Movie Review: ‘Walking with the Enemy’

Walking with the Enemy Review
Jonas Armstrong in 'Walking with the Enemy' (Photo @ 2014 Liberty Studios. All Rights Reserved)

“If we don’t try to save the others, who will?” asks Elek Cohen (Jonas Armstrong) as he once again puts on a German officer’s uniform to try to save more Jewish people from be murdered by the SS in the dramatic film Walking with the Enemy.

In 1944 during World War II, Germany invades Hungary doubting their loyalty to the Reich. As the Nazis take control of the country, they begin to round up all the Jewish people and send them to either work camps or concentration camps. Elek is separated from his family and sent to a work camp. Quickly realizing the chance of survival in the camp is practically zero, Elek escapes and makes his way back home to discover to his horror that his parents, sister, and baby brother have been shipped off to a concentration camp.

Fortunately, Elek’s new girlfriend, Hannah (Hannah Tointon), takes him to work for her uncle who is employed by the Swiss government and is printing Swiss-Jewish documents that should keep any Jewish person who carries them safe from the SS and Gestapo. But one night on her way home Hannah is harassed and chased by two semi-drunk German officers who break into her parent’s home while one officer keeps her family and Elek back with his pistol, the other grabs Hannah and takes her into the bedroom to rape her.

When the first officer goes into the bedroom too, Elek rushes in and he and Hannah manage to kill both of them during the fight. They bury them in the cellar. A few days later when one of Elek’s best friends gets picked up by the German police and taken away to be tortured, Elek – desperate to try to save him – digs up the dead officers and uses their uniforms to enter the German-infested prison and order them to turn his captured friend over to him for questioning. Getting him back to their safe house, Elek quickly realizes that he can pose as a German officer to try to save other Jewish prisoners from certain death. But how long can he continue the charade before being discovered as a fraud?

Inspired by a true story, Walking with the Enemy is an intense World War II dramatic thriller that effectively brings back the horrors and hatred of the times. The film has a solid cast with Sir Ben Kingsley as Regent Horthy, the leader of Hungary trying desperately to find a way to save his country from the Nazis and align Hungary with Russia. It’s another flawless performance.

Jonas Armstrong delivers a decent but at times the over-the-top performance as Elek, the young man willing to risk his own life time and time again to save others. He has great chemistry with Hannah Tointon as Hannah the girl he hopes to one day marry, and his best scenes are with her and when he poses as the German officer trying to save other Jewish citizens from being slaughtered. It’s in the scenes with his friends explaining why he has to keep trying to save more and more lives that he has a tendency to overact.

Hannah Tointon is perfect as Hannah, the lovely young girl who both loves and admires Elek for his courage and morals and fears for his life more and more every time he puts on the SS uniform. She conveys wonderfully many emotions in the film – from love to terror and determination. Flora Spencer-Longhurst is superb as Rachel, Hannah’s kid sister. She steals almost every scene she’s in and conveys such horrible fear so wonderfully that it’s sure to stay with the audience long after the credits roll.

The set design, production, and costumes are first-rate, bringing back to life and capturing the look and sound of Hungary during the Nazi occupation in 1944.

Compelling and engaging, Walking with the Enemy is an inspirational film that captures both the horrors of war and the strength and bravery of good men. It’s a film not to be missed.

GRADE B-

Walking with the Enemy was directed by Mark Schmidt and is rated PG-13 for war violence including crimes against humanity.