The Aryan Couple

I expected this film to be a big mess but Christopher Fulford's performance in this film is outstanding. He produces a real feeling of absolute terror with his performance that had me sweating with nerves. Truly powerful. Bravo!

Maybe being a child of the generation depicted in this movie made me feel closer to the situations. I am not Jewish if that means anything. All the actors in this story play their roles perfectly. The tension builds to a point that makes one totally involved in the events. I highly recommend this film to everyone. Not for its historical significance but for the performances of all the actors. There are few films that involve an audience so much that one feels the pressure, tension, anxiety, and utter fear the characters portray in the story. Landau plays his part well, but Gretchen Becker, Judy Parfitt and Kenny Doughty are superb along with all the supporting actors. A great movie. I like to call these movies "sleepers".

World War 2 ... it is not just the war that was abhorent ... it is how human beings were treated. Please do not compare yourself to what especially Jews had to go through, if you decide by choice to not listen to medical experts - that is just one example of how people nowadays like to distort history.

Now that aside, there are cliches here and some predictable plot twists. But overall it is quite the engaging human story. Even when certain other twists are ... well hard to understand to say the least. But ... it is what it is and I reckon we are human after all, even if it doesn't always seem that way (in this case when being a Nazi - never forget that some if not most were brainwashed into believing certain things ... which would be a more apt comparison for those thinking themselves as victims, but let's not delve more into that).

It is a bit long and I reckon has certain pacing flaws, but the question is how much you are willing to cut it some slack for the message and the endurance of the main characters ... so in the end as always it will be up to you ...

In 1944, in Hungary, the wealthy Jewish industrialist Joseph Krauzenberg (Martin Landau) is forced by the Reichführer Heinrich Himmler (Danny Webb) to deliver his 3,000 employee factory; his palace with his collection of antiques and arts; a large amount in gold; and his house to the Reich. In return, the Nazis would send his big family that is arrested in Gestapo safe and sound to the neutral Switzerland and then to Palestine. Himmler schedules a dinner with Krauzenberg and his wife Rachel Krauzenberg (Judy Parfitt) to sign the contract and orders the butcher Eichmann (Steven Mackintosh) to not do harm to the imprisoned Jews relatives of Krauzenberg. Himmer also send the SS Edelhein (Christopher Fulford) to check the security of the palace and the two German house servants of Krauzenberg, Hans Vassman (Kenny Doughty) and his beautiful pregnant wife Ingrid Vassman (Caroline Carver). Hans and Ingrid are actually the Jews David and Leila Steinberg and members of the resistance. When the Krauzenberg couple concludes the negotiation with Himmler, Ingrid discloses to the couple that Hans and she are Jews. However, the deal is closed and Joseph has no means to include the young servants in his deal.

"The Aryan Couple" is an engaging, thrilling and dramatic war super production. The story is suspenseful and uses magnificent locations and cinematography. Martin Landau is fantastic as usual and Ms. Judy Parfitt has the best lines confronting Himmler. Despite the use of English language even for the German soldiers, the performances are excellent. The realistic negotiation of Joseph Krauzenberg with the Germans to save his family and the corruption of Dresler are unusual themes in this type of war movie that is unfortunately underrated in IMDb. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Contrato Arriscado" ("Risky Contract")

None of the film's creators seemingly bothered to check on WHICH side of Jews' (under the Nazi Germans) clothing the Star of David was demanded! It was the RIGHT side, NOT the left! With the THOROUGH search ordered of the Krausenberg palace it is not credible that the radio transmitter/receiver and its large antenna were not discovered by the SS. Additionaally, such a rig would have been swiftly detected and localized by Radio Direction Finding (RDF) equipment. All underground radio transmitter operations had to be moved from one place to another as swiftly as possible to avoid detection by RDF.

The suggestion that Heinrich Himmler had a sense of honor and therefore kept his word to Krausenberg is not only beyond ridiculous but it also attempts at a saving grace to a completely dishonorable and without scruples man. As it turned out in the end, he didn't even keep his word to his divine Adolf Hitler! Ex "native" of the Lodz Ghetto, Auschwitz and Dachau