Original subtitles

I'm proud to announce here in Parliament,

that the Israeli Secret Service ended the life

of one of the most heinous Nazi war criminals,

Maximilian Reiner, 'The Surgeon of Birkenau'.

Today, a reply was given

to a question asked in silence twenty years ago

by six million people.

Good thing that wasn't the Surgeon of Birkenau.

How do you know that you're doing the right thing?

I'll tell you something very personal.

At that moment I didn't think or feel.

When I fired that bullet at the Surgeon,

I remembered my mother

and what she went through... in Europe.

"He smashed her head against the floor.

"At that moment she knew it was do or die.

"In a desperate final effort, she grabbed her gun,

"and fired a single shot before fainting.

"That night, in Berlin, the three Mossad agents,

"who captured the Surgeon of Birkenau

"for delivery for a public trial in Israel,

"actually passed his death sentence on the safe house's dark floor."

All out... more Champagne coming up. Good evening.

I can't wait until they translate your book to German.

Thank you. I'm honored you could make it, Ambassador Scholl.

The honor is mine. Have a good evening.

We are out of champagne. - There's more in the kitchen.

"Sincerely, Rachel Brener"

Thank you, Mrs. Brener.

Thank you.

"I'm outside"

"My Mission" ...a fine name for a biography.

What are you doing here, Zvi?

It can't be him.

It's just some crazy old fool.

It doesn't even look like him.

It's been thirty years, Rachel.

None of us looks the same. - Where did you get this... thing?

I got it straight off the desk.

Don't worry, no one in the Mossad knows yet.

"A senile old man or a Nazi monster?

"I'm Max Reiner, the 'Surgeon of Birkenau'.

"So claims Nikolai Bazorov, a habitant of Vasilkov,

"an industrial town, not far from Kiev.

"From his bed in a nursing home, the eighty-year-old man claims to be

"the Nazi war criminal the Mossad claims to have killed in 1964."

I'm sorry to come back into your life... like this.

It's not your fault.

I've nothing but this lie, Zvi. - I know.

We must act now. Before it all leaks out.

What? - We've no choice but to protect our truth.

What do you mean? - He has to be silenced.

He's in a nursing home in the Ukraine.

Your flight leaves tomorrow at nine a.m.

What are you talking about?

I can't handle this. - Who will, then?

What about Ehud? - He's already waiting for you in Kiev.

But he can't do it alone... It's the three of us, Rachel.

I can't just get up in the morning... fly to Kiev...

walk into some nursing home and suffocate an old man with his pillow...

This "old man" is the Surgeon of Birkenau.

I'm sorry. I can't do it.

What do you remember each time you see this scar?

There's enough here for Ehud and you...

in case there is no choice.

I'm sorry I'm not joining you.

Alright.

Don't be afraid, Rachel. It'll be over in two days.

Don't talk to me about fear. You're not the one getting on a plane.

You're safe sitting on that chair of yours.

Have a pleasant flight, Mrs. Brener.

Welcome to Ukraine, Mrs. Mollen.

Just going over the file.

I want to be ready for tomorrow, Zvi.

How long have you been standing there?

Long enough to see you're afraid, Rachel.

I'm not like you and Ehud.

Good.

You two never seem afraid.

Everybody's afraid.

Except Ehud. - Except Ehud.

Ehud's afraid of nothing, because he's never been afraid.

Despite all his medals and scars,

he'd never be able to face what you will tomorrow.

But you will

and not because you won't be afraid.

You'll be afraid.

Any woman would be.

But you can handle this fear.

You know this fear from your home.

And what about you, Zvi?

When are you ever afraid?

Now.

Go back to sleep.

Good night.

It's the sixth month, and this morning sickness...

Complete these. The Dr. Will see you next.

Schedule an appointment for Ms. Niedermeier for next Wednesday.

Mrs... Roget, follow me please.

Good morning, Mrs. Roget.

Good morning, Doctor.

