The Counterfeiters (Die Fälscher) (Die Fälscher)

THE COUNTERFEITERS

THE WAR IS OVER

BEAUTIFUL SHORE

Monsieur Sorowitsch?

I'm afraid we require a deposit.

$200 is more than enough.

Is this your first visit to Monte Carlo?

Excellent. That's going to be fine.

Little adjustment here, that's all.

PRIVATE ROOM

Cheers.

What's that?

You're not from a camp, are you?

I'm not a...

Sally!

Schmitz!

Where's the other 150?

Know how risky it is off-loading your duds?

Sally!

Can you lend me something? Twenty?

Come over all political?

Ludwig here took me along to a meeting.

Heil! Heil! Heil!

And I've joined them too!

Look!

He gave it to me 'cause I'm so kind to him!

In bed or in the party?

You see, Schmitz...

if I let you cheat me, tomorrow someone eIse wiII cheat me.

Soon they'll all cheat me.

It's not about the 150. It's a matter of principle.

It's about my very existence, and for that I could be driven...

to take extreme measures.

Sally, you old crook!

Let me introduce an old friend of mine!

Sally Sorowitsch, the most charming scoundrel in Berlin!

Sorowitsch?

Are you Russian?

I hope you're not a Communist?

Enough of a Communist to share my champagne with you.

Sally-- that's a droll sort of name.

Where does it come from?

It's short for Salomon.

Salomon?

She can spit the champagne back. It's a Rothschild.

I'm trusting you.

What do they always say? Don't do business with Jews!

Trying so hard not to be noticed gets you noticed.

Not learnt that yet in the Resistance?

I'm sorry, Sally.

- In two hours up at my place. - OK, Sally.

You're leaving?

Tonight.

Got a tip-off. Been here too long.

Crack the dollar and you can do anything.

It's not quite perfect. But one of these days...

Have you got the money?

That's what we wanted to talk to you about.

- They're our people. - Our people?

I'm me and the others are the others.

Don't you see what's going on around you?

What the Nazis are doing to us?

Know why the Jews are always persecuted?

Because they refuse to adapt! It's not that hard.

- Sally, don't you have any-- - No.

Need a certificate of Aryan purity?

I'll do one proving you descend from Siegfried and the Dragon.

Do you know Schiele?

I even met him once,

in Vienna.

A great master.

Your pictures.

I don't believe you're such an asshole.

Who'd have thought it? Hans using beautiful women...

Listen--

The jewelry's not even worth half.

I need an Argentinean passport.

- I've already packed. - Hans, you can go.

I'll settle this with Mr. Sorowitsch.

You're lucky...

wanting an Argentinean passport.

The home of tango.

You could be a really great artist.

What do you know about it?

A great deal.

Otherwise I wouldn't have stayed.

Why earn money by making art?

Earning money by making money is far easier.

I have to go.

May I?

Friedrich Herzog, Berlin CID, Counterfeit Squad.

It is a great honor

to arrest the world's best counterfeiter,

if that is any consolation.

The dollar!

Bitten off more than we can chew, eh?

Go on!

Get up, you lazy Jewish bastard!

Get up, will you!

You there! Get rid of that vermin!

They're out to get us.

This is no jail.

They're going to kill us.

They're out to get us.

The Kapo:

Melzer.

Watch out for him.

A murderer.

The ones with the green triangle...

habitual criminals, worse than the SS.

But you don't look like a--

If you touch me I'll cut your throat.

I'll be watching you, you filthy swine.

I'll get you!

Are you crazy? You can't just--

He has to respect me,

but not lose face.

The same as in any other jail.

On your feet!

Who did this?

Number 75517.

I like it.

You've caught it well, Jew.

- It would be better in color. - What?

It would be better in color, Herr Unterscharführer.

The sheen of the boots.

Drawn from memory.

What's all this?

Herr Hauptsturmführer, it's...

It's like this, I...

FIVE YEARS LATER

Sorowitsch!

Look at this.

I thought a Styrian jacket would look good!

I can paint whatever you want, Herr Sturmbannführer.

You're being moved. Sachsenhausen. Tomorrow.

But the picture isn't finished.

I have to finish the picture.

So the maggot's afraid of losing its bacon!

A dirty little Jew like you can fix himself up anywhere!

Stinks to high heaven, that Jew!

Food.

I always admired the Russian avant-garde.

Kandinsky, Rodchenko!

At the academy in Odessa we had a professor called Lebed.

In my time, Lebed was a junior lecturer.

You were at the academy? You're Russian too?

I don't like speaking Russian. Reminds me of bad times.

You prefer to speak German?

I had a family.

We used to say,

Lebed and good art is like a virgin and good...

Fucking.

So you know that one too!

Number 75517.

Salomon Sorowitsch.

The King of Counterfeiters!

SS Sturmbannführer Herzog. Don't you remember? Herzog?

CID Berlin, Counterfeit Squad.

I arrested you! It got me promoted!

What size are you?

48.

- Shoe size? - 42.

Welcome to Sachsenhausen!

Name, profession, size?

Burger, printer.

Collotype. 52.

More like 46/48 now.

Shoe size?

41.

No, thanks.

A non-smoker! As you wish. Much healthier!

Name, profession, size?

Welcome to Sachsenhausen.

We use a different tone here in my domain

than in the camps you've just come from.

I'd like to regard you as coworkers here.

Together we're going to...

Yes.

The clothes are secondhand.

You can wear prison stripes if you prefer.

After all, stripes flatter the figure!

What's his name?

What the hell was that for?

A symbolic gesture-- to get us shot?

My dear Jews...

today I bring you a specialist of international standing,

Salomon Sorowitsch.

He will supervise the retouching department!

"Operation Bernhard."

Counterfeit money on a huge scale.

ID cards, documents, banknotes...

all to the latest technical standards.

I expect the newcomers will want to freshen up and reIax?

Our foreman here, dear old Atze,

will show you around.

I wish you every success!

Another fine speech by Herr Sturmbannführer.

Fine beds.

Why are they giving us such fine beds?