Unter Feinden - Walking with the Enemy

Film critics and too many ordinary movie goers have been much too hard on this film, which comes across as an exciting--if at times unbelievable-- tale of an ordinary Jew trying almost single-handedly to wage a losing war against the Nazis and their partners in genocide, the Arrow Cross (Hungarian Nazis.) It's a fast-paced film that war movie lovers will definitely enjoy. If you're looking for Gone With The Wind, you took out the wrong flic!

Early in the film, resistance fighter Cohen (Jonas Armstrong) and one of his friends have the opportunity to steal a German officer's uniform to enable Cohen to infiltrate areas that he would not normally be able to go. It's actually a concentration camp guard uniform, because it has the insignia of the SS-Totenkopfverbände (Death's Head Units - the administrators of the concentration camps), which ALL German WWII officers wore according to many film and TV producers. The film itself has the feeling of a made-for-TV-movie, but IMDb doesn't give any indication of that being the case. There are places with clear demarcation between acts, as if to enable commercials to be inserted for television. Additionally, I'm used to watching Jonas Armstrong in the BBC series "Robin Hood". Armstrong maintains two to four days of beard growth throughout the film, including when he is wearing the SS uniform, even though the SS were required to be clean-shaven daily, and maintained a high standard of grooming and appearance. I'm guessing that the filmmakers are counting on the vast majority of people not knowing that so Armstrong can use his "rugged good looks" to help win us over, in case we weren't already on his side as the film's hero and Nazi fighter. That's probably also why his hair was longer than the SS would have allowed. The film is based on the true story of Pinchas Tibor Rosenbaum. The film's producers must have felt that a name like Elek Cohen would be a little easier for us goyim to handle than Pinchas Rosenbaum. It's a well-produced film, other than Armstrong's grooming, and an important World War II story about resistance to the Germans. I recommend it.

The film brought an unknown narrative of Jewish resistance in a country with a checkered history of political alliances to public awareness. The shift from the Jewish being integrated in a liberal way to the unexpected invasion by German troops was shocking. The human interest narratives were compelling, including how the smallest of gestures could turn into disaster or salvation. We saw this on TV, so seamlessness is not easily evaluated. Some of the scenes were big and, i believe, purposefully overwhelming, as one would be if caught in the middle. This film is worth the time, ready to inform us of what we really do not want to know about WWII. Not for the faint of heart.

I was captivated from beginning to the end with Walking with the Enemy--Although it clearly shows the horrors of the Holocaust taking place in Hungary, it also is a true story of hope and is ultimately a hero's journey. For this reason, it had me cheering until the end. Far too few films about the Holocaust focus on the Jewish resistance--kudos to the producers who carve out a place for one of these Jewish heroes in the history of the Holocaust. This is a true story of a young Jew brave enough to stand against Hitler's horror machine by dressing as a Nazi SS officer, rescuing men, women and children from extermination. The film opened my eyes to this little known fact --there were some Jews who stood strong against evil. What an incredible story and tribute to an amazing young man. The editing and storytelling were seamless which made the film both entertaining and yet meaningful. The cinematography was excellent. Although painful to watch, Walking with the Enemy finds a balance between hope and the truth of horror. The ending brought tears to my eyes, wow..brilliant..a slice of life story of the Holocaust I otherwise wouldn't know about. Overall , I recommend this film to a wide audience from 18-64, men and women interested in a story about an unsung hero.

Based on true story, 'Walking with the Enemy' is a gripping tale of WW II Hungary. However, a couple of characterisations seem awry. In the first place, Otto Skorzeny is turned into a nasty Adolf Eichmann type character, when he was in fact a combat commando who was acquitted of war crimes charges. Also, Ben Kingsley's portrayal of Regent Horthy is probably too noble - Horthy may have been basically decent, but he was also opportunistic, particularly in the earlier stages of the war. .