Burt Berendsen

Background: He is half Jewish and half Catholic, married to a high-society woman with whom he has a dysfunctional relationship. The pact: During the war, he forms an unbreakable friendship with soldier Harold Woodman and nurse Valerie Voze, with whom he experiences a period of freedom in Amsterdam. The conflict: In 1933, while working in New York, he and his friends become embroiled in a dangerous political conspiracy after being falsely accused of murder.

Indomitable optimist: Despite having lived through the hell of the trenches, he maintains a positive spirit and believes in goodness. Altruistic and honest: He dedicates his life to caring for low-income war veterans. Polyactive and dependent: To cope with his chronic pain, he is addicted to experimental homemade painkillers that he makes himself, causing him to faint frequently.

Glass eye: He lost an eye in the war and wears a faulty prosthesis that constantly falls off. War scars: He displays visible scars and a slightly affected posture due to injuries sustained in combat. Disheveled style: His clothing reflects the aesthetic of 1930s New York, but with the chaotic touch of someone absorbed in his work and addictions.

Burt Berendsen is the protagonist of the 2022 period film Amsterdam, portrayed by actor Christian Bale. He is an optimistic and eccentric working-class New York doctor whose physical and emotional scars from World War I completely define his identity and appearance.