Judith

Not the best nor the worst of her movies - though, to be honest it was not a very good film. I was in college and saw it as part of a double feature (with Promise Her Anything - talk about a weird pairing). I liked the movie even though it wasn't really very good.

It has been almost 40 years since I saw it so I really can't remember all the plot but basically it was an updating of the biblical story of Judith. The time period is after WWII and prior to the start of Israel. Judith (Loren) is a displaced refugee who is smuggled to Palestine in a crate via boat. She emerges (FULLY made-up and drop dead beautiful)) from the crate and the plot thickens (or maybe curdles is a better word).Seems her (ex ?) husband is a Nazi, now living in Damascus, wanted by the Israelis. sSo ....

I knew it was stupid (even in my early 20's) but just watching Sophia was enough. The production values seemed good. I even bought the soundtrack. As I said, I'd buy a DVD or tape copy ....

WHD

This film is a superb film. I managed to get the soundtrack of it on vinyl but have not seen it anywhere on DVD. I think it is possibly one of Sophia Loren's best films. Does anyone know if it is likely to be released at any time. This film used to be shown regularly on British television and now seems to have gone into the archives. The film shows a very good matching of characters to the parts they play. Jack Hawkins also plays his character with feeling and depth.The subject matter to certain people in view of the current situation in Israel could make this film a little to near the mark for certain people. I would ask that someone reviews the issue of non availability on DVD.

Big budgeted epic drama with some unbeliavable happenings , set in Palestine in 1948 , the British prepare to end their Mandate, leaving an independent Israel behind. By the late Forties, millions of bewildered and homeless Jews people were on the move-across Europe and the Far East. They were looking for somewhere to live and for many of them that meant a new country. Jews demanded a land of their own. Some Jews on board hoped to sail to Palestine in the first 'exodus ship'. Other Jewish emigrants struggle ashore from island of Cyprus. And a lot of Jewish refugees were at British camps on their way to Palestine. On many of the refugees, by a famine-strike, the conditions were appalling , overcrowded, lacking food and water. This is an exodus that succeeded. In Palestine coming so soon after the holocaust, the homeless come home, but those traumatic echoes of Auschwitz and Buchenwald inflamed Zionist feelings. 1946,1947 and early 1948 were a years in which Zionist terrorist was at its height and Independent Israel still seemed heartbreaks away. The British troops (commanded by Major Jack Hawkins) guard the ships load of Jews in the ports, they were rounded up, to be sent to the camps . Meanwhile, a beautiful woman (Sophia Loren who was blacklisted in the Arab countries due to this Jewesh role) who survived a concentration camp with makeup intact goes undercover to Israel in 1948 to track down her Nazi hubby who had betrayed her. The Israeli defense force, the Haganah (commanded by Peter Finch) , has received intelligence that Arab forces, Syria in particular, are employing former German Panzer commander General Gustav Schiller (Hans Verner) to train them in tank tactics against Israel. Judith Had Only One Desire...To Wield Her Body Like a Whip, To Avenge a Wrong Beyond Words! The story of a woman curved like a weapon - a weapon out to avenge a wrong beyond words, beyond imagining, even perhaps beyond avenging...In the violence of an ancient land she found what she had sought - a pure, personal unholy revenge!.Judith woman of the earth. Judith woman of mystery. Judith woman of excitement . The adventure, the ecstasy, the supreme suspense of a woman wronged beyond words, almost beyond revenge...

An intense wartime drama about a merciless vendetta , set when Israel is surrounded by hostile Arab nations and the Israel military force has to fight to defend itself from aggression. This exciting fim deals essentially with two issues : the relentless Judith/Sophia Loren's searching for her husband to exact revenge as well as to locate their son and about the birth of the Israel State. Acceptable performances from Sophia Loren as an obstinate Israeli woman who was betrayed by her husband and left to die in a concentration camp , Peter Finch as an obstinate Jew general and Jack Hawkins as a commandant of British forces. This is a historical film well written by John Michael Hayes , being based on a story by Lawrence Durrell. Furthermore , a nice support cast, such as : Hans Verner, Frank Wolff, André Morel, Arnoldo Foà , Peter Burton and John Stacy .

In addition , a sensitive and emotive soundtrack by Sol Kaplan , including enjoyable leitmotif . Likewise , evocative cinematography by John Wilcox , filmed in Israel, though a perfect remastering being really necessary because of the film-copy is washed-out .The motion picture was regular was efficiently directed by Daniel Mann , though it results to be some boring and tiring , a bad combination . This one was a prestigious director who made notorious films as " Butterfileld 8" , " The Rose Tattoo" , "Come Back Little Sheba" , "A Dream of Kings" , "I'll cry Tomorrow" . Although Daniel Mann also directed some failed and commercial films such as : "Super Rocky" , "The Avengers" , "Interval" , "Journey into Fear" , among others . Rating : 5.5/10 .

I have experienced many emotions watching recently (2014) this wonderful movie! The movie was filmed during 1966 in Haifa, my hometown, 2 years before I was born and that made the excitement for me even greater. I especially enjoyed beautiful Sophia Loren acting both so powerful yet so fragile woman. The story tells about a holocaust survivor who lost the dearest of all, and the only reason that kept her alive was a mutual target to her, and the Israelis (each for their own reasons) … They (the Israelis) brought her secretly to Israel, just before the independence declaration, while the British were still in the area. Great pain, along compassion, hate along love, wrong along right… a conflict indeed

Yes, throughout this film and being an amateur artist who likes drawing & painting beautiful women, I was mesmerised by Sophia's eye makeup considering she played a victim of Dachau yet looked remarkably fit, healthy, well fed and sported top of the range cosmetics especially on her face!Other reviewers have adequately commented on the plot and main characters.Considering I am now 69 and have always liked going to the cinema, I was surprised I had never seen this title before but thanks to www.youtube.com it is now available to world audiences.However,this TV movie seemed to be merely a device for showing off Loren's stunning figure and beauty although the action sequences of the Syrian attack on the kibbutz were well produced.My rating was 6/10.