''Max and Helen'' is a 1990 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Philip Saville Philip Saville (28 October 1927 – 22 December 2016) was a British director, screenwriter and former actor whose career lasted half a century. The British Film Institute's Screenonline website described Saville as "one of Britain's most prolifi ...

and written by Corey Blechman. It is based on the 1982 book ''Max and Helen'' by

Simon Wiesenthal Simon Wiesenthal (31 December 190820 September 2005) was a history of the Jews in Austria, Jewish Austrian Holocaust survivor, Nazi hunter, and writer. He studied architecture and was living in Lwów at the outbreak of World War II. He surviv ...

. The film stars Treat Williams, Alice Krige,

Martin Landau Martin James Landau (; June 20, 1928 – July 15, 2017) was an American actor, acting coach, producer, and editorial cartoonist. His career began in the 1950s, with early film appearances including a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's ''North ...

Jonny Phillips Jonny Phillips may refer to: *Jonny Phillips (actor) (1963), English actor *Jonny Phillips (musician) Jonny Phillips (born 11 January 1971, in Kendal, Westmorland, England) is an English jazz guitarist and composer. He played the violin and stu ...

, Adam Kotz and Jodhi May. The film premiered on TNT on 8 January 1990.

Plot

Based on the fact-based novel by Nazi-hunter

based on his 1962 prosecution of the head of a German factory whom he learns was a murderous labor camp commandant. To be able to take him to justice, he must find witnesses who can help him. This leads him to Max Rosenberg, a still tormented individual who lost his wife, Helen, in the camps. Initially Max refuses to cooperate, but gradually his story unfolds beginning before the Holocaust.

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...

, Max, a Jewish student, is captured by the Nazis. Hélène, his French fiancée, pretends she is Jewish as well, so they both get deported to Poland. They get married on the train from where they escape, only to be captured again and separated. Max survives a firing squad and flees to Poland where he joins the resistance. Hélène will stay behind in the concentration camp to become the victim of the sadistic German officer, Koeller. In 1960, after surviving the War and the Soviet Gulag, Max finds out that Koeller killed Hélene and starts chasing him to get his revenge. During his manhunt, he meets Simon Wiesenthal, the famous Nazi hunter, who is also trying to catch Koeller.

Cast

* Treat Williams as Max Rosenberg * Alice Krige as Helen Weiss *

as Werner Schultze / Mark Weiss *Adam Kotz as Peter * Jodhi May as Miriam Weiss * Nicholas Woodeson as Martin Greenbaum *Lulee Fisher as Judith * Ian Bartholomew as Magistrate *

Zoltán Gera Zoltán Gera (; born 22 April 1979) is a Hungarian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He played for Fulham, Pécsi Mecsek and Harkány SE, as well as enjoying two spells at Ferencváros and West Bromwich Alb ...

as Elderly Man *

John Grillo John Martin Grillo (born 29 November 1942, in Watford, Hertfordshire) is an English actor. Biography Grillo was educated at Watford Grammar School for Boys and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and while there was actively involved in student theatre. H ...

as Joseph Weiss *Aviva Goldkorn as Mrs. Weiss *Béla Jáki as SS Officer / Camp *Richard Kane as Businessman *István Kanitzsai as SS Officer Train *Péter Kertész as Otto * János Kulka as Berek *Ági Margitai as Wanda *Mátyás Margittai as Balke *Ferenc Némethy as Ackerman *Gábor Salinger as Gershan *Ottó Ulmann as Rubin

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0100126, Max and Helen 1990 television films 1990 films 1990 drama films TNT (American TV network) original films Films directed by Philip Saville American drama television films 1990s English-language films American World War II films World War II films based on actual events 1990s American films