That's my hand, do you feel it?

And this is the speculum, it will be a little cold.

That's my hand

...and this is the speculum.

Ovaries appear to be fine.

How long have you and your husband been trying to have a baby?

About two years.

How often do you have intercourse?

Two, three times a week.

There's nothing like young love.

There is a slight dryness in your vaginal wall.

Do I detect a foreign accent?

Yes, we moved here quite recently.

From where?

Argentina.

This may be slightly unpleasant now...

Buenos Aires?

Yes.

Forgive me for being a bit tense, Doctor.

I am afraid I haven't told you the truth before.

My husband and I don't have sex three times a week.

Actually it's more like twice a month.

Well, sometimes once is all it takes.

I set up the next visit for Wednesday.

Eight twenty five.

The bus reaches the stop.

His wife is the first to get off.

21... 22...

23... 24... 25...

Always five seconds after her. Always careful.

Where's Ehud?

It's okay, he's there.

A 'Berliner Zeitung', please.

Thank you.

Please. - Thank you.

Could you direct me to the University, please?

Sure. Walk straight ahead, and then a left.

I'm going there. I can show you the way.

Really? - Sure.

Thanks. Maybe another time.

Too bad.

From the moment he's off the bus until he's inside the clinic, he's never alone

We have to get him when no one is watching us.

On the contrary,

we'll get him out with everyone watching.

More coffee? - Later.

Try it on.

He hasn't slept for three days. - That's nothing.

I've seen him stay up five nights straight in Ecuador.

The shoulders are a little too tight and the arms a little too long.

You ever think that after you got into the Mossad...

after all the years of training...

languages, self defense, firearm.

That the night before your big mission you'd be sewing this robe?

Don't move. - Whatever you say.

I learned a long time ago not to argue with an armed woman.

He looks so tired.

Forget it, Rachel.

Forget what?

Nobody really knows him.

He's got no real friends.

He's alone and he'll stay that way.

What about his family? Friends?

You don't know?

What?

Zvi's got no family.

Auschwitz.

All of them?

All of them.

How did you find me?

Excuse me? - How did you get to me?

How did we?

Were you referred by a doctor or by your medical insurance?

By Dr. Eisenberg.

How is the old Jew?

Excellent.

This may burn a little.

Is there a family history of fertility problems?

No.

Are you an only child? - Yes.

And there are no fertility problems in your family?

No, my mother could no longer give birth after the war.

The war changed a lot of people.

What are you drinking, Miss?

A moment, please.

We have a green light.

I'm scared.

Mrs. Roget, the doctor will see you now.

That's my hand...

and this is the speculum. Do you feel it?

That's my hand

and this is the speculum.

Do you feel it? - I do.

You have nothing to fear, Mrs. Roget. You're in good hands.

Together, we'll try everything modern science has to offer your body.

You'll be surprised how much life is hidden in your body.

My job is to awaken that life.

All you need to do is be patient and trust me.

Your body will do the rest.

Have faith in me, and I'll take care of you as I do with all my patients.

Like you took care of your patients in Birkenau, Herr Doctor?!

He suddenly fell.

What happened?

He grabbed his chest and collapsed.

My husband had a heart attack.

Karlstrasse 42. Fifth floor, the clinic.

Don't worry, Miss.

The ambulance is already on the way. - Come quickly.

Go.

The ambulance is here.

Everything's going to be okay. - Thank you... Thank you.

Stay with him, I'll get the door.

Open the stretcher. We've got to get him to the hospital immediately.

Will he be alright? - We must move right away.

Impossible. - Why?

New regulations, sorry. Meet us at the hospital.

Okay.

Excuse me.

Israeli Embassy, good afternoon.

"Gabriel" here... I'd like to speak to "Dad".

So..."Gabriel", how's the vacation with the kids?

The kids are fine.

The sky's clear and the sun is shining.

When you return home I'll be able to tell you

what I think about what you've done.

Until then, the "entire family" and I congratulate you.

