O Jerusalem
3/4
Starring: JJ Field, Said Taghmaoui, Maria Pappas, Patrick Bruel, Nadim Sawalha, Ian Holm, Tovah Feldshuh
Rated R for Some War Scenes
I have long awaited a story that tells both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It's such a complex conflict that sound bites and quick news stories aren't able to do it justice. "O Jerusalem" aspires to be the movie that I was looking for, but it could have been so much more.
Bobby Goldman (Field) is a Jewish American who has just returned from fighting in World War II. While at home, he meets Said Chahine (Taghmaoui), an Arab. Both are paying attention to the burgeoning conflict between the Palestinians and the Jewish people who want to emigrate to the Holy City of Jerusalem. While Bobby and Said have opposing opinions on who deserves to be in control of Jerusalem, they become fast friends. Eventually, they both end up in Jerusalem and while initially both appear to be on the side of peace, circumstances force them both to answer the call to battle.
"O Jerusalem" contains some big ideas, such as how one's perspective on a conflict changes when you know your "enemy," the price of zealotry, and the importance of having a home. These are powerful notions that belong in a grand war epic. The problem is that "O Jerusalem" is 100 minutes long.
I kept thinking of "The Red Baron," another movie that had great scenes, but no development. A war story needs room to breathe, particularly one of this nature. "Saving Private Ryan" was a hair under 3 hours. "Schindler's List" crossed over that mark. "Kelly's Heroes" clocks in at about 2.5. "O Jerusalem" is about half as long as it needs to be.
The acting is strong. JJ Field and Said Taghmaoui, two actors who don't get the recognition they deserve, are very good. They're two friends on the opposing side of a conflict. Had there been no war, they'd have been friends for life. But watching your friend (in Bobby's case) or the uncle that raised you (in Said's case) die right in front of you can warp your opinion. Both of them struggle to hold onto that one small element of humanity that they have left. Character development is so minimal that no one else bears much mention except Ian Holm, who plays a surprisingly aggressive character.
The film's length deals the film a blow on two fronts: character and plot. There's so little development of the characters that it's impossible to remember who is who, much less care about them. The plot also becomes contrived. For example, early in the film Bobby and Said try to stay out of Palestine, then the film cuts to "One Year Later" and they're moving there together.
One thing I liked about this movie is that it's remarkably even-handed. Co-writer/director Elie Chouraqui, who is of Jewish heritage, takes pains to paint both sides in shades of gray. Although Bobby has more screen time, it appears to be because his character has more story. Or time constraints.
Given the volatile nature of the conflict and how politicized it has become, I doubt that we'll be seeing a big, epic version of this kind of story. It's a shame that "O Jerusalem" falls short, because it could have been great.
Starring: JJ Field, Said Taghmaoui, Maria Pappas, Patrick Bruel, Nadim Sawalha, Ian Holm, Tovah Feldshuh
Rated R for Some War Scenes
I have long awaited a story that tells both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It's such a complex conflict that sound bites and quick news stories aren't able to do it justice. "O Jerusalem" aspires to be the movie that I was looking for, but it could have been so much more.
Bobby Goldman (Field) is a Jewish American who has just returned from fighting in World War II. While at home, he meets Said Chahine (Taghmaoui), an Arab. Both are paying attention to the burgeoning conflict between the Palestinians and the Jewish people who want to emigrate to the Holy City of Jerusalem. While Bobby and Said have opposing opinions on who deserves to be in control of Jerusalem, they become fast friends. Eventually, they both end up in Jerusalem and while initially both appear to be on the side of peace, circumstances force them both to answer the call to battle.
"O Jerusalem" contains some big ideas, such as how one's perspective on a conflict changes when you know your "enemy," the price of zealotry, and the importance of having a home. These are powerful notions that belong in a grand war epic. The problem is that "O Jerusalem" is 100 minutes long.
I kept thinking of "The Red Baron," another movie that had great scenes, but no development. A war story needs room to breathe, particularly one of this nature. "Saving Private Ryan" was a hair under 3 hours. "Schindler's List" crossed over that mark. "Kelly's Heroes" clocks in at about 2.5. "O Jerusalem" is about half as long as it needs to be.
The acting is strong. JJ Field and Said Taghmaoui, two actors who don't get the recognition they deserve, are very good. They're two friends on the opposing side of a conflict. Had there been no war, they'd have been friends for life. But watching your friend (in Bobby's case) or the uncle that raised you (in Said's case) die right in front of you can warp your opinion. Both of them struggle to hold onto that one small element of humanity that they have left. Character development is so minimal that no one else bears much mention except Ian Holm, who plays a surprisingly aggressive character.
The film's length deals the film a blow on two fronts: character and plot. There's so little development of the characters that it's impossible to remember who is who, much less care about them. The plot also becomes contrived. For example, early in the film Bobby and Said try to stay out of Palestine, then the film cuts to "One Year Later" and they're moving there together.
One thing I liked about this movie is that it's remarkably even-handed. Co-writer/director Elie Chouraqui, who is of Jewish heritage, takes pains to paint both sides in shades of gray. Although Bobby has more screen time, it appears to be because his character has more story. Or time constraints.
Given the volatile nature of the conflict and how politicized it has become, I doubt that we'll be seeing a big, epic version of this kind of story. It's a shame that "O Jerusalem" falls short, because it could have been great.
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