The Holy Land

Billy Joel wrote "only the good die young" in one of his songs, and that is the upshot of this movie. Ending with a bang, and not a whimper, Mr. Eitan Gorlin's first and only directorial effort gives a downbeat perspective on righteousness, as the Yeshiva student gets his seemingly unjust reward for attempting to go straight. Or is it that he should have been less cynical and married the girl, and it is his running away that is being punished? At any rate, what with settlements being given over to Palestinians, protesters vs. Israeli army confrontations in the news, this interesting film is one of the few (perhaps only) film depictions of Israel today that I can bring to mind. The idea of citizens running free, carrying AR-15s or AR-16s is little wild to the average American. That hitchhiking is not, apparently, in the realm of Science Fiction in this bloody, Holy Land, is yet encouraging, however.

On a personal note, the actor playing Mendy, Mr. Oren Rehany, seemed remarkably similar to another Oren I had met in life, and before viewing the movie, I checked the image on the DVD box against the photo on the web page of the Oren I am familiar with. I find it plausible that the Oren I met, years before, is more likely the Oren Rehany under a different name, that that the photos of the individual at his nominal web page are truly him.

I watched "Holy Land" (first time, on DVD). Enjoyed it. Watched "Leaving Las Vegas" couple of days later (first time, on DVD). And realized there is something in common. To avoid spoilers I will not specify similarities, but invite you to take a look and think for yourself whether you agree or disagree with me.

I liked "Holy Land" (8/10). Pace is generally good. It is slow in comparison with action, but, well, it is not action. Director is not insulting intelligence of viewers by explaining things too much, and I believe there are certain things (like true feelings of Sasha, for example) that you can only guess. Story grows like a tree, not telephone pole, with many branches going nowhere, adding credibility (Hints of Mike's life and current business, for example).

Finally, I want to notice, that movie set in Israel.

Themes of love and trust, played out against a backdrop the horror of which doesn't become clear until the film's final moments, are told in a way that never becomes as predictable as anticipated. Who is the one who really loves? Who is the one who is really honest? This is that increasingly rare jewel: a thought-provoking movie. It is impossible that anyone who actually watches the movie as it unfolds could conclude that it is pro-Palestinian.

The story is about a Jewish boy growing up in an orthodox Jewish family. Like many such environments he is told all the answers of life and religion and is not allowed to explore them for himself. Feeling sexually repressed he is told to go to a brothel by his rabbi to get it out of his system. There he meets and falls in love with a Russian prostitute "Sasha". Throughout the movie he meets many original but believable characters including an M16 touting American Jew that calls himself the "exterminator". Mike an American photojournalist that runs a bar called Mikes Place in Jerusalem. In Mikes place Arabs and Jews drink side by side in a late 60's early 70's hippie kind of atmosphere.

This movie is bazaar but is also believable with it's rich environments around Israel. It shows a realistic version of Israel depicting the Jerusalem night life and life in general. Some religious tension does exist in the film but is not the main focus that Americans often see in CNN and other Hollywood movies.

The movie is about growing up, about religion and the questions we all ask about god, about finding answer's for ourselves, about falling in love, about innocence, about making a life for yourself. The Holy Land takes a deep look into the human experience like none I have ever seen before but does it in a realistic way that doesn't drag you down and depresses you when you are done watching it. By the end of the movie you are thoughtful, a little sad but feel like you just experienced something special.

Terrific acting and solid writing bolster this coming-of-age tale set in pre-intifada Israel, a morally corrupt place, where nobody seems to be doing the right thing. Particularly interesting is the teenage prostitute Sacha, through whom we see the psychological effects of continued sexual exploitation. Though this is not a story about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, per se, the conflict remains constantly in the background, further complicating the moral landscape. This is not a political film about who's right and who's wrong in the middle east, but rather a personal film about individuals trying to find their way in a particularly insane corner of the world.