The Chosen

First----a comment about a "review" from one natew73 which you issued on Jan. 27, 2023. I have been an IMDB supporter and contributor for over 20 years, and have never in all those years seen anything like this piece. It denigrates IMDB for you to have allowed such a biased, vituperative and inflammatory commentary to be shared with your wide audience. Please take another look at it. Surely you made a mistake in approving this language for publication.

Second----The Chosen is a serious and important film, and has much to say in a respectful and entertaining way about a profound clash of cultures, religious values, ideas, hopes, dreams and expectations in life. One reviewer analogized the story to a similar dichotomy in the Mennonite community------a positive tribute to the universal nature of the issues the film tackled. The Chosen is not perfect, but it is significant, thought-provoking and intelligent. What more could you reasonably want out of Hollywood?

Third----seeing it again recently after so many years brought back some lingering thoughts I had about the movie (and the book as well). I still don't understand how the Rebbe (Danny's father), who by his accent and background was intended to suggest an unassimilated Eastern European immigrant character, came by his obviously Anglicized family name of "Saunders." It just never made any sense to me. I am still greatly impressed by the remarkable performance of Rod Steiger as the Rebbe. Steiger's effort reminded me of a similar power that often appeared in the acting of Lee J. Cobb. Steiger almost made me believe that he actually was Jewish (which he was not) until in one scene toward the end of the film, he inadvertently stumbled over pronunciation of the Hebrew word ""Tzadik"------which may be loosely translated to mean a righteous person. Steiger said Zadik" leaving the letter "T" silent. That is incorrect.

Fourth-----in retrospect, many (if not most) of the films made in Hollywood over the years that dealt with problems arising from various interactions with the American Orthodox Jewish community seem rather contrived and unrealistic.. This has been true from The Jazz Singer (1927) through A Stranger Among Us (a/k/a Close to Eden) (1992) and A Price Above Rubies (1998). On the other hand, The Chosen represents a sincere attempt to tell its story with honesty and conviction and only a minimal amount of artifice. Again----what more could you reasonably expect out of Hollywood?

Fifth-----I have always regretted that the film version of The Chosen never included an in-person scene between the two fathers (Steiger and Maximilian Schell) that would have provided an opportunity for them to debate with each other their respective views about the great ideas that kept them so far apart. They were two honorable and decent characters and both admirable in so many different ways. How would you like to have been a fly on the wall if that ever happened?

Sixth----The Chosen is one of the great Hollywood films made during the 1980s, and it deserves to be rescued from obscurity by a contemporary audience.

The Chosen is an excellent film. It opens up in an inner-city playground softball field, where Reuvan (Barry Miller) gets hit in the eye by a baseball hit by Danny (Robby Benson), an Hasidic Jew. The two soon become friends and teach each other about their different worlds. It's a very realistic film, not at all overdone as some films of this genre are. There are no fancy camera techniques, and the movie centers on character development rather than spiffy editing or cinematic style. The screenplay is superb and the acting is very believable. Rod Steiger as Danny's ultra-Orthedox rabbi father and Maximilian Schell as Reuven's liberal father along with Miller and Benson are excellent. Elmer Bernstein's quiet, Jewish sounding score is also a plus. This is an enjoyable film that has a lot to say about friendship, growing up, and religous faith.

I'm overjoyed that this excellent film is finally available on DVD. Robby Benson gives a performance that may finally receive the proper recognition. This is a story about friendship, true heart and life -- just see it and enjoy the richly developed performances and storytelling that unfold like a beautiful flower -- simply great.

This film is beautiful and thought-provoking in a number of ways. The story is a "normal" account of two Jewish boys growing up during World War II and the creation of the Jewish State. The situations in the film are not overly dramatized or sensationalized. Regular moments with family and friends are rightly judged to be sufficiently interesting to form the basis of a compelling drama.

Historical context serves as a vibrant backdrop for the lives of traditional Jews, who form an ever-diminishing minority, and progressive Jews, who still seek to hold to their heritage while embracing aspects of modern life. The conflict between the two worldviews is marvelously expressed through the friendship of the two boys and through the differences in their fathers, each of whom completely embodies a certain way of life. The film also makes a strong point about children following and not following in their parents' footsteps, and how someone's essence is more important than his career.

There is a Jewish-inspired pathos to this movie that is difficult to describe, but very moving to watch. The acting is great, and the writing is unparalleled. For a long time, I considered this my very favorite film. I have since realized that no one film can possibly occupy that spot, but this one is forever at the top of my list.

I watched this film recently in class (intro to Western Religion) when we were learning about the ethics in Judaism. I was late for class, so I missed the beginning. However, the parts I managed to see were excellent. "The Chosen" might be the most entertaining film I've ever been forced to watch.

I felt that the story was engrossing; I actually cared about the characters and their friendship. I also thought that the acting was superb. However, I kept being distracted by the fact that Robby Benson looked like Hayden Christensen. For a film used as an educational tool, I could not have asked for much better. This is a very well made and interesting movie. It will teach you a lot.