The Debt

The Debt, a remake of a 2007 Israeli film Ha-Hov, is what I call an “arthouse thriller” or even a classical thriller. This film has intrigue and tension as well as thought provoking ideas, well crafted characters and an intelligent script. Modern or mainstream thrillers offer thrills and action but there is nothing going on beneath the surface of the roller coaster ride. Once the thrill is over you can move on without a second thought. The Debt leaves you with questions and thoughts that linger long after the tension is released.

The film moves between Israel in 1997 and East Berlin in 1965. The daughter of two Mossad agents has just released a book detailing the heroic exploits of her famous parents who brought a Nazi war criminal to justice in 1965. Rachel Singer and her ex-husband Stephan Gold, along with another agent, David Peretz, went undercover to East Berlin in 1965 to bring Dr. Bernhardt, a Nazi fugitive known as the Surgeon of Birkenau, back to Israel to stand trial. They kidnap this evil, Mengele-like doctor but their escape goes awry and they eventually have to kill him before returning to Israel as heroes.

At least that is the official story, the truth may be somewhat more complicated. Soon after the book launch party a morose David commits suicide and Stephan approaches Rachel with the news that an elderly man in a Ukrainian old-age home is babbling that he is Dr. Bernhardt. Although long retired, Rachel reluctantly agrees to accept a new assignment from the now wheelchair bound Stephan.

From here the action moves via flashback to 1965 East Berlin and the undercover operation carried out by the three Mossad agents. This is where the movie really excels, capturing the tension and drama of their secret mission behind the iron curtain. There is sexual tension between the men when Rachel arrives at their small apartment, as well as personality conflicts that arise from being in a small apartment under stressful circumstances.

All the actors excel, but the character of Rachel is clearly they center of the movie and Helen Mirren and Jessica Chastain bring both the old and young Rachel to brilliant life.  Rachel has the job of posing as a patient to visit Dr. Bernhardt who is working with an alias as a fertility doctor. The scenes of her submitting to an examination by a man responsible for such horrific atrocities is excruciating and you  can feel her pain as he probes her physically and mentally. What might be innocent physician conversation takes on menacing tones and Rachel begins to wonder if he is suspicious of her and testing to see if she is a Mossad agent.  Rachel must eventually use one of her visits to subdue Bernhardt so David and Stephan can pose as paramedics to take him away.

The kidnapping and the attempted escape are full of suspense and tension as the agents must race against the clock and time their crossing out of East Berlin perfectly. It does not go perfectly and they become trapped in their small apartment with their repugnant hostage. The tensions ratchet up even more as they now must care for the monstrous Nazi while he plays mind games and spouts vicious anti-Semitic taunts.

The agents must grapple with moral questions and contemplate their justification to kill another human as well as the political ramifications of their actions. The group’s idealism is tested and they must navigate the ethical and emotional consequences of what they are doing as well as their own feelings of isolation and claustrophobia. It was easier when the mission was moving fast and they did not have time for contemplation. Now, trapped in East Berlin waiting for a new escape plan they must make tough choices. Dr. Bernhardt seems to be a man who deserves death but not only would that make them judge and executioner, it would also deny Israel the chance to have a public trial and show the world the horrific crimes he committed.

The choices they make in that East Berlin apartment in 1965 have both personal and political consequences that reverberate through their lives and the lives of their families and fellow Israeli’s for decades. After detailing what happened on that fateful mission, the film returns to 1997 and continues to build to a gripping conclusion. To tell you more would spoil the surprises.

The Debt is an intelligent, suspenseful drama that weaves its morality tale within an espionage and action framework.  It is a shame films like this can only muster a lukewarm reception from audiences that seem to be divided between arthouse snobs and action knuckleheads. The Debt deserves more attention and hopefully it will find an audience on home video. It is available on Blu-Ray, DVD and various on-demand services.