Operation Finale

After the conclusion of World War II, the architect of the Holocaust, Adolf Eichmann (Ben Kingsley), vanishes as other Nazi leaders opt for suicide, escaping accountability for their heinous actions. Years later, we meet Peter Malkin (Oscar Isaac), a Mossad agent whose pursuit of a Nazi war criminal in Austria goes awry when he accidentally kills an innocent man, tarnishing his professional reputation.

Meanwhile, in Buenos Aires, Sylvia Hermann (Haley Lu Richardson) unknowingly becomes romantically involved with Eichmann’s son, Klaus (Joe Alwyn). During a dinner with her German-Jewish father, Lothar (Peter Strauss), Klaus expresses disdain for Jews in Germany, claiming that his father died during the war. Lothar’s suspicions lead him to report Klaus to the Mossad in Tel Aviv. Consequently, field agent Zvi Aharoni (Michael Aronov) is assigned to surveil Buenos Aires, seemingly taking precedence over Peter due to his recent failure.

Klaus invites Sylvia to what turns out to be a Nazi reunion, led by Carlos Fuldner (Pêpê Rapazote), where Eichmann, disguised under the alias Ricardo Clement, is also present. Realizing the true nature of the gathering, Sylvia abruptly ends her relationship with Klaus. In a strategic move to gather intel, she later visits the Eichmann family home, attempting to reconcile with Klaus. During an argument, Klaus inadvertently references Adolf as his father, and Eichmann notices an operative snapping his photograph, further exposing his identity.

The Mossad team utilizes this pivotal evidence to confirm Eichmann’s whereabouts and orchestrates a plan to capture him by posing as airline crew members who will sedate him for transport. They bring on board Peter along with his former lover, Hanna (Mélanie Laurent), a doctor whose job is to keep Eichmann unconscious during the flight. After successfully apprehending him, Eichmann admits his true identity. However, his family quickly awakens to Sylvia’s knowledge of their secret and alerts the authorities, thwarting the operatives’ escape plan.

The agents find themselves in a bind as the Israeli airline, El Al, refuses to fly Eichmann without his consent to go to Israel, which he denies, believing he will not receive a just trial. The interrogators struggle to crack Eichmann’s steel resolve until Peter, sharing the tragic tale of his sister and her children who perished during the Holocaust, manages to reach him. Eichmann spins a fabricated narrative of ignorance regarding the atrocities, purporting that he solely managed logistics.

As the plane sits on the tarmac, Klaus and the local police ramp up their search for Eichmann, circulating the operative’s sketch among the public. The situation escalates when one operative is captured, leading to her inadvertently exposing their safe house’s location, forcing the team to flee in a single vehicle while leaving two operatives behind. Chaos ensues as the police confiscate the landing permits, landing the flight in a precarious situation. In a desperate move, Peter rushes to deliver a permit to air traffic control, and as law enforcement closes in, he makes the ultimate sacrifice by instructing the plane to leave without him.

Ultimately, the narrative culminates at Eichmann’s trial, where the repercussions of his actions are laid bare for the world to witness, alongside a reflective text about Peter’s life after this astounding mission.

Last Updated: October 28, 2024 at 08:20