Perlasca: The Courage of a Just Man (2002)

It is the real story of Giorgio Perlasca (Luca Zingaretti). During the 1920s he was an Italian Fascist supporter, fighting in Africa an in the Spanish civil war where he deserved a safe ... See full summary »

Director:

Alberto Negrin

Writers:

Enrico Deaglio (novel), Sandro Petraglia

Stars:

Luca Zingaretti, Jérôme Anger, Amanda Sandrelli

5 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Luca Zingaretti	...	Giorgio Perlasca
Jérôme Anger	...	Farkas ügyvéd
Amanda Sandrelli	...	Magda
Franco Castellano	...	Adam
Marco Bonini	...	Sandor
Lorenzo Lavia	...	Daniel
Elena Arvigo	...	Anna
Christiane Filangieri	...	Eva (as Christiane Filangeri)
György Cserhalmi	...	Bleiber
Jean-François Garreaud	...	Professor (as Jean Francois Garreaud)
Dezsö Garas	...	Rabbi
Palle Granditsky	...	Jacob (as Palle Granditzky)
Alvaro Gradella	...	Ufficiale Szarka
Giuliana Lojodice	...	M.me Tournè
Mathilda May	...	Contessa Eleonora

Storyline

It is the real story of Giorgio Perlasca (Luca Zingaretti). During the 1920s he was an Italian Fascist supporter, fighting in Africa an in the Spanish civil war where he deserved a safe conduct for Spanish embassies. After some years, disillusioned by fascism, he is a fresh supplier for the Italian army. In the war years he is in Budapest for his business. He lives an easy life there, well introduced into the Hungarian high society, without any problem coming from the war situation. When the Nazi occupied Hungary, in 1944, instead to leave (Italy had already surrendered to the Allies) he escaped to the Spanish embassy in Budapest using his old safe conduct and becoming a Spanish citizen, changing name into Jorge Perlasca. He starts working as a diplomat here. When Sanz Briz (Geza Tordy), the Spanish consul, is removed, Perlasca immediately substitutes him, like if he was officially appointed from Spanish authorities. All the Nazi, the Hungarian authorities believe him. In his new fake...

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Plot Keywords:

hiding a jew | child in danger | false identity | army | soviet | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy France Sweden Hungary

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

28 January 2002 (Italy)

Also Known As:

El cónsul Perlasca

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rai Fiction, France 2 (FR2), Hamster Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

197 min (2 parts)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

Boldogság-duett
excerpt of the operetta Csárdáskirálynõ
Written by Emmerich Kálmán

User Reviews

Schindler's List part II

The title summarizes it all: this is a second version of Schindler's List: a fascist who finally saves the jews by all means he has... What's the big difference?

First of all, it's the peculiar setting in time and place. During World War II, Hungary chose the side of the Axis, until Horthy, the dictator seeked for contact with the Allies in 1944 (the walls of the Third Reich were crumbling at that time). Hitler then supported the Hungarian Nazi's (who never were a part of the regime of Horthy), the Arrow Cross Party, to take control. They immediately introduced a severe jew prosecution and extermination. These facts are little known. So, it's strange to see the uniforms and symbols of the Hungarian Nazi's, because they are unfamiliar to us.

Second, where Spielberg was a bit wary of showing too many horror, the Italians didn't hide a thing. For instance the mass execution scene where couples were tied up on each other and the husband executed, dumped in the Danube so the wife drowned isn't suitable for children.

This movie may be stamped forever as Schindler's List II, but it's better.