In the last week I have viewed two overtly religious films.
Generally speaking, I don’t like such films, which are almost always preachy and/or sappy.
I had avoided the first film, Therese (not to be confused with the fine 80s French film of the same title), suspecting it would prove to be a typical offering of the Catholic subculture, second rate by definition.
I made it about fifteen minutes into the movie when I decided I could bear no more. Heavy-handed, sentimental and poorly acted, "second rate" is probably a generous assessment of such an amateurish effort. The only good thing I can say about it is that the landscapes are beautiful, as it was filmed in Normandy.
The second film, Ushpizin (Aramaic for "guests"), was of a very different sort. A subtitled Israeli film, it is set among the Hasidic community of Jerusalem and follows the tale of Moshe, a poor Hasid, and his wife Malli during the Feast of Tabernacles. No longer young, they have not been blessed with children, and are so broke they cannot afford the necessary preparations for the feast.
So they do what good Hasidim do: they pray. Boy, do they pray.
I have always been fascinated with the Hasidic movement within Judaism, and have long seen parallels with the charismatic movement in Christianity. Moshe and Malli are seen addressing God in familiar and passionate terms, praying for a miracle. The man is in one place, his wife in another, and the camera cuts between them and a third scenario that is the evolving miracle.
And so a large sum of money appears. Also appearing are the Ushpizin, the guests of the title: two escaped convicts, an old friend of Moshe’s and his companion. It turns out that there is more to this pious Jew than meets the eye, that he in fact is a convert with a checkered past. As guests for a holy day are seen as a blessing, the two crooks are welcomed into Moshe’s home, with trouble following.
This is one of the very few films I have seen that focuses on the spiritual life and the struggle for conversion without being silly. The world of the Hasidim is beautifully evoked, and the tale of Moshe and Malli portrayed with honesty and humanity. It instantly became a favorite, at or near the top of my personal canon of film.
I picked it up at the local Blockbuster, so it is widely available. If past experience is any indication, this will not last.
Run, don’t walk, to your local video store and rent this film.
Trust me, you are in for a rare treat.
–Daniel Nichols
The trivia from IMDB.com on this film reads, “Shuli Rand had two conditions for making this movie, both were met. The first was that his real-life wife, Michal Bat-Sehva Rand, would play his wife in the film. The second is that in Israel the film would not be screened on the Jewish sabbath.” I’ll check it out next week.
For two years I lived across the street from Mea Sharim in Jerusalem. (Where the Montalban Gate had divided the city earlier.) They were a fascinated bunch to observe. I once had the privilege of visiting in the home of Rabbi Moshe Hirsch, head rabbi of the Neturei Karta community. Fascinating! Their website provides some interesting information about these non-Zionists Orthodox Jews. http://www.nkusa.org
Ushpizin is about as realistic and refreshing a portrayal of Hasidic Judaism as you can find and a positive change from what you typically get when orthodox Judaism is presented in contemporary cinema (compare Ushpizin with A Price Above Rubies, for instance).
Daniel: Thanks for the recommendation. It was indeed a rare treat! Fantastic film!
My wife and I loved the film. I stumbled onto the film at the local video store. I often get subtitled videos and this was particularly interesting to me since I am a “born again Christian” and am always interested in learning more about Judaism and my heritage in the Jewish people as a grafted branch. No I am not of Jewish ethnic background but found the movie fascinating and insightful about the Hasidic Jewish life.
You are quite incorrect in your assessment that Moshe is “a convert” and his struggle with conversion. Moshe was never converted; he just chose to be a more observant Jew. There is no such term as “convert” in Hebrew, nor in Aramaic. If one chooses to live as a Jew with other Jewish and accepts and practices all the major tenants of Judaism, they are a Ger – one who is a Jew by choice/actions. Moshe never converted – he is struggling with what EVERY human struggles with – trying to always do the RIGHT thing and have a meaningful relationship with HaShem (G-d).