The Debt

(This review contains SPOILERS.) Vagina dentata. Those who know a woman’s secret (rosebud) will not be able to get over it. Whereas the men are punished for their weakness for the opposite sex, the woman is tormented because she failed to shoot her nemesis with a phallic weapon (based on the information as it is conveyed to us, Vogel knows the most about her). She has thus wrongly enjoyed the benefits of the “masculine” world for thirty years; her legitimacy does not apply. It’s as if the inner suffering wasn’t enough; the confrontation with her materialised subconscious (the connection is emphasised by Vogel’s appearance in Rachel's dream; he thus penetrated not only her body, but also her mind) has cost her her beauty. For the rest of her life, she will have a face disfigured by a conspicuous scar. This is probably only one of the reasons that she spends years with Stefan, whom she obviously does not love. Another thing that keeps them together is a shared lie – as spouses, they can easily ensure that the other will not divulge what the public should not hear. Their life together is thus based on distrust. The elimination of men, or rather their manhood (Stefan is paralysed “only” from the waist down), represents the real objective of the vengeful mission of the film’s main character, Rachel, a woman driven by her own frustration: She has to deny her true identity, reveal her genitals to a sadistic doctor, face aggressive assaults from a man who has always loved his country more than her… Like in a slasher movie, she ultimately becomes the “final girl”, which she is destined to become as the only strong character from the beginning. Vogel is reminiscent of a horror-movie monster, Stefan doesn’t stand out with many positive qualities and David plays a submissive role in the love triangle from the beginning (in the fights, he’s a bit actor playing the victim who ends up on the ground; he even cooks). ___ I realise that a more thorough viewing (I’ve seen the film only once so far) would reveal the variability of the opinions present here, as well as the fact that this is not a model film for the chosen type of interpretation. At the same time, it allows such an interpretation, which is mainly what I intended to point out with this “alternative” review. And otherwise, The Debt is a thriller that works superbly with the characters’ motivations (I like Jessica Chastain all the more) and the atmosphere (classic submarine), but it works better in the first half and rather in individual scenes (the train) than in the second half and especially in the ending, when the contradictory nature of its dramatic structure becomes apparent (the film suddenly solves a different problem) along with the gratuitousness of the initially delightfully bold narrative low blows. 75% (23/10/2011)

I really enjoyed this one. A great film set in the world of Mossad, which immediately reminded me of Spielberg's Munich. It lags behind Munich a bit, but it's still a perfect film. John Madden has years of experience under his belt and knows how to handle things, and the result is well worth it. The casting was flawless, with Helen Mirren being her usual brilliant self, but I was probably most surprised by Jesper Christensen's performance as the "Butcher of Birkenau," as he played it very convincingly and believably. In roles like these, it really shows whether an actor has true talent. The atmosphere was excellent, especially the transition from East Germany to its western counterpart, which was chilling, and the buildup was executed to perfection. I was a bit disappointed that we didn’t get more action scenes, but it’s true that the film wasn’t really about that. The scenes set in the present day felt mostly duller compared to those from the 60s, but the ending in Ukraine wrapped it up quite well. There aren’t many films about hunting down German war criminals, which is why The Debt is among the best you can get in this category. I give it 79%. (23/06/2017)

A perfectly cast film with several surprising plot twists that never got boring. The plot was slow, but at the right moments there was always a livelier scene, and watching the performances of everyone involved, especially Jessica Chastain and Helen Mirren, was a pleasure. The passage with the imprisoned Nazi, which was very chilling, and the good ending deserve your attention. (16/01/2013)

Apart from the unnecessarily and artificially escalated ending, it is essentially a meticulously crafted work of art that is atmospheric, excellently acted, and fantastically orchestrated. Those who enjoy dirty Germany, the theme of World War II, and the legendary German butchers will not be disappointed. Jesper Christensen is truly demonic in his role as the main villain. Above all, the dialogues with the Mossad agents are unforgettable. John Madden has always been somewhat soft, but this is a film that might make me start to respect him. It can be watched multiple times, which is quite rare for a film with such a theme. (07/01/2012)

Decent craftsmanship. Three Mossad agents vs. a Nazi war criminal. Madden build a convincing atmosphere on both sides of the time line and the actors don’t let him down. I enjoyed the younger members of the cast more, Jessica Chastain is a fox and on the same acting level as Helen Mirren, and even Sam Worthington rocks in Berlin (the scene with the plate). An excellent, nicely tight story with an unexpected, although rather strange ending. And Newman’s music is first rate. (27/11/2011)