The Aryan Couple

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 ...

John Daly second film as a director is a gem , outstanding performances by a talented cast led by Martin Landau & a sharp tongued Judy Parafit the story has interesting sub plots that leave the audience twisting and turning to the final conclusion . Beautifully shot on location in Poland ,the sets are lush and the cinema photography is rich with color and texture. Daly has gone on to break new ground yet again , his courage and foresight are well documented and his attempt to break new ground yet again is impressive . I highly recommend this film based on real events of the Europa project during WWII in which a rich Jewish industrialist played by Landau seeks a way out of Nazi infested Hungary by trading his fortune for freedom of his entire family and a plane to Palistine . This thriller was compared to the work of Hithcock and Polanski in a recent NY review. Congrats to John Daly who has broken the boundaries yet again.

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!

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")

Kenny Doughty and Caroline Carver play the title role of a pair of gentile house servants to a wealthy Jewish couple, Martin Landau and Judy Parfitt. Landau is some concern to the Third Reich which is now both at war with the world and just getting into the business of exterminating Jews. But this particular Jew has a large industrial concern that he built, but the firm's liquid assets are in banks quite beyond the control of the Reich. The Nazi dilemma is to get them to hand over control and maybe let them live, emigrate to Palestine as part of the bargain.

Danny Webb plays Heinrich Himmler and he'd love to get control of the industrial concern for the S.S. and get to be number two in the regime maybe displace rivals, Borrman, Goebbels, Speer, and Goering. And Landau's got an art collection and if Himmler gets a hold of that, he'll have one to rival the one Goering is looting from France. So what's wrong with having dinner, breaking bread even if it is with Jews.

The fly in the ointment is The Aryan Couple who turn out to be both resistance fighters and Jews. It certainly did look strange that in those times gentiles would be working for Jews when that was expressly forbidden by the Nuremberg laws. They certainly raise a few eyebrows at S.S. headquarters.

The cast performs well enough, but on the whole I found the story to be bizarre at best. And it might have worked well with just Landau as the industrialist matching wits with Himmler over dinner and drinks. The Aryan Couple of the title really contributes nothing to the essential part of the story.