Customer Reviews

Man Who Captured Eichmann [VHS]

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Any time you get the opportunity to see Robert Duvall work, you should take it. When the pot is sweetened by the chance to learn a little (or a lot) about an important historical event, then it's a no-brainer.

A far more carefully crafted story line distinguishes this film from the 1961 `Operation Eichmann'. The source of this film is the book, "Eichmann in my Hands", by Massad agent Peter Malkin, the primary Israeli Agent involved in Eichmann's capture in Buenos Aires.

The film is presented pretty much from the point-of-view of Malkin, played superbly by Arliss Howard, an actor who's career to date is papered with non-distinguishable work in non-descript films. His portrayal here is right on target. There is a nice turn as well by Jeffrey Tambor, a wonderful comedic actor, here cast completely against type in a serious role.

Much is the time when TV has been dismissed as a learning medium. Thankfully, made for TV movies like `The Man Who Captured Eichmann" go far to dismiss that notion.

Nazi mass murderer and holocaust kingpin, Adolph Eichmann (Robert Duvall) is located by the Mossad (Israeli Secret Service), in Argentina in 1960, with the help of a blind holocaust survivor.
The task to capture him is handed to Peter Malkin (Arliss Howard) , an Israeli who lost his sister and nephew in the holocaust, thanks to the work of Eichmann. He is to lead a team to Argentina to capture Eichmann alive, and to take him back to Israel for trial, so that the truth can be exposed to the world and so that the world will know why a Jewish homeland must exist!
What follow is a re-enactment of the whole plan, how it was carried out, and the interaction of Malkin with Eichmann, after the latter is captured.
It is done in a made for TV documentary style, more given to realism than to action and drama, but is important to watch for those who want to know more about the holocaust , and the hunt after World War II for Nazi war criminals.
We need to relive these events , because the role of the Nazis has been overtaken by others , who wish to enact genocide against the Jewish people, particularly against the Jews of Israel .

A very well done movie on this subject
Duvall did a great job, and I loved the addition of Her Muller, played by Gregory Dayton, as the SS officer trying to stop the kidnapping..
it gave some excitement, though he was probably the only part of the money that wasnt historically acurate.

The foundational story, which is the 1961 capture of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann by the Israeli Mossad, is engrossing. I thought the Argentine post WW II atmosphere was nicely created.

The weak link was Arliss Howard, who played the principal agent in the capture operation. Very, very weak. At one point during the mesmerizing dialogues that took place in the makeshift temporary "jail", I recall thinking what a shame it was that this lightweight actor was turning in such a shallow performance during this intimate and captivating interview of the infamous Eichmann. Then I had to remind myself that this wasn't Eichmann . . . it was Robert Duvall. Which brings us to the matter of Robert Duvall . . . .

Duvall deserved an Oscar for this. (I realize that this was a made-for-cable film and it was impossible). Just an awesome piece of work on his part. He became Adolf Eichmann. SUPERB!

Watch this for two reasons: It is a very important and well presented piece of history, and, to watch the great Robert Duvall in perhaps his greatest performance.

THE MAN WHO CAPTURED EICHMANN (1996) Directed by William Graham. Score by Lawrence Rosenthal. Script by Lionel Chetwynd.
Starring Arliss Howard, Jeffrey Tambor and Robert Duvall as Adolph Eichmann.

A remake of THE HOUSE ON GARIBALDI STREET(see my review for that film for more info) and a perfect example of how the Holocaust has been beaten to death. The previous film was not even 20 years old and was about as good as one was going to get with the subject. This film does not match the original and brings even less to the table. Direction, period and script are weak. The cast is nothing special. Compare Martin Balsam from the original with Tambor here playing the same roles. Where the previous film was literate and mature. This, being a modern film, feels like the Holocaust for the Attention Deficit. Every scene has those horrible dialogue PUNCHES to keep the slopeheads awake. Howard gives a horrific performance especially in comparison with Topol. There is very little historical exposition so the film is not even all that educational. They only mention the street Eichmann was living on once and very quickly at that where it was in the TITLE of the original. AND we even get that irritating scene where someone babbles how 6 million Jews were killed while the World remained silent....well silent except for all those guns, bombs and armies blasting Nazi Germany into the dust. Though as this is a modern film, this scene is reduced to one line rather than a conversation as it was in the original. The fellow who plays the equivalent of the Charles Grey role is inferior. Ditto the John Cater part. I do not think Duvall really added anything important as Eichmann and we do not even get to see David Ben-Gurion in this one. In the previous film, the Mossad was played as serious professionals. Here they act like refugees from a SEINFELD ep. There is an embarrassingly childish scene where Adolph Eichmann sits on the toilet while the Jews laugh at him. It has come to this?? Why not just hit him the face with a pie while we are at it?
Not horrible but the original is the one to see.

I have read several books about the capture of Eichmann and this film was an excellent reenactment of the occurrence. Robt. Duvall was outstanding as Eichmann. I would highly recommend this video from the historical point of view.
madeline

The bad guy is played wisely by a good actor; the good is played by an imitation of an actor. I don't think the capture of Eichmann in '61 was a party. Howard plays like it was one. Could have been Dean Martin instead, result would have been the same. Otherwise, interesting tv movie. Not more than that.

The story ofthe capture of Eichmann, is extremely simple. It can be described in 2 sentences. And that happens to be the content of the movie. So to fill an hour and a half the director had to fluff up the movie with very very very long conversations. After a while these conversations get so boring that you can't help pressing the fast forward button. Which brings you right to the end of the movie.