You haven't changed, Rachel.

Neither did you, Ehud.

That's Katrina, my first wife.

She's beautiful.

Beautiful...

A beautiful devil from Moscow.

That's three years ago. When I was selling fighter jets in Sierra Leone.

Selling to the rebels?

To the rebels and those who rebel against them.

That's my second wife in our villa in Angola.

Are all the cute African kids yours?

Only the two on the right.

And what about her? - We divorced a year ago.

Sweetie, another double Scotch please.

Sure.

What about Zvi?

Last time I saw him was in a German hospital,

ten years ago, after the bombing of the Israeli Embassy.

I haven't seen him for a long while either...

well, not until yesterday.

I never thought this would come back, either.

What are we doing here, Ehud?

What we should have done thirty years ago.

We have a second chance.

I can't kill anybody.

Not even him?

Don't worry, you won't do much... It's simple.

I already checked out the nursing home last night. - And...

It's forty minutes away. Isolated in a forest.

Most of the tenants are former Soviet government officials

and high ranking red army officers.

It's secure, but at night we can get in easily. We walk in.

You stay downstairs as a lookout while I go up to his room,

finish what's left of the Surgeon and we get out of there.

If it doesn't work, I brought this along...

What's that?

A present from Zvika.

A SIG-Sauer, the best in the market.

Even on automatic it's got the recoil of a BB gun.

Quiet as a heart beat.

Yes?

The visiting hours are long over.

What can I do for you?

We're a bit lost.

How do we get back to the guesthouse?

You walk straight back, turn left,

and you'll see it in front of you.

Could I please bother you for a glass of water?

My husband isn't feeling well.

Thanks.

I didn't want you to see me like this. - Like what? A drunk?

No.

A coward.

That's what I am, Rachel...

That's who I've been since that night.

Why didn't you say anything?

I wanted it to be different.

What happened to us, Ehud?

We were different once, weren't we?

Let it go. Come home, Rachel.

Home to what? That life is over.

Are you sure that's what you want to do?

I'm going ahead.

Alone?

Alone.

If only... I could, I'd... - You're here with me.

What's your name?

You Jews are close to your historical roots.

It's a good thing.

Very good.

You take historical names from the Bible...

I've always loved the Bible as a child.

It is a very satisfying book.

It is all about higher justice.

You weren't lying when you talked about your mother

and what she went through during the war, were you?

Yes... People tend to tell the truth when their genitals are being touched.

Do you want to know why I did what I did in Birkenau?

Because we could do whatever we wanted to the Jews.

But you're different.

You have strength.

Rage...

But you're angry with your mother too.

You rage at her weakness.

You hate her for it.

You Jews never knew how to kill,

you only knew how to die.

What's wrong?

Don't worry, it'll all be over soon.

Will it make you feel better if I shot him in the knee?

We're not getting out of here so quickly.

The party at the Embassy is postponed. - What does that mean?

It means we're not getting out so quickly.

Until when is the party postponed?

How much longer will we be here?

Did you feed him?

Without the party as cover, we can't get him to the airport.

When are we getting out of here? - Did he eat?

Whom do you care about, him or us?

Focus on what you have to do. Worry only about your shift.

Now, just tell me,

did you feed him or didn't you?

It's okay, I fed him at the end of my shift.

Listen,

I don't know how many more days we still have.

But as long as we're here, there are rules and regulations.

Every eight hours, he eats, whether he wants to or not.

Shift ends - he goes to the restroom, whether he wants to or not.

We shave and clean him once a day. And we never talk to him.

Don't ever forget what we're doing and who is lying on the floor there.

Why don't you kill me now?

You want to.

I see it in your eyes.

You won't die here.

We'll take you to the Jewish State

and put you in a courtroom, inside a cage made of bulletproof glass,

so that no one can kill you.

There, everyone will come to see and hear you squirm.

And you'll sit there.

You'll say that you were only a pawn in the system.

