As a retired history teacher, I am a VERY tough audience for historical films. Again and again, I'll spot the flaws and this seriously impacts my enjoyment of the film. I am sure this is true of most (if not all) history teachers. So, with films like "The House on Garibaldi Street", it's nice because they actually cared to get the facts straight, as the film was designed less as entertainment and more a testament to the team responsible for the capture of the notorious Nazi war criminal, Adolf Eichmann.
At the end of WWII, many Nazis tried to hide or escape from Allied justice. Some (such as Himmler), were caught and others, such as Dr. Mengele and Adolf Eichmann managed to escape to South America. Following the war, it's not surprising that Israel devoted a lot of energy into tracking down these evil men. The most famous of all those they captured was Adolf Eichmann--one of the architects of the 'final solution' and the man who helped run the camps at Auschwitz. However, he was living in Argentina and was being protected by folks in authority, so when the Israeli Mossad learned he might be there, they had to move quickly and VERY quietly to try to capture him. And then, once captured, they needed to find a way to sneak him out of the country. This film is about this operation.
As I mentioned above, the film gets the facts straight. Apart from that, the acting (with the likes of Topol and Martin Balsam) was quite good. My only complaint, and it's a VERY minor one, is that the film was a bit too cerebral and deliberately paced for the average viewer. I didn't want them to spice it up by changing facts, but perhaps if they'd showed a portion of the trial or his subsequent execution it might appeal more to the average person. Well done.
By the way, the one historical problem I DID notice was the hair and fashions. It looked quite late 1970s--not 1960 like it should have.
At the end of WWII, many Nazis tried to hide or escape from Allied justice. Some (such as Himmler), were caught and others, such as Dr. Mengele and Adolf Eichmann managed to escape to South America. Following the war, it's not surprising that Israel devoted a lot of energy into tracking down these evil men. The most famous of all those they captured was Adolf Eichmann--one of the architects of the 'final solution' and the man who helped run the camps at Auschwitz. However, he was living in Argentina and was being protected by folks in authority, so when the Israeli Mossad learned he might be there, they had to move quickly and VERY quietly to try to capture him. And then, once captured, they needed to find a way to sneak him out of the country. This film is about this operation.
As I mentioned above, the film gets the facts straight. Apart from that, the acting (with the likes of Topol and Martin Balsam) was quite good. My only complaint, and it's a VERY minor one, is that the film was a bit too cerebral and deliberately paced for the average viewer. I didn't want them to spice it up by changing facts, but perhaps if they'd showed a portion of the trial or his subsequent execution it might appeal more to the average person. Well done.
By the way, the one historical problem I DID notice was the hair and fashions. It looked quite late 1970s--not 1960 like it should have.