The Ritchie Boys (2004) Reviews

• The interrogators

  jotix1002006-10-22

  Watching this wonderful Christian Bauer documentary we couldn't help drawing a parallel to the present area of conflict, Iraq, in which some of our soldiers have been accused of abuse of the prisoners they were interrogating. "The Ritchie Boys", in contrast, offers an excellent account of a group of young men, recently arrived to the United States that were enlisted in a special division of the US Army that dealt with the interrogation of captured enemy soldiers. These newly arrive immigrants had an unique talent in that they were fluent in their language, and in English, thus making them perfect to get the most out of the prisoners they came in contact with. The documentary speak volumes about these men who recount their story for our benefit. They survived the horrors in their native countries out of the sacrifice of their parents, who decided to send them abroad, rather than see them die, a fate most of those that stayed behind would suffer. We are introduced to some of the survivors of the group that were known affectionately as "The Ritchie Boys", as they look today. After having been inducted in the Army, as WWII was being fought in Europe, most of the men who had a European background and could help in the process of talking to the captured enemy in their native languages, were sent to Fort Ritchie in rural Maryland to prepare them for their jobs. Most of these fellows were of Jewish background and they had a real reason for coming down hard on the captured soldiers, but instead, they acted with the most incredible restraint, in what must have been a horrible situation. After all, most of them ended up going back to a Germany that was exterminating their families, friends, and culture. It is to the credit that most of these men went to make something out of themselves and contributed to their adopted country in ways no one could have imagined. Mr. Bauer, and his editor, David Kazala, have done a wonderful job of mixing the narrative of the Ritchie Boys with documentary footage of WWII.

• Amazing Documentary

  jacques672005-06-09

  Fleeing Nazi Germany in their youth, and returning there as US soldiers, these unlikely sorts, trained at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, formed a specialized intelligence unit. given that they knew the language of their enemy well, these heroes broke German prisoners-of-war in WWII with psychological warfare, providing the US Army valuable information, and ultimately saving lives. The film is filled with amusing stories. These men should be celebrated with the highest honors. As the documentarian interviews the Ritchie Boys, it's difficult not to feel present with these soldiers - all of them basically Everyman. Their recollections are fascinating, informative, and educational. It should be shown to all high school history classes.

• A Largely Unknown WWII Story

  gelman@attglobal.net2010-07-12

  "The Ritchie Boys" were a group of young refugees from Hitler's Europe pressed into service because of their language skills by U.S. Army intelligence. Unless you knew one of them (I knew at least two), it's unlikely you would be aware of the critical contribution this operation made to the American war effort. Indeed, if the documentary film is accurate, the Battle of the Bulge -- Hitler's last desperate effort to break through Allied encirclement == could have been foiled before it began, because the Ritchie Boys had collected intelligence about the massing of German troops prior to the offensive. All of the Ritchie Boys interviewed for this film were Jews. Each had a personal stake in the war. And each had the personal satisfaction of interrogating enemy soldiers in their own language and extracting information through techniques learned at Camp Ritchie, MD, which contributed important, often crucial intelligence about the actions and plans of the foe. The interviews were conducted roughly 60 years after the fact, and the reliability of memories may be questionable. Film clips, many documenting events not quite related to the narrative, comprise the rest of the film. Missing entirely is any real overview of the Camp Ritchie enterprise. Nevertheless, the individuals interviewed have compelling personal stories to tell -- both why and how they came to the U.S. and what they did during the war. It's a fascinating group of people in or approaching their 80's: professors, an American diplomat, a distinguished psychologist, an artist, a successful businessman, reliving their experiences for the camera, acknowledging both the pain of separation from their childhood homes and their satisfaction at having given something extremely useful back to the country which had taken them in. Unlikely soldiers to be sure but youngsters with precious knowledge that the United States put to effective use. One would have liked to know more about how it came to be organized and what happened to all the other Ritchie Boys who weren't "available" to be interviewed because they died on the field of battle.

• Fascinating historic documentary, laced with ironic humor

  runamokprods2011-11-13

  Unique, sweet documentary about a mostly Jewish group of refugees who had fled to America, and, wanting to do something to fight Hitler, became an intelligence unit for the Army. While occasionally very sad and moving, more than most WW II documentaries there is a big dose of ironic Jewish humor in these men, as well as a very positive life force. Simple in its construction -- mostly talking heads intercut with photos and newsreel footage -- it manages to capture the awful insanity of war and the power of refusing to give up a sense of humor at the same time. A rare and powerful combination.

• Adds a new chapter to 20th century history documentaries

  Horst_In_Translation2019-02-17

  "The Ritchie Boys" is a Canadian/German co-production from 2004, so it has its 15th anniversary this year and it is one of the most known, maybe the number one, films by late German writer and director Christian Bauer. It runs for 90 minutes, slightly over and focuses on the people named in the title, which could also work well for a comedy movie and even if there is a lighter moment here and there in their anecdotes, it is still a serious documentary most of the time, when these now old men tell us about their experiences from World War II when they in the most dangerous fashion tried to infiltrate the SS and cause a change in the minds of its members. A really interesting chapter. I am not entirely sure if this documentary did complete justice to it, but it was a fine watch from begining to end, even if I am probably a bit biased with my preferred interest in the subject of the 3rd Reich and everything linked to it. So yeah, a lot of this documentary is not just German, but English too in here. That shouldn't be a problem though if you get a good set of subtitles depending on which language you (don't speak). Of course in the mix are also old recordings and footage that are perhaps the heart and soul of the film, even if they not always fit 100% to what is told at the same time. The emotional component is good, especially towards the end. It is not just a basic collection of memories or historic events, but there is some heart in it, even if maybe not as much as it could have been. Also for me personally, it was difficult to really keep the boys apart from each other. They did feel a bit interchangable I must admit overall. But yeah like I said earlier, looking at how many documentaries and films have been done in the past about this era, it is always nice and refreshing to find new chapters and nuances that provide information and characters I have not come across before and this is what this little movie and Bauer definitely succeed to do. It is also important it was made because honestly by now the Ritchie Boys are probably not alive anymore I am not sure, so it would have been too late and this should also inspire other filmmakers to make films like this one regardless about which subject because if those who experienced it live are gone, then there is also huge loss involved for all of us who came afterwards. To finish my review, I would also like to say it would be nice to watch a non-documentary movie about this subject at some point. It could be a gritty historic thriller or just something lighter à la Clooney's Monuments Men. But I think it would be interesting enough and I certainly would check it out. This one here gets a thumbs-up from me and I suggest you watch it.