Both Peter Muller and Hans Huberman were forced to join the Nazis. In the movie “Swing Kids,” Peter Muller must enroll in the Hiterjugend (The Hitler Youth) because he gets caught stealing a radio from a bakery. In “The Book Thief,”  Hans Huberman tries to intervene as the police are taking away a neighbor because he’s a Jew. Because of this, Hand gets a telegram about being drafted in the Nazi army.

I think both movies made sure to have characters like this because even though they’re against the Nazi ideology, they were still sucked into the army.Herzog and Herr Knopp are both in high positions for the Nazi party but still help and support the people who anti-Nazi or people the Nazi party dislike (Jews, communist, etc.) Herr Knopp is a partial help to the Muller family in Swing Kids even though Peters dad had been accused of being a communist. Herzog in Counterfeiters gives many opportunities and gifts to Solly and the others to have a better life in the concentration camps.  Rosa Huberman and Frau Muller are both women during the World War II period of Germany. This is the time period when Germany was under the ruler Nazi Party and it’s leader Adolf Hitler.  Both of their personalities are different as Rosa Hubermann has a rough exterior while Frau Muller is an introverted women. Both are sucked into the support of the Nazi party even though they don’t support the ideology.

Both women need to like the Nazi party in order to reform in society. But Frau Muller also has to like the Nazi party because of her relationship with Herr Knopp, the head of the local Gestapo, the secret police of the Nazis. The movie “Book Theif” shows the life of Nazi Germany through a child’s eyes. It shows viewers how all of society was based on the influence of the Nazi.

The movie also showed us how much risk there was for a Jew in Nazi Germany. We see this as the family hids Max Vandenburg, a Jew, in their cramped basement. “Swing Kids” shows Nazi germany from the eyes of a regular teen who loves         going to the local swing club to have a good time with his friends. It shows us how big the influence of the Nazi Party was. Viewers saw the change of Thomas, Peter’s friend who later was on the Nazi side. I learned how dangerous it was for citizens to go against the Nazi party rules and regulations. In fact, even if you listened to obligated music, you would be punished severely.

That’s why the community needed to accept what was happening in Germany. I was truly mind blowing perspective of life in the movie “Counterfeiters.” In this movie, we got to see the lifestyle of a person in the concentration camps and what cruelty they had to face.

We also see how the Nazi counterfeit money from different nations which explains the financial issue.  I think Thomas was easily influenced from the Nazis mainly starting from his situation at home. Thomas and his father hadn’t had a great relationship so when he was in the Hitlerjugend School (Hitler Youth), he accused his father of insulting Hitler, so he could cause some trouble. Of course, this works and the Nazis take his father away. I believe this pushed him to having a liking towards the party. There’s a difference between Burger and Sorowitsch mainly because of morality. Sorowitsch is a selfish, self keen man trying to save himself and of course with that the team. We especially see this when Sorowitsch finally submits the counterfeited US dollars in order to be alive.

In wanting to become a martyr, Burger volunteers the others for martyrdom without their permission. We see this when Burger doesn’t complete his task with the gelatin with the dollar bill on purpose because he doesn’t support the Nazi ideology at all. This causes the rest of counterfeiting team to be in a state of panic for their lives because of this. In common, they both want to survive through the life of the concentration camps. I believe I would identify to Sorowitsch more because I would just want to get through this without my life at stake. With Max’s inspiration and friendship, he gives Leisel purpose and is very influential towards her.

Because of daily things like Leisel describing the weather and reading to each other, she inspires to become a writer. Max also gives a dairy to her in order to write. With Leiesl’s words and strength, she gives Max strength and the ability to live. Leiel also does a lot when Max is dangerously ill. She shows care towards him and helps recover him by reading books that are from the mayor’s library. I liked the movie “Counterfeiters” the best because it showed me the true lifestyle in the brutal concentration camps.

I also learned about the financial situation of the Nazi Party and how they had a major business of counterfeiting. I found out about  Salomon ‘Sally’ Sorowitsch. The acting was outstanding and avoids  clichés. I would definitely rate this movie a ten out of ten.