The film “Mr. Kaplan” is a comedy directed by Álvaro Brechner, and it was shown Tuesday night at UT as the fourth installment of the Hispanic Film Fest.
The film follows Jacob Kaplan, a 76-year-old Jewish man who escaped from Europe to South America during World War II. When he hears of the possibility that a runaway Nazi may be living in South America, Jacob recruits a family friend named Wilson, who has been separated from his own family, to help him find the alleged Nazi. He is determined to catch the man and take him to Israel, where he would be put on trial for his crimes during the Holocaust.
A quick historical background on the film’s setting: after WWII, many Nazis fled Germany and escaped to South America because the government in the area was sympathetic towards them. They used “ratlines” to carry out their escape plans, which involved safe passageways and fake identification papers.
One famous Nazi who used these “ratlines” was Adolf Eichmann. He is known as the “desk murderer,” because he ensured that the weapons used in the Jewish genocide were working the way in which the Nazis had intended. He was eventually captured and sent to Israel, where he was put on trial and later executed. His death was the first non-military execution to take place in the country.
Back to the film: after going through with their plan, Jacob and Wilson find out that the supposed Nazi, Julius Reich, is actually Jewish and fled from Germany after being a prisoner in Auschwitz. He was a “kapo,” which is a spy of sorts. “Kapos” gave information to the Nazis in concentration camps and were guaranteed their safety in exchange. They were often called traitors, which is why Julius left Europe and went to South America.
This was my favorite of the films that have thus far been featured in the Hispanic Film Fest. It was funny, but it also discussed the importance of family and addressed many difficult circumstances that were a reality for those who lived through the WWII era.
The movie displayed how one man wanted to bring justice for his people and his family; such a desire is still relevant in the modern era, because Nazi war crimes continue to be prosecuted today. Recently, a 93-year-old former Nazi was put on trial in a juvenile court for the crimes he committed during WWII at the age of 17.
All of the movie’s characters were written and portrayed very well, and my favorite was Wilson. When he first appears in the film, he seems to be just a dumb man and the source of comedic relief, such as Zach Galifianakis’ performance as Alan in the “Hangover” series. As the film progresses, though, it becomes clear that Wilson is actually very intelligent and reliable. All he wants is to be reunited with his family and to help his friend Jacob wherever and whenever he can, and that makes him very admirable in my opinion.
I would highly recommend the film to everyone because of its theme regarding the importance of family, the attention it brings to the importance of remembering the Holocaust and its well-executed humor.
Although the events of the Holocaust are typically common knowledge, nowadays there are few Holocaust survivors still living, which means that there won’t be as many stories about the genocide told in the future. Films like “Mr. Kaplan” ensure that lessons from the Holocaust are still learned in the modern era.
