Wilhelm Gustloff was a Nazi living in Switzerland in 1936 who actively recruited new members and supporters. Indeed, even with the hindsight of history, it looks as though he was preparing for a German takeover of Switzerland. His career was cut short when he was assassinated by David Frankfurter, a Yugoslavian Jew studying in Switzerland. It is entirely possible that the young student's act made it possible for Switzerland to survive the war as it did, virtually unscathed. Frankfurter, sentenced to a long prison term, was paroled immediately at the end of the war, and he moved to Israel. This movie not only re-creates the events surrounding the assassination and its aftermath, but also evokes the mood of uncertainty and fear which overshadowed that time. The end of the movie includes interviews with Frankfurter himself, taken in Israel.
by Clarke Fountain
synopsis
