Kedma

Kedma
by Amos Gitai

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DVD Cover Information

• KEDMA (DVD MOVIE)

Movie Reviews of Kedma

Movie Review: A seminal film with a few flaws
Summary: 5 Stars

The beginnings are on the Kedma, a leaking old ship transporting hundreds of survivors. They are met at the shore by Jewish Palmach Guerillas, and are immediately fired upon by English soldiers. This begins one of may scenes that seems more fit for the stage then film, and perhaps is indicative of the writer being more familiar with theatre production. While shots are heard of camera the English soldiers are seen on Camera trying to hold the Kedma survivors. Why aren't the Palmach firing on the English soldiers? Why aren't the English shooting the Pamachniks? Who is shooting? Its not entirely clear why the Palmach didn't lay down covering fire and get the survivors away from the beach, and the `battle' doesn't seem realistic. Nevertheless it paints the symbolic picture of the English, who are leaving Palestine in three days, still trying to interdict refugees who have no where to go.

Throughout the rest of the film we follow the new arrivals as they go from survivors to soldiers. Several scenes tell the symbolic tale of the founding of Israel. Many of the longer speeches seem fit more for the stage then screen. For instance one Haganah Jewish resistance leader proclaims "Thank God we got rid of Religion'. IS the statement an irony, or is it simply translated wrong into the subtitles? Several other `scenes' that appear on the back of the film don't even seem to be included. For instance the cover shows a woman helping `Manachem' load his rifle. While we see plenty of this main character we don't seem to ever see his fried help him load his rifle.

The Battle scenes are perfectly fine and show the large numbers of holocaust survivors who sacrificed so much so that their children would have a chance to live free. Also several scenes show the fleeing Arabs and their interaction with the new arrivals, presaging the current peace problems. Two long monologues symbolize both peoples feelings. One loan Arab claims that his people will become a `wall' while a Jewish school teacher proclaims that Jewish history should never again be taught the way it had been in Europe.

In the end this seminal work is a wonderful story of the founding of the state, on the personal level, in the same style as Kippur.

Seth J. Frantzman

Summary of Kedma