The Debt

4.5 stars... the original is better than the Hollywood remake
"The Debt" (original 2007 release from Israel; 100 min.) brings the story of 3 Mossad agents in the mid-60s hunting down (fictitious) Nazi criminal Dieter Vogel a/k/a the "Surgeon of Birkenau" who is now living in Berlin and working as a doctor in private practice. In fact they manage to abduct and capture Vogel. However before they are able to transport/smuggle Vogel out of Berlin into Israel, Vogel manages to escape. The 3 Mossag agents now are faced with a terrible embarrasment for both themselves and Israel. They decide to cover up what has happened, simply saying that Vogel was killed in a struggle. The agents then return to Israel in triumph. That is where the movie really takes off, examining the legacy/debt of living with such a lie. Then one day 30 years later, there is a rumor that a man claiming to be Surgeon of Birkenau is alive and well in Ukraine. I will not spoil the rest of the plot, you'll just have to see it for yourself.

Maybe you saw the 2011 Hollywood...

An Israeli Thriller Of Responsibility And Recriminations--Seen The Remake? Don't Miss The Original
With a high profile American remake hitting theaters (starring Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Tom Wilkinson, and Jessica Chastain among others), I hope that the riveting 2007 Israeli picture that is its source material will get much more attention. This complicated adult thriller works on a myriad of levels and absolutely knocked me out when I first saw it. A complex narrative featuring alternate timelines highlights a tale of responsibility and recriminations across decades and international borders. Serious political thrillers can oftentimes be antiseptic or too aloof, but this hard-edged story covers a lot of ground while still remaining an intensely personal experience. At its heart, it is about individuals with a strong sense of duty battling with the morality and ethics of the position that they are put into. Emotionally and intellectually challenging, this is a film of unrelenting tension that had me enthralled throughout its running time.

Starting in 2007, the film...

I opted for the 2007 version
A friend recommended the U.S version (with Helen Mirren, 2011), but I love foreign films and liked the idea that this was the original version. Even though there were only 2 reviews, both highly recommended the film. I saw this via Amazon Instant Video. It does keep you on the edge till the very end. I haven't seen the later version so can't provide a comparison, but the acting here in the Israeli version was excellent and the story told very well. The one "spy" or female agent showed warmth and a very human side, unlike what you might expect. I'd highly recommend it.

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