Göttliche Intervention - Eine Chronik von Liebe und Schmerz

Brilliant politics mixed mixed with very black, subtle comedy make up this very slightly surreal and funny movie about life and love in Israel.

However, I wouldn't recommend this film for everybody, don't watch it if you're looking for an easy movie, it takes a lot of mental energy to really understand this movie, however if you're in the movie for an intellectual treat, its quite fun.

This movie has the subtle humor and lack of dialogue of a tati movie with the politics and vignette fashion of a Bunuel.

Overall, it's good, yet many of the political references are extremely obscure and the metaphors aren't always clear.

Like others who have commented on this film, I, too, cannot stop thinking about it... thinking about how I was lured to the theater by a very good trailer that was crafted, I'm sure, to appeal to my interest in the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, my concerns with world affairs and other cultures. I was used!

From beginning to end, a chain of weak metaphors... Nothing Divine - no intervention. Pure tedium.

Best metaphor? At the very end, a pressure cooker - and the old lady saying "Turn it off."

I can't remember being this disappointed - ever - in a movie that I was so excited about seeing. I didn't laugh, I didn't cry ... Perhaps I should though; for the potential of all that this subject should have inspired in a truly creative and thoughtful writer/director. For shame.

Amazing..

A film that has a crucial twist to what is happening in Israel today.

Two tribes at each others throat. However this isn't your usual mainstream war type, social issues, machine gun shoot type film. This is a film of quality..

Scenes are cut, a lot is left for the audience to tie up and conclude.. Directing at its best.

Powerful visions and photography.

You'll laugh.. but as the scene stays fix on the sketch.. you start thinking of the REAL message the director is giving you and believe you stop laughing.

I will definitely watch it again..

the balloon, the football, the Palestinian lady walking past and creating havoc to the Israeli border, the scene with the hands... all sketches that are unforgettable! Very symbolic...

Set in the segregated world of checkpoints and bombings of the Middle East, two lovers are separated - one living in Jerusalem, the other in Ramallah. Despite the threats posed by bombings and shootings, and the deterrents of the checkpoints, the two arrange secret meetings.

I have done it too, so I won't make too big a deal out of it; but too many of us doff our caps at the sight of a foreign film, too many reviews are very forgiving of flaws foreign films that we would go to town on in a western film. That appears to be the case here, reviewers seem to have sat down looking for `a deep film that will touch them' and that is what they have found - and in doing so they fall for much of the film's forced pretension. The plot is very difficult to describe and it is not easily forgotten - I found it very difficult to get into it simply because it was episodic and lacking a flow to it; it is more interested in delivering metaphors and symbolism that don't necessarily work that well.

I, like many, do not and cannot ever hope to fully understand what life is like in this part of the world; therefore I was not able to get the meaning or, if there were any, the jokes. I have lived the vast majority of my life in a world of terrorism and check points - but this film is more specific than that general experience. However, for me the film was still too shrouded in mystery and `deep' scenes - long scenes pass without dialogue; the camera stares at a road for minute after minute and so on - it smacks of a film trying too hard to be arty and pretentious. This wouldn't be too bad if it had worked - but, for me, it simply didn't do anything. Some of it I'm sure is daring, and I wanted to find the Power Rangers style moment funny - but the tone of the film stopped it working.

As far as characters, the film barely tries - the focus being `meaningful' swipes and jokes. Five minutes after the film ended I could barely recall character names - and there wasn't really an attempt to develop people within this smugly smart piece.

Overall, if you know the area and are willing to work past all this film's flaws then you may get something from this. However, the curious audience looking to be helped through the film or just looking for something interesting will likely be left as cold, disinterested and poorly served as I was.

I remember seeing a clip from this film which involved Palestinians at a roadblock having to endure humiliation from the Israeli soldiers manning it . The scene then cuts to the Palestinian protagonist stopping his car beside a Jewish settler . I was expecting something to happen at this point but nothing did and decided to catch DIVINE INTERVENTION when it made an appearance at the Edinburgh filmhouse very recently to see if it made sense in a wider context

I'll say one thing about Elia Suleiman and that is he know's how to hook an audience in to a story since this contains a truly memorable opening sequence where a much loved icon meets with some violence which will distress anyone who's hoping for some Christmas gifts . Unfortunately he's unable to continue the momentum of this and we quickly find ourselves in Michaelangelo Antonioni territory . It's been said that both Buster Keaton and Jacques Tati have influenced Suleiman but I believe Antonioni has a far more obvious effect . For example a character offers cigarettes to two other characters who then wave their hands in to shot showing that they are already holding lit cigarettes something the character would have been aware of but not the audience . Other examples would be the exploding tank which seems to have been inspired by ZABRASKIE POINT , or a character continually being told there's no bus as he stands at a bus stop and , but perhaps the most obvious example would be the ending involving a pressure cooker . Antonioni likes to irritate the audience with portent enigmas and Elia Suleiman has done the same here along with a few stylistic nods to Robert Bresson

Unfortunately many people on this site and the handful of people in the audience of The Edinburgh Filmhouse seem to have misunderstood DIVINE INTERVENTION somewhat . This was most obvious during the discussion afterwards held by a distinguished epistemological film critic tried to concentrate on the ideas and influences behind the film and kept having the subject changed by useless idiots who were compelled to inform us all they knew about " fascist Israelis " and how the film didn't go far enough in " showing the brutality of the Israeli occupation " . Duh well it's not about the " brutality of the Israeli occupation " - it's about the absurdity of life under occupation and of the wider absurdity of everyday life . If you go and watch this film with a closed mind then you'll fail to understand it . DIVINE INTERVENTION isn't a great film but it's certainly one that can be appreciated by cinephilles rather more than mindless politicised idiots of what ever side of the Middle Eastern fence they're on