Walking with the Enemy

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. .

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!

If you enjoy movies about WW2 or the Holocaust then you might find enough in this movie to make it worthwhile. It's a bit schizophrenic. Luckily the good parts outweigh the bad.

There's plenty of wartime action and suspense, and for the most part it's fairly well directed. It's the personal dramatic parts that occasionally fall flat, usually dragged down by some expository dialog that might as well have the actors holding up signs that read "here's a little bit of the history." Ben Kingsley's first appearance in the film is a good example. His hairpiece looks great but he delivers an uncharacteristically leaden balloon as he "converses" about the situation in his country. In his later scenes he's excellent.

The coda offers an equally clunky wrap-up of the story. It also left me scratching my head, wondering why -- since they acknowledge at this late point that it's based on a true life hero -- why they didn't just make it about that person. Was it perhaps a literary rights issue? If so, why bother mentioning the real person at all?

The direction and editing are also uneven, generally good but occasionally terrible. The big action or suspense scenes are very effectively staged and edited, but the "fade to black" transitions at times are more appropriate for a TV movie needing to break for a commercial than for an (alleged) 80 million epic.

And while the costumes and hairstyles are generally authentic, the lead actor's hair and the little boy's are way too modern, a constant reminder that we're watching a movie and these are only actors playing a role. If the whole story didn't depend on the lead passing himself off as a Nazi soldier, his millennial 'do might have passed muster. Note to future filmmakers: if directing a period piece, check out some old stock footage or paintings to make sure your hair department is on the ball... and don't hire actors who refuse to cut their precious locks.

Don't expect The Pianist or Saving Private Ryan but it's also far from the disaster some of the reviewers here report.

I loved this movie, loved the story, though the lead was great. I was pleased with the rest of the cast, they were all good, and Ben Kingsley, is always amazing.

I liked learning a bit more about the history of what happened in Hungary and Austria and their relationship with the Natzi's and Russians.

The story was captivating, exciting thought at points seemed to be a bit of a stretch, as if it were too embellished and had gone 'too Hollywood'.

This is a highly polished movie, and while that should not be a criticism, it is allegedly and indie film. Someone or group has highly funded this movie to push it through. It will be in theaters in a few months as it has been scooped up for distribution.

It's not your typical hollocaust, it has a very different story, but be prepared for the usual graphic depiction of the horrors of war.

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.