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In the unpredictable society that we live in where corruption is found in places we don’t expect to discover it, we often question how to respond to hateful regimes that may arise. The best way we can do this is look to the past and see what everyday citizens undergoing persecution did to combat the forces of evil in their country’s government.
‘Vindicta’ is an upcoming film centered around a young Jewish woman secretly living in Nazi Germany where she finds a particular passion in ending the lives of Nazis, those who destroyed the livelihoods of her and so many others. While it has striking imagery and colorful performances, its true merits as a deconstruction of this time period are found in its exploration of the duality of evil and good in human nature.
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Sweet, swift vengeance
‘Vindicta’ begins at the end, showing an elderly Hannah, the protagonist of the film, who goes into a building with unknown intentions (later to be revealed) before transitioning to where the bulk of the film will take place: 1940s Nazi Germany. In grim reality, the Nazis ravage a small town, burn books and terrorize the citizens in commonly portrayed deplorable behavior. A Gestapo Officer then interrogates a family through mind games in a similar fashion to the opening of ‘Inglourious Basterds’ (2009). Events unfold and the daughter of the family, the younger version of Hannah played by musician Devon Ross escapes into the night.
This intense opening to what will unfold as an intensely satisfying story contains a well portrayed sense of urgency and pain in this family’s inevitable separation, leading to suspense for the Nazi’s approaching discovery of the uncertain fate of them. But, when the falling action takes place, the suspense is not withheld and there is still uncertainty that Hannah will be safe, maintaining the audience’s engagement.
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Following this devastating start to the film, Hannah finds herself in a world of unpredictible circumstances. Her country is ruled by an evil regime who is out to get her. But rather than cower behind her family friends who have taken her into their business for concealment, she risks it all by becoming an unpredictable force herself. Here is when the feminist side of the film comes into play. Hannah is a beautiful woman whose looks can be used as an easy distraction. Like a femme fatale of an old film noir, she finds skill and passion in luring unsuspecting Nazi officers or soldiers to her and going for the kill when the opportune moment arrives. The merciless brutality of the Nazis to the Jewish people is reflected onto Hannah who employs similarly savage methods in disposing of the deplorable officers. Supremely satisfying for both her and the audience.
However, Hannah faces the biggest threat to her talent in the form of a handsome, charasmatic officer who takes a liking to her, putting her trust and carefully calculated killings of men of his kind to the test. Leading from this is a long and bloody climax that is sure to keep the audience on their seats, tying back into the beginning to employ a well rounded end to such a violently intense story just like any old fashioned tale of vengeance, all staying true to the film’s name of ‘Vindicta’ which means vengeance in its purest form.
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Meditations on the Duality of Good and Evil
Aside from excellent cinematography and stellar performances, the highlight of ‘Vindicta’ is most certainly the screenplay. Many of the best scenes are between two characters exuding expertly written dialogue relating to the intricacies of the Nazi occupied world they find themselves in. At points, this is to the film’s detriment as it spends more time telling than showing, a rule all too often broken in cinema. Yet, with as well as the dialogue is written, this is easy to forgive for it can almost be viewed as a novel with all the compelling struggle and conflict found in the film’s various monologues.
Many of these conversations are framed between Hannah and the seemingly dashing Gestapo Officer Klaus, played by Jack Bandeira, both unaware of the other’s true natures. Each is on one extreme of this conflict with Klaus being a devout supporter of the Third Reich while the secretly Jewish Hannah seeks the eradication of Hitler’s regime on account of what they did to her family. Watching the two of them terms that are at first friendly is a treat for anyone in search of good dialogue. The actors deliver the lines with energy and the choices for shot composition enhance the visual experience. Despite a likely lower budget than a typical movie, ‘Vindicta’ manages to soar with its technical choices and excellent writing that enhances the film from another Holocaust story to a compelling pondering of the conflict’s intricacies.
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Taking Action
Also taking center stage is the feminist angle where Hannah is able to use her enticing looks to lure in Nazi victims, providing satisfying conclusions to various deplorable characters throughout. This taking place in the 1940s where a certain expectation of women was upheld regardless of the Nazi regime evaluates that Hannah and all young women like her must be silent, obedient housewives who shouldn’t speak up for themselves or against injustice they see around. With this in mind, ‘Vindicta’ is a highly empowering film which portrays a woman taking action without being bound by any man or undervaluing influence.
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But a greater lesson the film gives is the action that must be taken by each of us if we are to fight against the injustices of the world. Most of us will not take on violent resolves as Hannah does, but the film still encourages us to be mindful of seemingly quaint beliefs in society that can turn into a monstrous totalitarian rulership as it did with Germany in the 1940s. The Nazi regime did not randomly arise from the depths of hell, but as mentioned in the film was a product of Germany’s struggle in the ashes of the first world war, claiming to be the saviors of their country, but proceeding to take it in a direction far worse than it began. With this in mind, ‘Vindicta’ calls us to be aware of a regime similar to that of the Nazis starts forming within a society because it will not reveal itself in plain sight, but gradually exploit the needs of people and morph it into something terrible.
‘Vindicta’ is sure to be an experience that provides disturbance as well as satisfaction through its story of a female Nazi killer based on true events. It is very well made and performed, but on a greater note calls us to not simply be a bystander in a world that is changing, often for the worst.
CREDITS:
Cast: Devon Ross, Jack Bandeira, Pip Torrens
Cinematography by: David McFarland
Edited by: Denis Golenja
Produced by: Wendy Benge, Ilenka Jelowicki, Stephen Ollendorff, Dominik Sedlar, Jakov Sedlar
Written & Directed by: Dominik Sedlar
By Elijah van der Fluit
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Author
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Elijah van der Fluit is a writer for The Hollywood Insider based in California with aspirations to write and direct films for a professional career. In his spare time, Elijah enjoys watching and discussing movies of all genres as well as reading, hiking, spending time with family, and being one with the world. Elijah believes that art, whatever form it may take, has the ability to inspire and broaden people’s perspectives in a positive way and he hopes to use his work in film and writing to do so.
Elijah van der Fluit is a writer for The Hollywood Insider based in California with aspirations to write and direct films for a professional career. In his spare time, Elijah enjoys watching and discussing movies of all genres as well as reading, hiking, spending time with family, and being one with the world. Elijah believes that art, whatever form it may take, has the ability to inspire and broaden people’s perspectives in a positive way and he hopes to use his work in film and writing to do so.
