We saw this film on Friday night @ one of Chgo's premiere "art" theaters (the Landmark @ Century Center). There were maybe a dozen people in the audience besides us. Too bad. With all the horrible things going on this weekend (Easter Weekend 2002 with Arafat surrounded by Israeli troops in Ramallah is retaliation for the terrorist murder of Passover celebrants in Netanya) few films could be more relevant!
But I think if you see a "love triangle" in this film, you are really missing the point.
SPOILER ALERT!!! (Stop reading now if you don't want to know critical plot points!!!)
Pini does not "love" Michal; Pini loves her father Rabbi Meltzer & he desperately wants the Rabbi's approval. Rabbi Meltzer intends to give Michal to Pini as a prize, signifying that Pini is his best student & probable successor. For Michal, this is just further proof that her father has no interest in her as a "person." He will easily sacrifice her to his own needs, just as he sacrificed her mother. When Michal rejects Pini, he feels humiliated in the eyes of the Rabbi & the community, & therefore he does something desperate to prove himself to the Rabbi. The model here is THE ILIAD. Achilles does not "love" Briceas (sp?) -- she is his war booty, his prize. When she is taken from him, his warrior pride is offended. It is "the wrath of Achilles" that destroys the city of Troy & Pini is filled with the same wrath.
Why is this important? Because right now we all desperately need to understand the psychology of suicide bombers. In almost every case, suicide bombers are young men who need to prove themselves to their fanatical male mentors. They don't live in societies in which women & the love of women are valued. A glorious death is more important than an ordinary human life (his own included). When Itamar freezes & wants to reach out for his wife, Pini is scornful & disgusted with him.
Menachem loves Michal & because he loves her, he is able to renounce the zealot's life, exchange it for the life of a mench (in Yiddish, a "real" >whole human being). She opens his eyes to what is actually being asked of him by Rabbi Meltzer -- Rabbi Meltzer doesn't just want Menachem to give up Michal, he wants Menachem to give up his humanity, to give his life to "the will of God" (as interpreted by Rabbi Meltzer, of course).
Bottomline: Because Menachem sees Michal AS A PERSON, he retains his humanity. Because Pini sees Michal AS AN OBJECT, he becomes an instrument of destruction.
Bye now, Jan @ Films for Two
But I think if you see a "love triangle" in this film, you are really missing the point.
SPOILER ALERT!!! (Stop reading now if you don't want to know critical plot points!!!)
Pini does not "love" Michal; Pini loves her father Rabbi Meltzer & he desperately wants the Rabbi's approval. Rabbi Meltzer intends to give Michal to Pini as a prize, signifying that Pini is his best student & probable successor. For Michal, this is just further proof that her father has no interest in her as a "person." He will easily sacrifice her to his own needs, just as he sacrificed her mother. When Michal rejects Pini, he feels humiliated in the eyes of the Rabbi & the community, & therefore he does something desperate to prove himself to the Rabbi. The model here is THE ILIAD. Achilles does not "love" Briceas (sp?) -- she is his war booty, his prize. When she is taken from him, his warrior pride is offended. It is "the wrath of Achilles" that destroys the city of Troy & Pini is filled with the same wrath.
Why is this important? Because right now we all desperately need to understand the psychology of suicide bombers. In almost every case, suicide bombers are young men who need to prove themselves to their fanatical male mentors. They don't live in societies in which women & the love of women are valued. A glorious death is more important than an ordinary human life (his own included). When Itamar freezes & wants to reach out for his wife, Pini is scornful & disgusted with him.
Menachem loves Michal & because he loves her, he is able to renounce the zealot's life, exchange it for the life of a mench (in Yiddish, a "real" >whole human being). She opens his eyes to what is actually being asked of him by Rabbi Meltzer -- Rabbi Meltzer doesn't just want Menachem to give up Michal, he wants Menachem to give up his humanity, to give his life to "the will of God" (as interpreted by Rabbi Meltzer, of course).
Bottomline: Because Menachem sees Michal AS A PERSON, he retains his humanity. Because Pini sees Michal AS AN OBJECT, he becomes an instrument of destruction.
Bye now, Jan @ Films for Two