Ben
Kingsley is an escaped Nazi living in Argentina in “Operation Finale†available
on Blu-ray from Universal. Kingley is not just any escaped Nazi, but Adolph
Eichmann, the highest ranking Nazi to escape justice after World War II. The so
called “Architect of the Final Solution†has been living a quiet life in
Argentina for 15 years when Israeli intelligence, Mosaad, receive information from
blind German ex pat Lothar Hermann (Peter Strauss) and they set a plan in
motion to kidnap Eichmann and bring him to Israel to stand trial.
The
German community in Argentina is filled with former Nazis who gather for
reunions and discuss their mutual hatred of Jews. Lothar’s daughter, Sylvia
Hermann (Haley Lu Richardson), meets a boy named Klaus (Joe Alwyn) at the cinema.
He invites her to a German party where she is appalled by the overt
anti-Semitism. Lothar gets word to the Israelis that Eichmann may be the father
of the boy his daughter is seeing. The Mosaad encourage Sylvia to visit the
Eichmann home where she meets Vera (Greta Scacchi) and the children as well as
Adolph Eichmann himself who is living under an assumed name and working as a
mid-level manager. A Mossad agent confirms it is Adolph Eichmann, but they will
not know for certain until they capture and interrogate him.
Mosaad
agent Peter Malkin (Oscar Isaac) is part of the team assigned to develop a
precision kidnapping and escape plan. As we know from history, the Israelis succeed
in getting Eichmann in May 1960 and bringing him to Israel for a public trial. The
agents held Eichmann at a safe house for nine days in order to confirm his
identity and smuggled him out of Argentina on an El Al flight. The movie
depicts the tense moments when the flight plan was waiting final approval until
the flight was released for departure.
The
days at the safe house are interesting as Eichmann was kept isolated, blindfolded
and handcuffed to his bed. His interrogators finally get him to confirm his
identity when the head of the Mosaad, Isser Harel (Lior Raz), purposely misreads
Eichmann’s SS service number several times until Eichmann’s perfectionism gets
the better of him and he corrects Harel. Eichmann states his desire to set the
record straight on his role in the Third Reich as little more than a bureaucrat
ensuring the trains ran on schedule. The fact that the trains contained human
beings who were being transported to their deaths was of no concern to Eichmann
and he took no responsibility for his role in the murder of millions under Nazi
Germany.
The
film was directed by the multi-talented actor, writer and producer Chris Weitz,
best known for his work as director and writer on “About a Boy†and “The Golden
Compass†as well as the writer of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.†The movie
does a nice job dramatizing this post-script to World War II and the defeat of
Nazi Germany. Oscar Isaac is very good as agent Malkin, especially his
interrogation scenes with Kingsley. I do have a problem with Kingsley playing
the younger Eichmann in flashback scenes during World War II which make him
look like a wax-work figure. The movie ends with Eichmann departing Argentina
followed by brief scenes of him on trial. The film includes a coda running prior
to the end credits including film of the actual trial and profiles of the
agents involved with Eichmann’s capture.
Filmed
on location in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the movie is well cast with very good
performances by everyone involved. Also impressive is the work of the costume
designers who anchor this movie as an early 1960s period piece. The MGM
production was released to theaters in November of 2018, but underperformed at
the box office. Fortunately for “Operation Finale,†movies get a second life on
home video. The movie clocks in at just over two hours with a high quality
image preserving the standard 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The Universal Blu-ray
release includes a DVD and digital copy. Extras on the disc include an informative
and thoughtful audio commentary by the director and a brief six minute behind
the scenes featurette. I highly recommended this movie as a fan of espionage
thrillers and a reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust and its impact on
humanity.