That you followed orders.

And you'll say that you were temporarily insane.

You'll even say that you're not you.

Everything you'll say will be logged in the protocol.

Word for word.

And everything you'll say won't matter at all.

Because when the trial is over,

they'll tie a rope

around your neck,

and pull hard, so hard

that your body will go mad.

You know so well, Herr Doctor,

how the body revolts when life leaves it.

And then, only then,

after all that,

you will die.

You're tired.

Why don't I replace you now.

You've got two more hours off.

What will I do with them?

Go ahead. Get some fresh air.

Sure?

With a TV in the room it's 300 Grivnas.

Without one it's 150. - I see. Thank you.

Goodbye.

What can I do for you?

Do you have a vacant room?

How long are you here for? - Two, three days.

I have a charming room on the top floor.

Thank you.

Are you visiting a relative? - A distant relative.

Go ahead, please.

We're visiting Mr. Alexander Mironienko.

And you're? - His grandchildren, Andrey and Natasha.

You may go in. Good day.

Mr. Mironienko, please. - And you're Miss?

Ms. Marta Mino.

I'm not listed. He doesn't know I'm coming.

No, no, don't call him. It's a surprise.

We don't like surprises here, Madame.

This isn't a regular nursing home. It's a guarded facility.

There are important people here who like their privacy

and their peace of mind.

Perhaps you can still help me. It's extremely important.

I'd be very grateful.

What do you think you're doing, Madame?

Nothing, nothing.

The entrance is at the other side.

Thanks.

It's a sin.

Excuse me?

It's a sin to stay indoors

on such a lovely day.

I don't understand how they can play cards indoors

on a day like this.

Excuse me?

"Bazorov"

Which way to Nikolai Bazorov's room? - And who are you, Sir?

Peter Sohanov, Moscow correspondent for 'Berliner Zeitung'.

Second floor, room 232.

That way? - That way.

You the man from the 'Berliner Zeitung'? - Peter Sohanov.

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you can't come in.

I'm early? - No, you simply can't come in.

You his son? - Yes.

What's your name? - Stephan.

Listen, Stephan, it's difficult, but it's your father's chance

to tell his side of the story. - My father's a senile old man.

He doesn't know what he's saying.

Everything he told the other reporter is complete nonsense...

Costia, I told you before, don't run in the halls!

I'm bored.

Do we understand one another?

Maybe I can come back another time?

I'm asking you to leave now or I'll call security.

Goodbye.

Costia.

Good morning.

Costia, come here!

No! - Come here!

No, I've got no way of reaching him...

He won't let me talk to him.

Thomas, I tried.

I'll keep trying...

Costia, you should be careful with that thing!

If you don't stop it now, we won't go to the lake tomorrow morning.

But, Dad, you promised. - So start behaving.

Thomas, I'll have the article ready for you on Friday.

Save space for a double spread.

What are you doing?

Get dressed.

Why? Are you jealous? - You better get a hold of yourself.

It's going to be at least another week until we're out of here. - What?!

The Embassy party is postponed again. We may be replaced soon.

No one is taking this son of a bitch from me.

I caught him, and I alone will bring him home.

How can you let everyone tell you what to do?

Don't let them replace us.

You're not going to answer?

Ok, be silent.

Silent like your whole family was at Auschwitz.

Get out of here.

She's with him because of you.

It's clear she loves you, not him.

When she kisses him she thinks of you.

What does a monster like you know about human feelings?

What I did, I did for science.

What science?!

I was a soldier of progress,

a doctor serving the Reich. - All your patients died, "Doctor".

What is the death of hundreds in the name of progress?

What are you talking about?

Replacing hands and legs of innocents

and watching them die is progress?

It's a disease.

A personal mental illness, nothing else.

Then we were all insane?

Temporary insanity?

There's no explanation for your actions

and I seek none.

Do you know why it was easy to exterminate you people?

Because the Jew is an egoist.

Each one of you was thinking only about himself.

