Revenge can be tricky, it can eat away at a person and steal their peace of mind. But sometimes, not getting revenge can leave someone feeling empty, like they’ve lost their purpose. And when that person finally gets a taste of justice against those who hurt them, it can feel like they’re getting their life back.
The movie “Remember” from 2015 is a story about an older man who suffers from a condition that makes him forget things quickly. Despite that, he’s determined to get revenge for the loss of his family. The film explores the pain, memory, and how far someone will go to find closure. As for the cast, “Remember” features the likes of Christopher Plummer, Kim Roberts, Martin Landau, Henry Czerny, Bruno Ganz, Heinz Lieven, Jürgen Prochnow, and more.
Remember (2015) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
Why Does Zev Flee From the Care Home?
Zev wakes up in an old-age home, and the first thing he does is ask for his wife. Sadly, he’s been told that she passed away just a week ago. Zev and his friend Max are both survivors of Auschwitz. During World War II, they were sent to a concentration camp for forced labor and were supposed to be killed eventually. Somehow, they made it out alive, but their families didn’t. While living in the care home, Max constantly reminds Zev about the promise he made to his wife, Ruth, that he would do something important after she died. Max also helps Zev remember what happened to their families, because Zev’s memory isn’t what it used to be. He forgets things easily, so Max keeps bringing up the past to keep the purpose alive.
After the war, many Nazis fled. Some went to countries like Argentina, others changed their identities and moved to places like the U.S. Zev is searching for one of them: a former SS officer named Otto Wallisch, the man responsible for killing his family. One day, Zev runs away from the care home, carrying a letter from Max. That letter has everything he needs to track down Otto and kill him.
Who are the Three Rudy Kurlander Zev Meets on His Mission?
When Zev reaches Cleveland, he goes to a gun store and buys a Glock pistol. Because of his memory issues, he asks the shop owner to write down clear, step-by-step instructions on how to use it. As mentioned before, the man Zev is looking for Otto Wallisch, who escaped Germany after the war and started a new life in the U.S. under the name Rudy Kurlander.
With help from a human rights group, Max has managed to track down four different people in America with that exact name. Now, all Zev needs to do is visit each one and find out which one is actually Otto. The first Rudy Kurlander Zev meets turns out to be a former German soldier, but he has no direct connection to the concentration camps. In his defense, he claims he believed Hitler was only deporting Jewish people, not murdering them in gas chambers.
The next Rudy Kurlander on Zev’s list is living in a retirement home. This man is very old, stuck in bed, and clearly doesn’t have much time left. When Zev asks him about the past, the man admits that he was at Auschwitz. Zev, thinking he’s finally found the man responsible for his family’s death, pulls out his gun. But just as he’s about to pull the trigger, Zev notices a number tattooed on the man’s arm. It’s a prisoner number, the kind that was given to people held in concentration camps. Zev realizes this man wasn’t a Nazi but a prisoner, just like him who was sent there because he was gay. Zev lowers the gun, apologizes, and wishes the man good health before walking away.
Zev visits the home of the third Rudy Kurlander but is told by his son, John, a police officer, that his father died three months ago. John assumes Zev is a fellow German and shows him his late father’s room, which has a Nazi flag on the wall. Zev thinks he’s found the man he’s been looking for, but realizes he’s too late. This Rudy was just a cook in the German army and was never at Auschwitz. As Zev prepares to leave, John notices the number on Zev’s arm and realizes he’s Jewish. He becomes aggressive, insults Zev, and sets his dog on him. Zev shoots John in self-defense and leaves.
Who is Kunibert Sturm?
While trying to cross the road, Zev loses his balance, falls, and is knocked unconscious. A passerby helps him and contacts Zev’s son, letting him know that Zev is in Nevada. At the hospital, Zev forgets everything again due to his condition, but when a young girl named Molly reads Max’s letter to him, his memory starts to come back, and he remembers his mission.
Zev then travels to the last address on the list. He doesn’t recognize Rudy by his face, but the moment he hears his voice, he becomes convinced that his search for Otto Wallisch has ended. It appears that Rudy doesn’t deny it either. He calmly tells Zev that he always knew this day would come. After a brief conversation, Zev pulls out his gun and demands that Rudy confess the truth to his family. When Rudy refuses, Zev points the gun at Rudy’s granddaughter, Inge. That’s when Rudy breaks down and admits the truth that he had lied to his family for years. He told them he was a victim of the camps, when in reality, he was a Nazi officer, a Blockführer at Auschwitz, who killed many people without regret. He also reveals that his real name is Kunibert Sturm.
Remember (2015) Movie Ending Explained:
Did Zev Find Otto Wallisch?
Toward the end of the film, the biggest twist is revealed: Zev himself is actually the real Otto Wallisch, the very man he’s been hunting. During the war, both he and Kunibert Sturm were Blockführers at Auschwitz. The numbers tattooed on their arms, 98814 for Zev and 98813 for Sturm, weren’t forced on them. They tattooed themselves to pose as prisoners and avoid being caught by Allied forces after the war. This is why Sturm immediately recognized Zev when he showed up. They weren’t just fellow officers, they were friends who worked side by side in the camps. When Sturm tries to jog Zev’s memory, Zev shoots him and then turns the gun on himself, saying quietly, “I remember.”
The scene shifts back to Max at the nursing home. While others mourn Zev, believing he was just a confused old man suffering from dementia, Max reveals that the man Zev killed was a Nazi, but so was Zev. In fact, Zev was the one who murdered Max’s family during the Holocaust. Max had known the truth from the beginning. He used Zev’s memory loss to his advantage, feeding him a fake story to guide him into unknowingly carrying out his own punishment. In the end, it was Max who got his revenge, without ever pulling the trigger.
