Israel: A Nation Is Born
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Movie Reviews of Israel: A Nation Is Born
Movie Review: Not for the beginner
Summary: 2 Stars
I rented this DVD because of the glowing reviews here and because I wanted a better understanding of the origin of the modern problems in the Middle East. Overall, I was disappointed by this offering because it didn't give sufficient background and seemed to speak primarily to those who already had a knowledge of the subject. (It also seems to me to be *a bit* biased in Israel's favor vis-a-vis the Palestinians, but that flaw could be accepted and filtered appropriately.)
For instance, the documentary jumps right into the last Zionist Congress in 1939 (or whenever it was), but they never define what the Zionist movement is or where it came from. I know some of this from my reading, but it would be nice to have a summary here -- especially as it relates to the main players in the rest of the documentary. I wish the documentary would have at least started with WWI and the British occupation of Palestine after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, rather than picking up at WWII and mentioning some of the WWI details later. Doing so would have answered questions like, "Why are the British so important here?"
Another example is keeping track of the people, places, and organizations, which are often named in Hebrew or Arabic and are unfamiliar to the uninitiated. It made the sequence of events hard to follow because we had a hard time keeping track of who was doing what and where. Using more text on the screen, more maps, more recaps, and perhaps more English translations would have improved things greatly, methinks.
The film certainly has value, not least because it is told by a participant and first-hand observer, but it is not for those without much familiarity with the people, places, and issues at hand.
Movie Review: Interesting angle
Summary: 2 Stars
Would have expected more balanced views given today' politicalenvironment. It lacks objectivity.
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