Wallenberg: A Hero's Story

Maybe little bit romanced but real story. I know because my mother was saved by him (by giving her a Swedish passport) and my grand-uncle (brother of my grand-father) worked with him. He worked in very difficult conditions and did not hesitate to put his life in danger in order to save Jews.

In Haifa, where he worked for a while in a bank before returning to Sweden and subsequently being assigned to Hungary, his house (on Arlozoroff street 17) has a commemorative sign. In Hungary he has only a Tiny street named after him.

The Nazis arrived only towards the end of war. The Hungarians were the German ally but were less aggressive towards the Jews as the Germans. The Germans, knowing they will soon lose the war, went to Hungary to at least finish the extermination, or so they thought, especially Eichmann (later found by Israel to live in South America, kidnapped, and brought to Israel for trial). The German were awfully efficient at it, as they are.

This is an excellent movie about one of the finest heroes of the 20th century. An attractive young scion from an old Swedish banking family reaches the point where he can no longer tolerate what he sees happening to Jews in Europe during WW2, and decides he has to do something about it. Conferring with a senior Diplomat, he gets himself some minor position in the Diplomatic Corp. and immediately begins to use that position to do something about it. What he does, and how he does it, is so simple, yet so amazing, and most of all, surprising, even shockingly successful.

Totally Politically Incorrect. Can we expect Hollywood, who dissed "The Passion", utterly, to appreciate this piece of work, either, and help market it? I think the fact that others have found this work so unavailable, from a proved actor of the caliber of Richard Chamberlain speaks volumes. This miniseries made many powerful enemies in its day. Sometimes if you bombard the classic movie channels with requests for an "oldie", they will eventually play it, perhaps a year later.

This movie is truly remarkable. It is a complete mystery to me why I can't find it for sale---when there is such drivel available in so many venues. If anyone has ideas I would truly appreciate it. I'd pay $50 if I could find it. Maybe I should copy all of these comments and send them to Blockbuster's CEO.

I am intrigued by one viewer's comments that this movie inspired controversy. Chamberlain is retired but surely he doesn't regret this effort. He did an outstanding job.

I made my kids watch this when it was on AMC once---surely someone can take this video and cut some DVDs.

I'm amazed that the Holocaust museums and the different Wallenberg foundations and related organizations don't have this for sale as an educational vehicle.

Super outstanding film dealing with the exploits of Swedish diplomat, Raoul Wallenberg. He saved a great number of Hungarian Jews marked for extermination during the Holocaust.

Richard Chamberlain was never better in any of his mini-series. Proudly nicknamed the king of mini-series, Chamberlain etched an unforgettable portrayal of this hero for all times.

The story begins as Chamberlain, a young Swedish college student from an affluent family, mocks Adolf Hitler. Truth be told, the world didn't know the horrors that this all-time modern madman would heap on modern civilization.

How Chamberlain (Wallenberg) ran with Swedish documents and passed them out to Hungarian Jews was memorable. Instantaneously, the Hungarian Jews were Swedish citizens and therefore protected under Swedish authority.

Remember the miracle when, at the end of the war, many Hungarian Jews lost their protection and were placed in a barn that the Nazis were ready to blow up. Who can forget their faces as they huddled together and chanted the "shema" to sanctify the al-mighty's name? It would be left to Wallenberg to rescue them at the last minute from certain death.

Needless to say, the world was a much poorer place when Wallenberg was arrested by the Soviets,imprisoned, and never heard from again.

He is certainly a leading member of the righteous-those Christians who risked their lives to save Jews during the darkest period of history in this century.

Chamberlain gave a phenomenal performance which will long be remembered.

This is a fantastic movie and another that seems impossible to locate. I recommend the movie as being one of Chamberlain's best. I would like to think that the man, Wallenberg, will not be forgotten. He was truly a hero and Chamberlain did an excellent portrayal.