Posts Tagged Jewish Books

I once had a professor wax poetic on a quote about love and marriage that he couldn’t remember the source of. He rattled off the titles of some classic literature, sure it was from a famous novel. It took me about three seconds to realize it was actually from Fiddler on the Roof.

The past century has seen a lot of great Jewish film, in America and elsewhere. Here are some movies, all based on or inspired by Jewish literature, that you should add to your “must see” list.

Don’t take my word for it…I’ve included each film’s “freshness” rating from rottentomatoes.com, which compiles all available reviews to find what percentage of viewers enjoyed a film.

The Jazz Singer (1927)-

This film wasn’t just a breakthrough in Jewish cinema, or even in American cinema, but in the very art of film itself. The story is a classic one that has become all too familiar: An American Jewish man must reconcile his modern dreams with the traditional wishes of his father. What makes this film really exceptional is its use of sound. The Jazz Singer was the first feature-length film to use synchronized sound and dialogue. Although only about two minutes of dialogue are actually spoken aloud, the feat wowed audiences around the world and encouraged the ascent of the talkie. The film is adapted from a stage play of the same name, which was based on the story “The Day of Atonement” by Samson Raphaelson.  Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 76%

Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)-

Based on Laura Z. Hobson’s book of the same name, Gentleman’s Agreement is a well deserving award winner and classic. The plot follows Phillip Green, a journalist moving to New York with his son and mother. Looking for an angle for his piece on anti-semitism, Green decides to become a Greenburg and experience the discrimination first hand. The bigotry directed at he and his family, and the anti-Jewish sentiments that many characters (including Green’s girlfriend, and a woman who is actually Jewish) take for granted, paint a blunt picture of American anti-semitism. The honesty of the film got the attention of the House Un-American Activities Committee, which lead to the black-listing of two of its actors. Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 83%

Goodbye, Columbus (1969)-

This Phillip Roth adaptation is considered by many to be the best of them, and an underrated gem of American film. The movie explores class tension between American Jews, instead of focusing on their relations with gentiles. Neil and Brenda represent two sides of American Judaism in mid-twentieth century America. Neil is intelligent, working class, and comes from an observant family. Brenda is a stereotypical Jewish American Princess, with a rich, athletic family to match. The ups and downs of their affair shed light on extreme assimilation, and how it can look to those who haven’t assimilated themselves. Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 100% (wow)

Enemies, a Love Story (1989)-

The book, by Isaac Bashevis Singer, was originally published in The Jewish Daily Forward (in Yiddish, not English) in 1966. Paul Mazursky’s adaptation manages to be poignant, blunt, and sometimes even quite funny. When we meet Herman, he’s having enough trouble balancing two women (His wife, the Polish servant who saved his life by hiding him through the war, and his mistress, a volatile fellow survivor), but when his first wife, presumed dead, comes to America, he must weave an intricate web to keep his three loves content.   Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 91%                     

Everything is Illuminated (2005)-

My personal favorite. It’s rare that I love both a book and its film adaptation, but Jonathan Safran Foer’s debut novel was lucky enough to end up in the capable hands of Live Schreiber (who both adapted the screenplay and directed). This is a film that manages to balance drama and comedy exquisitely. Elijah Wood plays Jonathan, a quirky writer and collector of family trinkets and photos. A mysterious woman in one of these photos prompts him to travel to the Ukraine in search of his grandfather’s village. His guide is the over-the-top Alex (played by musician Eugene Hutz), whose confident misuses of the English language make up the funniest lines in the film. The discoveries they both make, about themselves and both of their families, drives the plot of the film.  Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 67%

Have another favorite that I didn’t mention? I sure hope you do, because this is an awfully short list. Comment with your favorite Jewish film!