What would you do if, after the dictatorial regime in an imaginary South American country has fallen, and you - who has participated in the resistance of ancient days- are still traumatized by the tortures in the the heigh days of the old regime? Or: what would you do if you discover that, just by chance, one of the former torturers, arrives at your door step, and consequelty tries to convince you that you have gone crazy, and mistake him for the wrong guy?

These are just two questions that arise, while watching this fascinating movie about the thin line between good and bad, trust and distrust, in a background of dictatorial oppression. A circumstance that apparantly has a logic of its own.

Pauline Escobar (amazingly performed by Sigourney Weaver) has joined the resistance with her student boy fiend and current husband Gerardo Escobar (Stuart Wilson), when the country was under the influence of a cruel dictator. Finally she was captivated and more or less saved Gerardo's life when, under extreme torture, she refused to provide the regime with information on her friend and partner in resistance.

The movie begins in the era just after the regime has already fallen, and the two former allies in resistence try to build up a new life in a country that has to deal with its recent, contaminated past. Gerard, who is a laywer now, plays an important national role by convicting criminals of the old regime. His approach to dealing with these criminals is, by applying clean, jurisprudential principles in order to guanrantee a fair trial. However, his traumatized wife Pauline has, understandably, a more direct and emotional approach.

One evening, just by chance, Gerard meets a certain 'Dr. Roberto Miranda' who joins him to the home of the Escobars. The memories on her torture sessions appear to be very sharp and intense when Miranda gets convinced that she recognizes Dr. Miranda's voice as the voice of her torturer.

Consequently Dr. Miranda is held captive at their home by a vengeful Pauline, while her husband Gerardo tries to talk some sense into her, and pledges for a fair trial. However, Pauline's recollections on the extreme tortures, added to her strong conviction that Dr. Miranda is the one responsible for the horrible tortures in the old days, result in a clash of opinions between Miranda and Gerardo on how to deal with this predicament. Meanwhile, Dr. Miranda tries to take advantage of this situation by trying to convince Gerardo that his wife is too traumatized to be taken seriously.

Meanwhile the question still lingers: is Dr. Miranda the real torturer, or has Pauline's despair reached such a level, that Dr. Miranda's unexpected appearance provides her with just the right means to close the annoying book of her past by projecting her anger on him, regardless of his guilt?

Pauline finally demands a forced confession on video tape by Dr. Miranda. This doesn't seem to have the impact she desires. However, the ultimate confession is given by Dr. Miranda at the end of the movie, when, threatened with death, he explains how initially noble motivations in the context of his profession, and the aliby of the unusual circumstances, drove him to a certain unforgivable behavior.

This movie forces you to contemplate on good and bad in extreme situations. You'll even begin to wonder how millions of Germans, and accomplices, favoured the most horrible dictator in history. It appears that it's not all black and white in these situations. Initially well meant intentions may sometimes lead to horrible consequences. Are we, the younger generations, allowed to judge the ones responsible in the past, or do we have to take into account the extreme circumstances and manipulations that may have blinded them? Either way, it is our task to prevent history from repeating itself.

And then, on the other hand, what if you're a victim of such a regime? Are you still able to apply common sense and obey your former, noble ideals, and oppose to violent methods for retribution?

In this 1994, multi layered movie, which is almost entirely shot on one location, Roman Polanski has succeeded in addressing my conscience and, once again, making me realize that, in our world, the line between good and bad can sometimes be a very thin one...