The Debt

Overview

Based heavily on the Mossad’s extraordinary real-life capture of Adolf Eichmann in Argentina in 1960, The Debt combines a compelling factual premise with absorbing fictional elements reminiscent of Franklin J. Schaffner’s The Boys From Brazil.

It tells the story of three Israeli agents sent to East Berlin in 1966 to track down and capture the notorious Nazi war criminal Dieter Vogel, aka the "surgeon of Birkenau" (played by Jesper Christensen of Casino Royale). Vogel’s real-world equivalent, Josef Mengele, infamously conducted cruel experiments on concentration camp victims during the War before successfully evading capture for the rest of his life in South America, and Christensen’s performance eerily captures every last bit of that same guile and malevolence.

The Debt’s story unfolds over two different eras: the ‘present day’ of 1997 in which the now elderly agents live as national heroes revered for their past courageous efforts, and protracted flashbacks to 1966 East Berlin where the brazen events actually took place. Each agent is played by two actors in the film: one young, one old, with a clear emphasis on shared mannerisms rather than physical similarities. Paired up are Helen Mirren with Jessica Chastain, Ciaran Hinds with Sam Worthington and Tom Wilkinson with Marton Csokas, with the younger cast definitely afforded the better half of the script. Their scenes covering the confirmation of Vogel’s identity are utterly tense and unsettling, while those dealing with his capture are gripping and action-packed.

Chastain’s performance is the standout, with her interactions opposite Christensen offering the movie’s most engaging scenes. Worthington on the other hand seems entirely miscast, especially given his world-beating inability to do accents, however he brings a solid physicality and vulnerability to his character that sits well enough with the story. Mirren, as always, is a delight to watch on screen although her scenes lack much of the depth that her younger counterpart enjoys.

Written by Jane Goldman, Matthew Vaughn and Peter Straughan, the script was adapted from the 2007 Israeli film Ha-Hov and directed by John Madden of Shakespeare in Love fame. It’s an unconventional story in that the heroes aren’t out to save the world, nor even their own country. Instead, they’re simply out to cover their own tracks and it’s that selfish nature of their motivations that presents an uncommon, ambiguous and fascinating morality tale for a movie of this nature.