Max and Helen (1990 TV Movie) User Reviews

By the numbers movie lifted by performances of cast

[sydneypatrick · 7/10 · 7 February 2003]

Simon Wiesenthal (Martin Landau) goes after a former Nazi and in doing so, upturns the lives of a doctor (Treat Williams) and his long lost love (Alice Krige). As this one is written, I think it would actually play better on the stage - it feels stagey rather than filmic. But in 1990 it was likely the best of its kind on television. The focus of this story is that on the lost lovers and their individual plights rather than the former Nazi himself, and that is refreshing. The performances of all the cast help this one rise above the average.

Painful story

[jeffreyfrankel · 8/10 · 5 March 2024]

The suggestion is that Simon Wiesenthal decided not to prosecute the Camp Commandent, but he did in 1962 even against the wishes of the two witnesses, who were probably the only survivors of this camp. We dont know how it affected them or their son who was the result of rape by the camp commander, and until that time was brought up as Jewish and thought his father had died in the war fighting the Germans. It is possible the book by SW and the film changed the names, but since there was a prosecution in 1962 it is difficult to see how SW could have hidden his actions from the two witnesses and the son.

Disgusting!

[CocoSea · 1/10 · 18 March 2023]

This story is fundamentally disgusting! A Nazi war criminal (Werner Schultze) was never held accountable for his part in WWII atrocities because of one womin. Shi decided not to terminate the pregnancy that resulted from rape by the war criminal. I don't know how shi was ever able to live with herself carrying a Nazi child who appears as a replica of his monster father.

The hypocrite Wiesenthal chooses not to prosecute a Nazi, spitting on the graves of many! The acting was not that good. The directing was meager, it didn't do anything to aid with any possible compassion for the two separated lovers.

I am a crime victim and I wish I had never seen this film.