How to make it to the next day, the next hour.

How not to get flogged or kicked.

Why do you think it took only four soldiers

to lead a thousand people to the gas chambers?

Entire families.

Because not one of the thousand dared to resist.

Dared to risk being the first to fall.

Are you going to manage with him?

I'll be all right.

I'll replace you in a bit.

Thank you...

Thank you...

No tracks, no traces... nothing.

I'm sorry.

Don't worry, we'll find him.

What are you doing?

I'm going to finish him off. - He's gone.

He's not going back to the clinic, nor to his home. He's gone.

It took fifteen years to find him. You can't do it in ten minutes.

You do what you want. I'll do what must be done. - No.

It's our mutual responsibility. - Mutual? Did I beat him up?

Did I fall asleep and let him escape?

When we get home, each one of us will own up to his part in this.

I'm not coming home empty handed.

Somebody's getting a bullet in his brain tonight - him or me.

Move aside. - You can't decide for us all.

You sure can't do it anymore. - Don't be a child.

We can't get caught. It'll be a national embarrassment.

And what do you call this?!

Wait.

He escaped during my shift.

I'll assume sole responsibility. - And what will you say?

That you fell asleep

and the biggest Nazi war criminal caught by the State of Israel

simply walked out the door?

You want responsibility, Rachel? You got it.

It's suicide.

Suicide is not the worst option here. Not even for you.

Zvi, come with us.

Don't go.

Give me one good reason why not.

No one needs to know that you fell asleep, Rachel.

No one needs to know that he escaped.

We are the only ones who know what happened here tonight, us and him.

What difference does it make?

It can stay that way.

No one needs to know what really happened here tonight.

But he did escape. - That's the truth.

But it doesn't have to be the truth that we return home with.

The truth can be whatever we want it to be.

The truth is that The Surgeon tried to escape,

Rachel struggled and got hurt,

a second before he escaped

she reached for the gun and shot him once in the head.

We got rid of the body and left no trace of the Surgeon of Birkenau.

But he's out there. He's alive!

No, he isn't.

He'll stay underground the rest of his life.

He won't refute his death story, it'll keep him alive.

But we know the truth. - Only us.

No one else. Ever.

Just us three.

We'll go back home and get on with our lives.

As heroes.

Everything alright, Mrs. Mollen? Sleep well?

Very well. Tell me,

when does the train leave for the city today?

Today's Sunday, so there are just two trains.

One at 10 a.m. And one at 10 p.m.

Good. I'm leaving today.

Good morning, nurse. - Good morning.

Good morning, nurse.

Mr. Bazorov?

What can I do for you?

It's time for your vitamins.

Please, your arm.

Try not to miss the vein.

Excuse me, nurse, I forgot my tape recorder here.

Go ahead...

You came back to take my picture?

The photo of The Surgeon of Birkenau? - Some other time, Mr. Bazorov.

Is he famous? - Famous?

Him? He's a senile old man who suffered a stroke last month

and ever since, fancies himself the Surgeon of Birkenau.

Don't know where he got that idea.

Poor bastard. - Poor bastard.

What a waste of time. Instead of a headline sensation,

I've got junk for a supermarket rag.

Goodbye. - Goodbye.

Have you seen a reporter around? - He just left.

How many times have I asked you not to let anyone in his room?!

Sorry, I'm new here. - Why did you speak to him again?

I've told you a thousand times not to talk to anyone!

Would you mind taking him outside? - No problem.

Come with me, sweetie.

Come on, champ, your turn.

Can't do much without your old partner, can you?

Too bad he became senile.

Not in front of the grandson. Leave poor Bazorov out of this.

The nurses say he doesn't even know who he is anymore.

You Jews never knew how to kill,

but you always knew how to die.

I knew you'd come the moment senile old Bazorov started blubbering.

I never should have confessed to him.

People like us take our secrets to the grave.

Subtitles: Cinematyp Studios Ltd.