Synopsis
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... Written by 1felco
Your Movie Library
Cast
- Luca ZingarettiGiorgio Perlasca
- Amanda SandrelliMagda
- Franco CastellanoAdam
- Jérôme Anger
- Marco BoniniSandor
Recommendations
- 75
New York Post
There are no end of tear-jerking moments in Perlasca, a well-made and heart-rending Italian "Schindler's List." - 70
TV Guide Magazine
Negrin's film is a well-deserved tribute to a principled man who dared to act when principles no longer counted for anything. - 63
New York Daily News
Zingaretti does a fine job shading a character that is written as an unalloyed saint. - 60
Village Voice
More courageous than Spielberg in its depiction of Nazi brutality, Perlasca occasionally feels like the made-for-Italian-TV film that it is. - 60
Variety
Confusing lack of historical set-up considerably dims the potential luster of a great true story: Helmer Alberto Negrin relies instead on competently rendered but cliche-ridden melodrama of nasty Nazis and suffering Jews. - 50
The Hollywood Reporter
Unfortunately, this feature, originally made for Italian television, doesn't quite do justice to its stirring subject. - 40
The New York Times
Giorgio Perlasca, who has been compared to Oskar Schindler, deserves better than this Italian television film.
