Golda - Israels eiserne Lady

Having experienced the Yom Kippur War living 10 minutes from Israel's border with both Syria and Jordan, I was very interested to see Golda. There is a lot in this film that captures aspects of Israeli mentality and culture, presented in such a subtle way that it is not until after viewing the film may become apparent to someone who reflects on what the film portrayed.

More than anything, however, Golda is about Golda. It might surprise some viewers to realize that much of her persona was shaped by having escaped the pogroms of what is now the Ukraine. She was only a child when her family came as immigrants to the US and the film shows a side of her haunted by what might have been had they not made it to a safer country.

Another interesting element of her story is illustrated by her exchanges with Henry Kissinger. To avoid a "spoiler" I will instead urge the viewer to pay close attention to the inter-actions between them, always behind closed doors.

Golda is a history lesson wrapped in a biography. It is solid film making with good writing, directing and an outstanding performance from Helen Mirren. It captures an amazing phenomenon: the experience of war time leadership born on the shoulders (and in the kitchen) of a woman who carried this burden with incredible courage, sensitivity, intelligence, and honesty.

Too minimalistic, it lacked details about Golda's rich life. It left me with many questions and dissatisfaction. She deserves more than just showing her part in the war and the peace with Egypt.

Her legacy is nothing compared to who she was, to what she did, to how she even became the first female president ever. The struggles she went throughout her political career are not only the war. The movie should have been named 'Kipur War' and not 'Golda' since it didn't even SHOW Golda as a whole. Iv'e expected to know her more and have more personal outlook on her life. Either way- I appreciate Hellen and her marvelous acting skills.

"The only man in my cabinet." David Ben-Gurion praising Golda Meir

Aided by an accomplished cast that includes Liev Schrieber as the redoubtable Henry Kissinger, whose secretary of state is also as brilliant as history has shown him, this docudrama, Golda, draws us into the machinations of a cloistered foggy war. It would be difficult to fictionalize the drama of fall 1973, when Egypt and Syria, seeing Israel becoming complacent after its victory over the Arabs in 1967, starts the Yom Kippur War to gain back The Golan Heights and The Sinai Peninsula.

What's new is Arab support by Russia, putting The US in a precarious position as a supporter of Israel and yet a customer for Arab oil. The moral ambiguity of the situation dogs USA to this day.

"Golda" is a biopic and docudrama from Israel's point of view and that of Golda Meir (Helen Mirren), Israel's 4th prime minister.

Director Guy Nattiv and writer Nicholas Martin keep the drama centered on Mirren, who interprets The Iron Lady with uncompromising integrity and rough beauty to let us know Meir was everything legend had of her, and more. She's a lady who agonizes over every soldier lost to the war yet barks, "Teach our enemies a lesson they'll never forget."

From the bun in her hair to chain smoking, Golda is a walking contradiction of smarts and weaknesses. Mirren keeps her eyes on Golda's subjects with piercing focus to make even the self-reliant Henry Kissinger uncomfortable. Her secret operations for lymphoma are emblems of her private life of suffering that promise she won't live past 80.

Just as Christopher Nolan did with Churchill in Dunkirk, while we all can learn the facts from historical accounts, little else can be as informative and insightful as a well-made docudrama.

And that's what Golda is!

I saw it for Helen Mirren. And, indeed, she offers a splendid performance.

I liked , very much, this precise crafted docudrama , proposing a fair perspective about a politician in middle of a terrible war, fragil and the most powerful from members of her cabinet, impressed by sacrifices of Israeli soldiers and unpitifull in crucial moments, using, in wise manner, the relation with Henry Kissinger , admirable acted by Liev Schreiber.

A beautiful film for many profound special scenes, from the metamorphose of cigare smoke to the dialogue with Kissinger in kitchen and the birds on the hall of hospital.

Not exctly a biopic. But useful, for many reasons, anatomy of a moment defining the history of Israel not only as isolated event but as definition of its survive tools , people, reactions, power.

I watched this with my dad and we both enjoyed it, but agreed it fell short of the mark. He's old enough to remember when all of this happened but I am not, and I had to pause it several times and ask him questions to clarify the details of why the war was happening, who was involved, etc.

The film focuses too much on Golda as an old, sick lady who is bluffing her way to protecting her people, when it should have contained flashbacks to her younger life. It's a classic case of "telling" rather than "showing" her as a young political activist; if I hadn't read her Wiki page afterward, I wouldn't have known via the film that she actually grew up in the United States, after immigrating there, and then immigrated to Israel. She became the first female Prime Minister in the Middle East -- how?? WHY? The film should have shown us.

Beyond that, it's full of ugly camera work, unflattering angles, and clouds of smoke. We're left with a vague feeling of sadness for Golda, being so sick, but it doesn't touch on her as a controversial or polarizing figure or tell us who she is beyond any of it. I don't know why biopics always have to tear people down and/or focus on them at their oldest and sickest (the same thing happened with the Iron Lady) rather than focusing on their victories.

Took 20 minutes to get going and then was good, but ultimately disappointing and not something I'll ever watch again, though Helen Mirren was magnificent, as usual.