In 1965, the Mossad agents Rachel (Jessica Chastain), Stephan (Marton Csokas) and David (Sam Worthington) are assigned to kidnap the Nazi Dieter Vogel (Jesper Christensen), a.k.a. The Surgeon of Birkenau, in East Berlin. They succeed in the abduction but fail in bringing him to the west side. While staying with him in an apartment building, Vogel escapes but the trio of young agents lies to their government and tells that Rachel killed Vogel while he was running away. They have been honored in their country by their action for more than thirty years.
In 1997, Rachel's daughter Sarah Gold (Romi Aboulafia) releases a book in Tel Aviv about the mission of her mother and the two other agents. Rachel Singer (Helen Mirren), Sarah's father Stephan Gold (Tom Wilkinson), who is paralytic, and David Peretz (Ciarán Hinds), who is missing, are retired and Rachel is uncomfortable with the lie that they have been living with.
Out of the blue, David appears in Tel Aviv and commits suicide. Stephan investigates and finds that Dieter Vogel is apparently alive in a hospital in Kiev, Ukraine, and will be interviewed by a journalist. Now Rachel has to travel to Kiev to conclude what they should have done thirty years ago.
"The Debt" is an engaging espionage thriller with good story and development of characters, great screenplay, acting and direction but a disappointing conclusion. There are flaws, but final redemption of Rachel is unjustifiable for a person that has lived with a lie for more than thirty years and whose decision would not affect only her life, but the lives of her daughter, her former partner and mainly people of her nation who had believed on their words. Sometimes a lie may be useful and that was the case. Her decision will certainly only bring pain and nothing else. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "No Limite da Mentira" ("In the Limit of the Lie")
In 1997, Rachel's daughter Sarah Gold (Romi Aboulafia) releases a book in Tel Aviv about the mission of her mother and the two other agents. Rachel Singer (Helen Mirren), Sarah's father Stephan Gold (Tom Wilkinson), who is paralytic, and David Peretz (Ciarán Hinds), who is missing, are retired and Rachel is uncomfortable with the lie that they have been living with.
Out of the blue, David appears in Tel Aviv and commits suicide. Stephan investigates and finds that Dieter Vogel is apparently alive in a hospital in Kiev, Ukraine, and will be interviewed by a journalist. Now Rachel has to travel to Kiev to conclude what they should have done thirty years ago.
"The Debt" is an engaging espionage thriller with good story and development of characters, great screenplay, acting and direction but a disappointing conclusion. There are flaws, but final redemption of Rachel is unjustifiable for a person that has lived with a lie for more than thirty years and whose decision would not affect only her life, but the lives of her daughter, her former partner and mainly people of her nation who had believed on their words. Sometimes a lie may be useful and that was the case. Her decision will certainly only bring pain and nothing else. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "No Limite da Mentira" ("In the Limit of the Lie")