Location: Mexico
Directed by Billy Ray
Produced by Barry Mendel & Frank Marshall & Kathleen Kennedy
Written by Tony Kushner & Billy Ray
Based on the book “Eichmann in Jerusalem” by Hannah Arendt
Executive Producers Colin Wilson & Rick Shwartz
Edited By Michael Kahn
Cinematography by Robert Richardson
Music by Mychael Danna
Costume Design by Sandy Powell
Production Design by Dante Ferretti
Art Direction by Jeannine Claudia Oppewall & Gretchen Rau
Set Decoration by Leslie E. Rollins
Main Cast
Gary Oldman – Adolf Eichmann
Hayden Christensen – Danny Spitzer
Helena Bonham Carter – Hannah Arendt
Alan Alda – Gideon Hausner
Michael Constantine – David Ben-Gurion
Ben Gazzara – Yitzhak Ben-Zvi
Lynn Cohen – Golda Meir
Tagline: "Our greatest evil flows from ourselves"
Synopsis: Usually when people write their memoirs they basically tell their whole lives, well in my case, my life is not that exciting, but something happened to me that changed me forever, this is my story. I was born into a Jewish family in 1933 in Berlin, Germany. As the Nazi party came into power my mother, sister and I were able to escape to America when I was 4. I don’t know why but I still remember those early years in my life, I still remember the hatred I felt as a little boy, just for being what I was. My whole family was killed in the Holocaust. After I graduated, one of my professors at Princeton offered me a job as her assistant, her name was Hannah Arendt, she was one of the most important political theorists of that time. In 1961 she was offered a job that would change our lives forever; she was asked to report the Eichmann trial in Jerusalem, she asked me to come with her.
When we arrived to Jerusalem we went directly to the building where Eichmann was held prisoner, I remember walking through those doors and meeting a simple man, he was wearing thick glasses and a dark suit, when he opened his mouth he talked calmly and intellectually, he exchanged some words with Hannah and after a few moments I couldn’t believe that this man, sitting right in front of me was the architect of the biggest genocide in world history.
After Hannah finished talking with him she left crying and angry, I was overwhelmed by her reaction. After she was gone I stood there, suddenly this man in front of me asked for my name and told me to sit down, I was in shock, as I sat down he started talking to me; it was an experience I would never forget, we talked during an hour before the guard took him, I was amazed by his mind and his words, he had an encyclopedic knowledge of the Jewish religion but he failed to understand the Jewish people. I left that building, and later that night I wasn’t able to sleep, I was awake all night thinking about everything he said.
The following days we spend more time together, in a way he couldn’t stand being near me, but he needed to explain himself to someone. His mere presence provoked great conflict in me, this man was the responsible of the pain of million of persons, but I was able to understand him and his actions, even if I didn’t wanted to. We bonded in an odd way, he wanted to say something, and I needed answers from him.
During the trial, Gideon Hausner was the chief prosecutor, in this sessions Eichmann was fighting for his life and even if he appeared calmed, you could sense his fear and pain, he knew this were his last days and that his fight was futile. He was eventually condemned, but I will never forget our last meeting. After the verdict we met one last time, he was different; he had a new perspective, suddenly he wasn’t afraid anymore, he had faced his demons and he finally made peace with himself, his last words are written in my memories like if they were carved in stone, always so formal he stood up after our last meeting and said “To sum it all up, I must say that I regret nothing. We shall meet again. I have believed in God. I obeyed the laws of war and was loyal to my flag”. After the execution I sat down with Hannah and I told her about my meetings with him, she told me about her impressions and her article, after she finished, I said nothing, her last words were “Under conditions of tyranny it is far easier to act than to think. The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil”. I would like to say that he was redeemed for his actions, but he wasn’t, in my eyes he knew what he was doing and it were his actions what made him what he was, at the end all I can say is the world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.
What the Press would say:
The film, directed by Billy Ray, is a visceral, emotionally exhausting work that dares to ask questions and gives no easy answers. A film of uncommon depth, intelligence, and sensitivity, “The Banality of Evil” defies easy labeling. It’s an eye-opener - a motion picture that asks difficult questions, presents well-developed characters, and keeps us white-knuckled throughout. It’s based on Hannah Arendt's book Eichmann in Jerusalem, claims to have been "inspired" by true events, which places it into the category of fiction. Key events occurred, but all of the character interaction is made up.
The screenplay succeeds in exposing a dreaded historical figure as a human being. Ray's directing is brilliant; he assembles the story and the characters uniformly and proves himself to be an expert in creating realistic relationships between the characters while he succeeds in telling a story. An impressive achievement by a man in touch with his art and his soul. Kushner and Ray's script is thoughtful and provocative. The acting is uniformly excellent. Christensen shines as a young journalist in the search for explanations and meaning to his life, he’s able to portray an evolution that allows his character to feel real and human. He makes Danny Spitzer fun, funny, vulnerable and poignant while never letting us forget his pain and search for answers. Oldman’s Eichmann is calculating and scary, he portrays him as a harsh man with great intelligence and cleverness, he perfectly captures his ¬nature, he puts in one of the most amazing acting performances of the year making Eichmann appear to be equally likable and detestable all at the same time. When both characters interact, the screen sizzles with intensity, the dialogue is so powerful and the movie's real power, and true greatness, comes from these magnificent performances. Bonham-Carter also shines as Arendt; she provides her best performance yet and adds heart and emotion to a difficult and serious movie. Impressively directed, sharply written and beautifully shot drama with superb performances from the entire cast. Gritty and compelling, the film transports the viewer unlike any other film in recent memory. A movie like none we've seen before a searching, soul-sick piece of work. It does not pretend to have any answers. It only wants to remind us how much we've lost.
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