The Ritchie Boys

Directed by Christian Bauer 
Canada-Germany | 90 minutes | 2004 
English and German with English subtitles

Run out of Germany by the Nazis, a small contingent of German Jewish intellectuals exacted the perfect revenge — returning to Europe as U.S. soldiers to defeat the enemy. Groundbreaking and unforgettable, The Ritchie Boys is the never-before-told tale of a handful of German nationals who used their language and cultural knowledge to wage psychological warfare against the Nazis and to liberate Europe. Still sharp as octogenarians, The Ritchie Boys — a medley of hilariously unlikely soldiers — vividly recall their treacherous and heroic slog through World War II, from their training at Camp Ritchie, Maryland to the beaches of Normandy, from dark weeks spent in a German POW camp to D-Day ebullience. Now highly successful artists, businessmen, and professors, The Ritchie Boys laugh at their clumsy fit within the U.S. military, cry at the horrors of war and marvel at the unorthodox, but effective, forms of interrogation and subterfuge that helped them to defeat the Nazis. Shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and widely acclaimed upon its release, The Ritchie Boys mixes newsreels with razor-sharp interviews to spin a touchingly personal saga of men whose chutzpah, ingenuity, and playful camaraderie had a lasting effect on world history. A great human tale, The Ritchie Boys is a documentary of staggering importance. The Ritchie Boys received its Florida Premiere at the 2006 Miami Jewish Film Festival.