User reviews

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.

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. .

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.

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!

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.

"Walking with the Enemy," a 2013 historical drama set during World War II, offers a glimpse into a lesser-known chapter of Holocaust history. While the film's intentions are noble, its execution falls short of its potential, resulting in a somewhat middling experience.

The movie's strengths lie in its compelling true story and the earnest performances of its cast. The production design effectively captures the period, immersing viewers in war-torn Hungary. However, the film struggles with pacing issues and occasionally relies on melodramatic elements that detract from its historical gravity.

Despite its flaws, "Walking with the Enemy" succeeds in shedding light on acts of heroism during one of history's darkest periods. The film's 6/10 rating reflects its admirable attempt to tackle complex historical events, even if it doesn't fully realize its ambitious goals.

For viewers interested in World War II narratives and stories of individual courage, "Walking with the Enemy" may prove to be a worthwhile, albeit imperfect, viewing experience.

Walking with the Enemy is a gripping tale of a horrible time in history. This emotionally wrenching movie is a unique re-telling of a real life story. I recommend watching this movie but caution you, if you do watch the film, please make sure you have plenty of Kleenex on hand to wipe away the tears you are sure to shed. This movie was interesting because it reveals the courage it took to impersonate a Nazi in order to save the lives of innocent people. It is sad to think of the heartache people had to live through and the lives that were lost due to demonic acts of inhumanity committed because of hate and a false sense of importance.

Living in Hungary, I wondered what Hollywood had created about my country's history, making it in Romania! Well, they created a disaster. The characters are always calling each other's name, sometimes three times within a minute, just like in poor South-American soap operas. The Hungarian soldiers seem to wear Romanian uniform! When the Germans invade Hungary, they parade with Russian T-34 tanks! The hictorical facts are raped for the sake of making this movie. For example, military labour service for Jews is announced on posters, but in reality they were offically drafted. or the certificate of baptism is printed in English too in a small town in Hungary in '44 or they portray the deportation of the Jews from the countryside as if they had taken men to work camps first so they could depart women and children more easily, which is nonsense as all of them were transported to Nazi lagers. They show Skorzeny (probably because he had an ugly scar on his face) calling on Governor Horthy in the summer of '44 along with a Nazi-symphatizer Hungarian politician, Ferenc Szálasi, which is also nonsense because Skorzeny was a leader of a German comando which kidnapped Horthy's son in October.

The list could go on. All I feel sorry for is the waste of my time and Ben Kingsley.

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.

It is hard to believe that Mark Schmitt spent $80 million making this pathetically inadequate piece of film-making. According to the film's website this is what he spent (wasted). It is evident from the website that this movie was a vanity movie given all the attention on where various family members appeared in the movie. From what I have heard from the industry the movie was already in the can when they decided to add Ben Kingsley to try and save it. This explains the disjointed flow. The dialog is worthy of a high school junior. The good reviews can only have come from family members and friends. Now this is the kind of movie that the North Korean's should keep out of the movie houses

A powerful retelling of a time in history where standing up for what was right often meant sacrificing your life. The acting was excellent, the lead of which Jonas Armstrong carried off brilliantly. I tried to see this in the theaters but my local theater only showed it for a couple days. By the time I heard it was playing and got there they were no longer playing it. Too bad because we need more movies like this in our theaters. If you haven't watched it, do so. It's a very touching movie about the value of all human life.

I'm usually a big fan of World War II movies since my grandparents were killed in the Shoah, but this film offered nothing but disappointment.

The plot was extremely disjointed and it hardly told a coherent narrative, nearly everyone I watched it with was extremely confused throughout the movie. But, he plot wasn't the only issue, I expect movies about the Shoah to be historically accurate, but this was about 80% fiction with only minor fragments of truth here and there.

I would honestly say that the low quality of this film is an insult to the 6.5 Million Jews murdered by Adolf Hitler. The producers should be ashamed of themselves.

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 only watched about 20 minutes of the movie, before I finally quit. Why is it that directors and producers take such care with costumes and with women's hairstyles, then botch the whole thing up by having the men wear 21st century haircuts? The only men who had long hair in the 1930s and 1940s were those who were in no condition to do something about it, like those in concentration camps and in prison. Men did not wear long hair, did not wear their hair thick on their necks, and not touching their collars. But I see it time after time in modern WWII movies. Just look at photos from that period.

This is an exciting action WW2 movie based on real events, some of which feel too unbelievable to be have happened. A Jewish Hungarian escapes a labour camp and wears a dead Nazi uniform to rescue many Jews. The action is gripping without being too over the top. The actors are all very suited to their parts and act well. The production isn't cheap either.

Interesting look at what happened to Hungary during the last year of the war.

Not having any connection with Hungary I never knew of its history during WW2, though I did know that thousands of Hungarian Jews and Roma were murdered by the Nazis. So this was very interesting to me from a historical perspective. This story is from a real-life hero, a Hungarian Jew whose courage -chutzpah - saved hundreds of his own people. There are many other heroes, the Catholic priests who forged baptismal certificates; the nuns whose convent sheltered Jewish children, the Swiss diplomats, and ordinary people willing to befriend their Jewish neighbors. Unfortunately, we also see the worst of human nature. I found it very compelling. Giving it a 10 because the film makers wove the politics of Hungary into the story, perhaps recognizing that unlike war movies about France or Italy, people needed to be told what was going on at the Government level in Hungary during the War. After the War it was closed to Western eyes and therefore not many stories of resistance came out of it. It could have been very confusing trying to figure out the moves by those in power, particularly the delicate balancing act of the Regent as he tried to protect Hungary and her people, all of them, from bloodshed.

Although the film has some weaknesses, I found it worthwhile to watch. The history of Hungary in World War II is not often told and this film helps to understand that history and document the war crimes committed there.

My only comment is a casting error. Although I like Burn Gorham as an actor, he (5'9") should not have been cast to play the 6'3" Skorzeny.

Such an incredible accounting based on a unique true story and tribute to an amazing, courageous young man brave enough to stand against Hitler's horrible killing machine by impersonating a Nazi SS officer in order to save the lives of innocent people. Rescuing thousands of men, women and children from extermination. A powerful time in history when protecting other's often meant sacrificing your own life. So very sad to think of the suffering and heartache people had to endure due to such inhumane acts committed because of hate, desire for importance and world denomination. Gripping horrible time in history. Excellent acting by entire cast. Brilliant performance by lead actor Jonas Armstrong.

From a cinematic standpoint, it is undoubtedly an excellent production that spares no resources in staging all the necessary elements for the proper development of the plot.

Certainly, it is also true that this is a cinematic fiction, and as in any fiction, some characters may not be portrayed entirely faithfully. I think, for example, of that cunning character Otto Skorzeny in roles that are probably not entirely faithful.

These and other small liberties, which are clearly of a narrative nature and serve to make the storytelling more fluid and comprehensible, should not be perceived as historical errors and therefore invalidating. In such a complex production, it is nearly impossible for every minute detail to be kept under control, and sometimes, even with the intention and the necessary means, it proves impossible to have accurate military vehicles for the events being narrated.

It's evident that the film Schindler's List opened up a narrative vein that is easy and convenient to explore, but in this case, despite the underlying story being akin to that of the Hungarian Schindler, the events of a series of characters are actually recounted, enriching the narrative. The result is a portrayal that is more or less faithful, more or less debatable, of a Hungary under Nazi occupation and the consequent "liberation" by the Russians.