“Wakolda,” also known as “The German Doctor,” presents a chilling narrative centered around Josef Mengele’s insidious infiltration into an Argentinian family. The film initially fixates on Mengele’s unsettling relationship with the young Lileth, aged 12, and his proposition of growth hormone treatment. However, the movie deliberately obscures whether Mengele’s interest stems from a genuine, albeit twisted, desire to “help” or if it’s merely a guise to further his abhorrent experiments. This ambiguity, while initially intriguing, becomes a recurring motif for the film’s broader shortcomings.
Throughout “The German Doctor,” Mengele masterfully manipulates Lileth’s parents, exploiting their vulnerabilities with promises tailored to their desires. He dangles the prospect of improved health for Lileth, relief for the pregnant mother’s discomfort, and even financial backing for the father’s doll-making venture. This doll-making subplot, intended as a metaphor for Mengele’s disturbing obsession with eugenics and “perfection,” feels somewhat forced and lacks subtlety. Similarly, the nuanced, and potentially disturbing, dynamic between Mengele and Lileth remains frustratingly vague, hinting at deeper complexities without ever truly exploring them. This reluctance to delve into the narrative’s darker undercurrents suggests a missed opportunity to elevate “Wakolda” beyond a merely interesting premise.
Furthermore, “The German Doctor” introduces intriguing elements that are left underdeveloped. Lileth’s German school, for instance, carries a palpable residue of Nazism, an atmospheric detail that Puenzo hints at but fails to meaningfully investigate. The character of Nora, an archivist, photographer, and implied Israeli agent, suffers from similar neglect. The film only alludes to the clandestine operations of Mossad and their potential impact on both Mengele and Nora’s actions, leaving the audience to infer connections rather than explicitly revealing them. The presence of a Nazi network operating from a nearby country house is also only tangentially explained, surfacing when Eva, the mother, requires the assistance of a Nazi-affiliated clinic during childbirth, feeling more like a plot convenience than a fully integrated element of the narrative.
Ultimately, “Wakolda” feels constrained by its runtime. Director Puenzo had the foundation for a far more impactful and suspenseful film, but crucial exposition and thematic exploration are sacrificed. An additional half hour dedicated to fleshing out these hinted-at storylines and deepening the character motivations could have transformed “The German Doctor” from an “interestingly dark drama” into a truly compelling and profound cinematic experience. As it stands, “Wakolda” remains a film with a captivatingly sinister premise that unfortunately lacks the narrative depth to fully realize its potential.
