Set in 1936 Berlin, The Counterfeiters focuses on talented artist Salomon “Sally” Sorowitch -- portrayed by Karl Markovics – who makes his living by forging documents and currency. Though he excels in his craft, he’s eventually arrested and sent to a labor camp. As the Nazis rise to full power, Sorowitch, a Russian Jew, gets shipped off to a concentration camp.

Friedrich Herzog (Devid Striesow), the policeman who arrested Sorowitch, has made a name for himself by capturing him -- and he’s been promoted to Superintendent by the Nazi party. Realizing that Sally can be an asset to the Nazis in a counterfeiting scheme, Herzog arranges for Sally to be transferred to Sachsenhausen, along with other Jewish prisoners who have useful skills in the same area.

The purpose of the operation involves destroying the British economy -- and eventually that of the United States -- by pumping in counterfeit currency. Sally realizes that once he’s of no use to the Germans, he’ll be executed like the other Jews; however, his survival instinct keeps him working. The prisoners in the camp continue to pump out currency just to survive another day -- except for Adolph Burger (August Diehl), who sabotages their efforts. A young communist, Burger believes the cause against the Third Reich to be greater than that of personal survival. And Sorowitch, who’s essential to the entire operation, is torn between protecting Burger and keeping himself and the others alive.

The Counterfeiters -- 2008’s Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film -- presents the  true story of Operation Bernhard, the largest counterfeiting operation in history. Austrian director/writer Stephan Ruzowitzky shoots the scenes persuasively, with sparing use of dull color. The convincing and superb acting allows you to examine these characters with all of their moral defects. Though the film is shot from Sally’s perspective, you don’t even care for him in the beginning. After all, he’s a con artist. Still, as the movie progresses, you learn to respect and understand him. In fact, this movie takes you into the souls of the prisoners, and it poses a dilemma: is it moral to prolong one’s life and the lives of others at any cost, or should one fight against evil, no matter what the outcome? Or is there a noble stance in between?

What makes The Counterfeiters so significant, however, is that it forces the audience to ask those same questions -- and it proves that the answers are not all that clear-cut.

(Released by Sony Pictures Classics in German with English subtitles. Rated “R” for some strong violence, brief sexuality, nudity and language.)

Review also posted at www.nightsandweekends.com.