Often compared to oskar schindler, giorgio perlasca is the lesser known italian hero who saved the lives of several thousand jews during the holocaust. His amazing story is told in perlasca the courage of a just man featuring a striking score from oscar winning master composer ennio moricone. Luca zingaretti from bbc hit series montalbano plays georgio perlasca, an italian cattle dealer who found himself trapped in budapest in 1944. Witness to the violent treatment of jews, he sacrifices his own freedom to save thousands of lives. The year is 1944 in budapest, hungary, and georgio perlasca, an italian import export dealer, is there on business. The war is raging but he has managed to largely avoid anything to do with it that is until he witnesses the cruel and violent round up of hungarian jews by the occupying germans. In a major show of bravery perlasca audaciously rescues two boys from being herded onto a freight train in defiance of a german lieutenant colonel on the scene, who happened to be none other than adolf eichmann. Sacrificing his own escape he impersonates a spanish consul and over a period of some 45 days, from 1 december 1944 to 16 january 1945, his heroic actions save the lives of more than five thousand jews. Forty years would pass before the world cinema would hear the story of perlasca's courage and bravery when israel honoured him the righteous among nations award and now his courageous journey can be witnessed in perlasca the courage of a just man. Review a well deserved tribute to a principled man who dared to act when principles no longer counted for anything. Tv guidemore courageous than spielberg in its depiction of nazi brutality. Village voicea heart rending italian schindler's list new york post running time 196 minutes region region 2 subtitles english release date 08 04 2013