Does the twist in the end make sense to you? If so, how? (Spoiler)

I think Max (Martin Landau's character) knew what he was doing when he met Zev for the first time. He saw him as a former SS guard who was posing as a Holocaust survivor. But he was also looking for "Rudy Kurlander".

Zev has Alzheimer's at the beginning of the film and we assume had it for some time. Max might have thought Zev would not likely be charged because of his disease. So when Zev's wife died, Max sent him on his journey to find Rudy, knowing the two would recognize each other. I think the shock of Zev finding out who he really was led to him killing himself, or at least revealing to the world who he and Rudy were.

At the end I wonder why, despite his disease he didn't remember he was living a lie - unless he was living it so long he forgot his past.

It did for me, but I wish they hadn't gone for a surprise ending. Without the twist ending, the film would have been like some sort of dementia Memento, with nazis. To me the whole thing felt a little contrived.

This is the whole point though, a Nazi wasn't hunting another Nazi. Because his remorse and guilt for the events of the War and because of his dementia he didn't even know he was a Nazi. He'd changed his life so much that he had built up a whole other back story in his mind to block out the horrors of his youth and what he had done.

Therefore, it was very easy for the old Jewish man in the care home to rationalise him hunting down 'Otto'. Max Rosenbaum knew what would happen when Zef met the other Nazi and he masterminded the whole thing.

Why would a Nazi go hunt another Nazi and then kill himself? What does it take for a Jew to convince him to do that?

Here's what I can say. My grandfather had Alzheimer's. He was lucky to die from a brain bleed instead of living another 5 years. He was in his mid-nineties.

He never forgot the old hand-eye movements, handling tools, a weapon, fabrication, etc; But he forgot who almost everyone was. He would refer to me as that "big guy in the living room" to my grandmother. He never forgot my grandmother, always kissed her good night, and he never forgot how to operate equipment. However, a disreputable person could easily have implanted a false memory. Thus the letter in the movie. My grandfather would often confuse his memories with those of others.

Christopher Plummer did an unbelievable job. He acted almost exactly like my grandfather did at the end. Always needing to be updated every few minutes if he wasn't focused, but once he got going, he keep could keep on track based on what he was told.

Here's what I can say. My grandfather had Alzheimer's. He was lucky to die from a brain bleed instead of living another 5 years. He was in his mid-nineties.

He never forgot the old hand-eye movements, handling tools, a weapon, fabrication, etc; But he forgot who almost everyone was. He would refer to me as that "big guy in the living room" to my grandmother. He never forgot my grandmother, always kissed her good night, and he never forgot how to operate equipment. However, a disreputable person could easily have implanted a false memory. Thus the letter in the movie. My grandfather would often confuse his memories with those of others.

Christopher Plummer did an unbelievable job. He acted almost exactly like my grandfather did at the end. Always needing to be updated every few minutes if he wasn't focused, but once he got going, he keep could keep on track based on what he was told.

Ofcourse it makes sense...if you pay attention to the film.

Cake or death? Hmmmm I choose cake please.