story wise I mean, the acting generally is pretty good, like much of the raw production aspects, camera, sets, editing etc.
While I wouldn't call a single watching of this movie a total waste of time, I also wouldn't regard this a must see. Why this movie received an Oscar for best foreign film is, frankly, a mystery to me.