Walking with the Enemy

I have found that it is an amazing experience that so many films based on a true story are fraught with a ton of seriousness and intensity. Even "Pain & Gain" was intense, however comical in so many other ways, that when you were taking this seriously, you just couldn't believe it. I've seen a plethora of 'true story' films, but "Walking with the Enemy" is incredibly grueling, sad and amazingly intense.

This film, based on a true story, follows the heroic lives of a world leader and a young man swept up in the horrors of WWII. Both men are from Hungary--a country and German ally that had been spared the atrocities orchestrated by Hitler throughout much of Europe. As the war reaches its climax, Germany begins to doubt the loyalties of the Hungarian leadership--in particular Regent Horthy (Ben Kingsley). The regent tries to navigate his country between the growing terror of Nazi Germany, mostly by Colonel Skorzeny (Burn Gorman) and Adolf Eichmann (Charles Hubbell), and the oppressive threat of communist Russia. He is ultimately faced with ceding power to another political party or accepting the execution of his son, Miklos (Shane Taylor). As the crisis unfolds, thousands of his citizens are forced underground or put into ghettos. One of them is a young man named Elek Cohen (Jonas Armstrong) who is separated from his family and determined to find them. Aided by the woman he loves Hannah Schoen (Hannah Tointon), Elek disguises himself as a Nazi SS officer and discovers the truth of Hitler's 'Final Solution'. In a race against time to save his family and thousands of his countrymen, he embarks on a journey filled with suspense and danger.

Others to round out the cast are Mark Wells as Ferenc Jacobson, Elek's best buddy, Flora Spencer-Longhurst as Rachel Schoen, Hannah's sister, Simon Dutton as Miklos Schoen, Simon Kunz as Jozef Greenberg, Mark Wingett as Sorenzi, Simon Hepworth as President Szalasi, Charles De'Ath as Lt. Krieger, William Hope as Carl Lutz, Andrew Brooke as Capt. Kovarcz, Patrick Toomey as Wisliceny, Richard Albrecht as Rabbi Cohen, Elek's father, Naomi Capron as Mrs. Schoen and Karl Backus as Colonel Weber.

This was directed with a certain amount of grit by Mark Schimdt. It was slightly stagy in a couple of places, but considering this is the guy's first theatrical film, this was an admiral attempt, and he will undoubtedly receive more work. It was written by Kenny Golde based on a story by Schimdt. With all that was going on here, this was extremely well cohesive. Only a couple of places were a bit choppy, but all in all, nicely executed. Frankly, the substance of the plot--the atrocities to witness of these incredibly oppressed people more than compensated for a couple of choppy places in script.

It was difficult to believe that this was based on a true story considering the gratuitous abuse of these oppressed people, but then we have witnessed other similar films based on true stories that were as gratuitous i.e. "Schindler's List", "The Pianist" and too many others to list, that this is yet another horror to endure. This is a tough watch, but one that will only remind us that violence, oppression, and abuse will never override love, sacrifice and redemption which this film presented in spades.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                         Rated: PG-13                           124mins.