Watch it: Operation Finale
Not since Amadeus have we seen a movie where the bad guy evokes some measure of sympathy. This riveting film is based on an incredible true story of the capture of the notorious Adolf Eichmann, the logistical architect of the terrible Final Solution during World War 2.
Fifteen years after the war ends, intelligence agents get wind that Eichmann is hiding out in Argentina, and a team is sent in to capture him and bring him back to stand trial for the atrocities committed under his watch.
The film beautifully portrays the life of agent Peter Malkin, played by talented Oscar Isaac, who develops a special relationship with Eichmann while they secretly hold him prisoner in Argentina before he can be flown back to Israel. Eichmann, played by none other than Ben Kingsley himself, emotes a character that is delicately poised between dignity and evil. His gravitas and nuanced performance as the notorious war criminal who longs for his own family while in captivity is nothing short of brilliant.
The movie starts slowly but picks up speed soon enough, and before long, you are caught up in a piece of historical narrative that leaves you wondering about human nature and all that drives it, making us either good or evil. The movie, directed by Chris Weitz, is a heavy one with footage that can be disturbing for sensitive viewers, but as a slice of time in the annals of human existence, this film is possibly one of the finest ever made.
Watch it on Netflix.
Reviewed by Sangeetha Shinde Tee.
