Le pacte

My wife picked this up at the video store the other night. I am a WWII period movie junkie.

I found the plot feasible, but unlikely. Himmler was too much of a controlling egomaniac to negotiate with a DIRTY JEW. He would have taken Krauzenberg Company and wealth and had him and his family killed.

The actors playing the NAZI soldiers did a good job showing the cold disregard and hatred that Nazis had for anyone but their own.

Martin Landau did a very good job playing Krauzenberg. He at least tried to have a German accent. Many of the other characters did not even attempt the accent, but instead sounded very British.

As for the cinematography, it was very good. The editing is OK. The music is typical for this type of movie.

The actor that played Himmler did a very good job with this role. It did help that he bore a striking resemblance to Himmler.

Overall this is good period piece that reminds us of the events of the Nazis and JEWS during WWII.

Despite the fact that there have been many good films about the Holocaust, the Nazi manipulated genocide of the Jews in World War II, there is enough room for a new perspective to that hideous period in history to make THE COUPLE a welcome addition to the repertoire. Written by Director John Daly based on a story by Kendrew Lascelles this film reveals a little known bit of history that shows that the Nazis allowed the wealthy Jews to 'buy their freedom and lives' at enormous losses. And the key Nazi, at least in this story, is none other than Himmler.

Joseph Krauzenberg (Martin Landau) is a very wealthy German Jewish industrial tycoon whose fortune is mirrored in his palaces that are more like museums of great art. But in the year 1944 his important steel mills and other major industries are needed by the Nazis and so a plan is hatched to offer Krauzenberg, his wife Rachel (Judy Parfitt) and his considerable family the opportunity to escape death by allowing them to leave Germany for Switzerland and ultimately for Palestine. The only servants the Krauzenbergs maintain are the Vassmans - Ingrid (Caroline Carver) and Hans (Kenny Doughty) - an Aryan couple who in reality work for the Underground and are actually Jews under strong cover.

Eichmann (Steven Mackintosh) and Himmler (Danny Webb) are perpetrating the plan to gain all of the wealth and lands and homes and art of the Krauzenbergs and they attend a dinner party at the Krauzenberg palace to sign the final papers. One of the other officers Edelhein (Christopher Fulford) is the most repulsive of the group and despite the fact that Ingrid Vassman is pregnant, Edelhein pursues her as a perfect foil for implanting his precious seed in the 'Aryan beauty' to populate the new Germany. As the night of transaction occurs Krauzenberg visits his large family being held by Eichmann in the Gestapo and reassures them that all will be safe. The Vassmans love the Krauzenbergs and ultimately confess that they are Jewish and wish to escape to Palestine with the Krauzenbergs. In a fast paced finale the trials and tribulations of the final plan are worked through in a somewhat surprising way.

THE COUPLE is beautifully photographed (the film was shot in Poland despite the fact that the Krauzenberg estates were in Hungary) and the mood of evil is always present in the night scenes with the requisite searchlights penetrating the darkness. Laudau and Parfitt are strong as are Webb, Mackintosh and Fulford. Neither Caroline Carver nor Kenny Doughty is up to the task of making the Couple credible. But the overall impact of the film is the focus of the evil that drove the Nazi machine, even with this slight bit of human kindness that was bestowed on the Krauzenberg family at such an awful cost. Grady Harp

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")

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 ...

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