Matthew Brown
Yes, The Believer is loosely based on the true story of Daniel Burros, a member of the American Nazi Party who was also Jewish.
What is the true story behind the movie The Believer (2001)?
The Believer is a fictionalized account of the life of Dan Burros, a former member of the American Nazi Party who later became a Jew and killed himself upon finding out that a New York Times reporter was going to expose his past.
The character in the movie, Danny Balint (played by Ryan Gosling), is a Jew who becomes a neo-Nazi due to his frustration with his own identity and seeking a sense of community. He becomes involved in an organization called “The Fourth Reich” and seeks to inspire other young Jews to join his cause. Eventually, he is confronted with his own beliefs and past in a climactic ending.
While the character of Danny Balint is fictional, the movie is inspired by the life of Burros, who was involved in the American Nazi Party in the 1960s and became a member of the Jewish Defense League before committing suicide. The film was well-received critically and won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival.
