Reel Views: The Debt a powerful, suspense-filled flick

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The Debt (2011)

Of all the atrocities committed by Nazis during the Second World War, medical experiments performed on concentration camp prisoners were among the worst; The Debt, the latest film from acclaimed director John Madden, revolves around a character based upon one of the most brutal of these historical war criminals.

The Debt shifts back and forth from 1997 Tel Aviv to 1966 East Berlin, telling the past and present stories of a trio of Israeli government agents whose mission is to track down and deliver to their government a man known as The Surgeon of Birkenau so that he may stand trial for his war crimes. Fluently passing between eras, the film chronicles the triumphs and tribulations of the team in their seemingly endless efforts to bring The Surgeon to justice. Espionage, mystery and conspiracy fill every moment of the movie, telling a powerful story of personal and national vengeance.

Such a moving story could not have been fittingly told without a powerful cast, and luckily for audiences, that is exactly what the film has. Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson and Ciarán Hinds play the 1997 versions of Rachel, Stephan and David respectively, and all three bring an equally vast amount of talent to their roles. Mirren proves to be as strong a female lead as ever, bringing to life the older, wiser and braver woman who must battle unimaginable evil. Wilkinson, it seems, was born to play a spy of one kind or another, and he does an outstanding job as usual. Hinds steps out of his regular acting zone to bring to viewers one of the most powerful yet disturbing scenes of the entire film.

Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas and Sam Worthington play the younger versions of Rachel, Stephan and David, and they deliver performances that are just as talented as their counterparts. Chastain in particular does an outstanding job and on, more than one occasion during the film, she will bring tears to your eyes.

Rounding out the cast is Jesper Christensen as Dieter Vogel, also known as The Surgeon of Birkenau. Christensen gives a performance as the sadistic Nazi that will fill you with loathing of the character and will undoubtedly get your skin crawling.

The flow of the film, in the way it shifts without explanation from past to present, expects a great deal of intelligence from the audience to piece together certain details, but at the same time it keeps the suspense level high and the film has not a single dull scene. The subject matter is quite heavy, and despite several resolutions, it is not an easy watch, particularly because of the historical photographs and details about the actual doctor upon which Vogel is based.

Though this film is disturbing at times, and is not a particularly date-friendly movie, it tells a powerful story and provides an interesting albeit difficult look into the post-war hunt for disappeared war criminals. If you're interested in quality espionage thrillers, then The Debt is absolutely worth your time.

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars