History Film / Phoenix2014

In Germany, right after the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, Holocaust survivor Nelly Lenz goes through a facial reconstruction surgery after sustaining a bullet wound in the concentration camp. After the surgery she looks for her husband Johnny, a Gentile, whom she has not seen since the day she was arrested. She finds him, but he does not recognize her. However Johnny thinks that [[{{Irony}} she resembles his "late" wife]] and suggests that she pass for her so he can collect her inheritance. Nelly, still in love with Johnny, goes along with this charade... up to a certain point.

* UnexpectedInheritance: Nelly is the SoleSurvivor of her family, so she has inherited quite the fortune. Johnny, believing her death, is looking for a woman who can impersonate her.

* NeoNoir: The film is indebted to film noir, particularly the scenes that take place at night.

* DrivenToSuicide: Nelly's friend Lene commits suicide late into the movie, leaving her a message that [[spoiler:Johnny had divorced Nelly the day right before the Nazis arrested her. This forces Nelly to see the truth about Johnny.]]

In Germany, right after the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, Holocaust survivor Nelly Lenz goes through a facial reconstruction surgery after sustaining a bullet wound in the concentration camp. After the surgery she looks for her husband Johnny, a Gentule, whom she has not seen from the day she was arrested. She finds him, but he does not recognize her. However Johnny thinks that [[{{Irony}} she resembles his "late" wife]] and suggests that she pass for her so he can collect her inheritance. Nelly, still in love with Johnny, goes along with this charade... up to a certain point.

* CassandraTruth: Lene tries to warn Nelly that Johnny may be a traitor more than once, but Nelly does not believe her [[spoiler: until Lene presents her the papers that prove his betrayal.]]

* DoppelgangerReplacementLoveInterest: Johnny finds a woman that resembles his wife and propose her a deal where she she should pose as his "late" wife and developing some attraction to her. Unknown to him, in fact it's wife.

* EtTuBrute: [[spoiler: Nelly eventually finds written evidence that her husband betrayed her to the Gestapo.]]

* LoveInterestTraitor; [[spoiler: Johnny himself sold Nelly to the Gestapo and divorced her the day before her capture. ]]

* LovingAShadow: Nelly insist on her idea of reuniting with a man despite the evidence that he has clearly abandoned her. It's more a case of wanting to go back to the life she has before the horrors of war.
* OhCrap: [[spoiler: Johnny freezes with terror as he hears Nelly's singing voice and realizes he has accidentally employed his wife on a scam that proves his betrayal of her.]]
* WhamShot: [[spoiler: Johnny notices at the end the infamous tattooed number on Nelly's arm, proving that "Esther" was his wife all along.]]

* DoppelgängerReplacementLoveInterest: Johnny finds a woman that resembles his wife and propose her a deal where she she should pose as his "late" wife and developing some attraction to her. Unknown to him, in fact it's wife.

* CassandrasTruth: Lene tries to warn Nelly that Johnny may be a traitor more than once, but Nelly does not believe her [[spoiler: until Lene presents her the papers that prove his betrayal.]]

In Germany, right after the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, Holocaust survivor Nelly Lenz searches for her husband Johnny. She finds him, but he does not recognize her on account of her going through facial reconstruction surgery after sustaining a bullet wound. However Johnny thinks that she resembles his "late" wife and suggests that she pass for her so he can collect her inheritance. Nelly, still in love with Johnny, goes along with this charade... up to a certain point.

!!Tropes:

* InternalReveal: The audience knows from the start that Nelly is, well, Nelly. Johnny thinks she's a random woman who happens to look like his wife and does not learn the truth until the very end.