The Debt (John Madden, 2011)

In a world in which appearances are everything and where style long ago passed substance as the currency of choice, The Debt (John Madden, 2011) is a tremendous reflection of that world. The narrative is intriguing, gripping and filled with tension but instead of being a straight spy caper it delves deeply into questions of morality and ethics. It has a great overall direction and some of it's technical qualities are very well done. Finally, the acting for the film is tremendous with some of the very best working their craft in the film. It is the powerful questions which the films narrative sublimely raises that make this a great film for me.

Helping to add to the films power is a really nicely done job of directing by John Madden. Having never heard much about Madden I was greatly surprised to read that he directed the Oscar winning Shakespeare in Love (Madden, 1998). In The Debt, Madden deftly tells two stories set forty years apart and through some nice editing creates no confusion and crosses his narratives seamlessly. In a film such as this it would be rather easy to get lost between the two narratives but Madden makes it easy for his audience.

The production design for the film assisted Madden in his quest to keep things seamless. Every aspect of PD was done rather well, starting with some great art direction, which went back and captured a perfect vision of Eastern Bloc East Germany during the 1960's. Gray, dark, dreary and dismal set the tone for the film and heightened the tension. How can one not feel trapped amidst all that gray of the East German world? The costumes were right, the set design and construction perfect. The film placed you in Berlin in 1966, truly.

Also fitting right in Berlin in this era were some great performances by several actors. The younger crew of Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington and Martin Csokas were outstanding. Nothing but great things can ever be said about their older counterparts, Helen Mirren, Ciaran Hinds and Tom Wilkinson. Chastain and Mirren really carry both narratives, and Chastain is nothing short of amazing. She plays the role of Rachel with vulnerability and strength, not an easy combination to pull off. The other actor who greatly impressed me was Sam Worthington. The only thing that kind of threw me was the fact that a young Stefan (Csokas) looked remarkably like the older David (Hinds).

One final note regarding the cast must be made. The performance of Jesper Christensen as Dieter Vogel was remarkable. I often wonder how an actor can play such a reprehensible character but Christensen does it effortlessly. And while we detest all that Vogel represents, it is a testimony to the portrayal by Christensen that he can make us feel sympathy for the character as he is held captive.

Finally I want to come back to the narrative. It is intriguing, raising questions of morality and ethics. It is gripping throughout, as it's characters go on a journey and take you with them. Through the earlier portion of the narrative the tension to get the films protagonists through their mission is very real. The audience knows they will survive, but how and at what cost? As I mentioned earlier, this is owed to a great job by Madden. But the underlying questions this film raises are what makes it remarkable to me. How far does one go to pursue criminals, particularly when revenge is a motivating factor? When you have that criminal caught and are holding him captive, at what point is the line blurred and crossed between right and wrong. In a contemporary society where the use of torture is a controversial topic, isn't this line something that should be clearly delineated? And the films biggest line, that line between true reality and the reality which we have created. Where do those two worlds mix and intermingle?

The Debt is a very powerful film, one that works on all aspects. It is definitely one of the best films I have seen so far in 2011.