It's impossible to talk about The Debt in detail without mentioning the key plot turn, so I'll go ahead and sort of hint at it. Though when you watch the movie, it shouldn't be too difficult to figure out where it's going. Plus, some of it is probably implied in the previews and in the title of the movie itself...
What are heroes for if not to inspire the people that look up to them? Superman is a hero not just because he has super powers and saves lives, but because he represents an ideal that people aspire to. But what if Superman was a fraud? What if he didn't have special powers at all and the bank robber just slipped on a banana peel rather than actually being stopped? Would Metropolis be better off knowing the truth or having a hero to look up to?
The Debt follows the events of a covert mission by three agents of Mossad (Israel's intelligence agency similar to the CIA) to kidnap an ex-Nazi war criminal in East Germany in 1965. The film opens with the three agents returning to Israel to a hero's welcome. Fast forward thirty years later and a book has been written about their successful mission, the agents painted as heroes. In a reading of a chapter in the book, we are transported back in time where we see young Rachel Singer (Jessica Chastain) shooting and killing the war criminal Vogel, the Surgeon of Birkenau. Mission accomplished.
The older Rachel Singer (Helen Mirren) reflects back on this event and how it has shaped her life. She is a hero to her country, to her daughter, to her friends, yet she seems troubled by something. A detail from the past has risen up which allows us to be transported back in time to the mission via flashback. At this stage, the film turns into an exciting spy thriller. We get to watch the three agents training, planning, and capturing Vogel. In a suspenseful and well crafted scene they kidnap him and transport him back to their place, which leads to the scene in the beginning where Rachel kills Vogel. Except that not everything is quite what it seems.
Therein lies the dilemma for the three characters. How do they tell the world what really happened that mission? The truth may be difficult to handle but it would be the truth, but to twist it around a little, then justice would prevail in the eyes of the world and isn't that the most important thing? From here the film slows down quite a bit and shifts its focus from spy thriller to philosophical debate. Whatever it is that they decided to tell the world, they have had to live with for over thirty years and now it has come back to them. Perhaps now would be the time to set things straight once and for all.
The film has a lot of potential to be a great spy thriller except that it splits its focus on the two narratives. The main focus is in the aftermath of the mission, in how these events have affected the characters. As much emphasis as the film places on this sudden morality tale, they aren't nearly as effective as the earlier scenes. What results is a sort of unbalanced film where the flashback scenes are exciting and focused while the present day scenes are sort of just there. That isn't to say I think they should have scrapped the latter scenes all together, just that they could have been executed better because I thought the premise and set up was quite strong. I will also say that much of the film is pretty predictable, though I think the revelation in the middle isn't really supposed to be a revelation as it seems implied the whole way. The ending however should not have that same feeling yet it does. It just felt pretty weak compared to the rest of the film and ends with a too obvious tone without taking the proper steps to get there. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it seems like it could have been better. (Incredibly specific analysis right?)
Overall though the film is pretty entertaining and well acted. Six actors play three characters young and old, but each play their parts well and in line with their counterparts. I really liked the flashback scenes. As much hate as it seems like I'm giving the present day scenes, they're not that bad; they just could have been better. About midway through The Debt, I thought I was going to really like this movie; by the end I managed to like it a little bit less.
Grade: B
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