Eye_MD_B
Most people see the world as black & white, good & evil, and this movie shows that not only cold capitalistic greed, but also wearm-hearted loving care can both cause great pain - if not accompanied by inner wisdom and ethics.(Of course capitalistic ventures damage greater numbers of people,
but the principle is the same).
So it's a brilliant movie about both sides of the same coin called "blind decisions".
Jennifer Crowe
So besides the fact that Stephen Dorff is one of my favorite actors (saw him in Blade too!), I watched The Debt because it looked different from any other movie out now, and it completely is. I love the idea of juxtaposing the logical American business-type with the family-oriented, hardworking Peruvian farmer. The diversity of this cast is enough to make it stand out alone. But the script is also something to consider. Surprisingly, the drama starts out innocently enough with Dorff's character, Oliver, traveling to Peru with his partner to try and buy back land and settle semi-ancient debt from 1968. But then the film twists completely, leaving you rooting for both Oliver and the landowning farmers, although they each want two different things. This is truly one of those movies that absorbs you into another place, another culture. You can relate to Oliver obviously but also find yourself empathizing with the plight of these local Peruvians as their society crumbles under financial pressure. Highly recommend seeing this one if you want to change your perspective about other countries.
subxerogravity
I like watching movies about other cultures other than my own.The structure of The Debt told a human very story as they say:A nurse desperate to find a way to get her sick mother the surgery she needs.A small boy learning the hard way how to take care of his father's land.A man born in Peru and educated in America trying to balance business with doing the right thing for his people.http://cinemagardens.com/index.php/2016/07/11/the-debtIt's down to Earth sub plots like this that make the movie pop out and come together so well.I really loved the back drop of Peru. it's a beautiful country, and the sound of the wind blowing into the boom mic actually made me feel like I was there.The Debt has a lot of layers to it because of all the sub stories and lead to one huge plot about an international fiancé deal going south and Stephen Dorff's character, Oliver's attempts to fix it, but it never gets too complex that you can't follow, even with the subtitles.Very low key movie does not hold back the emotional and political drama it is.
onthejuice
In this story the common conceptions of the international free trade system are confronted. The film brings together the lives of various parties and focuses upon the fate of one boy.Individuals can be understood as separate and distant from each other. Yet in this depiction, the interdependence of individuals, of their actions, within the global economic system is brought into question.The film attempts to bring light upon and question the issues of independence, of the seemingly autonomous existence capitalism promotes and depicts the interconnected nature of dealings across the international economy, ultimately bringing the various parties together to confront the realities of the decisions they make.The writer/director does not attempt to go into the philosophy of film, nor do they give bourgeois depictions of meaning to life, but faces the realities of the system in which we live. It's not happy go lucky, the film is not an objection to capitalism nor does it try to be a sermon of the misfortunes of the poor and the evil natures of the rich, but presents a perspective of the responsibilities and realities we face in the economically focused lifestyles which we are a part of.In the same vain as 'blood diamond' and 'promised land'.