| O Jerusalem | |
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| Directed by | Elie Chouraqui |
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| Produced by | Jeffrey Konvitz |
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O Jerusalem is a 2006drama film directed byElie Chouraqui. It is based onthe historical documentary novel of the same name, written byDominique Lapierre andLarry Collins.
It starsJJ Feild andSaïd Taghmaoui as the protagonists, withIan Holm andTovah Feldshuh portraying Israeli political figures,David Ben Gurion andGolda Meir. It is Felshuh's second time portraying Meir, having taken the titular role in the playGolda's Balcony in 2003.[1]
The working title for release in the US isBeyond Friendship. It was produced for US distribution byJeffrey Konvitz.
The film begins with footage from theBattle of Berlin and then the liberation ofDachau concentration camp. Bobby Goldman (Feild), an American Jewish soldier who helped liberate Dachau strikes up a friendship in post-warNew York City and Said Chahine (Taghmaoui), a wealthy Palestinian student fromJerusalem. As theUnited Nations votes for the creation of the state ofIsrael, both are pulled into conflict, their involvement taking them fromNew York City toJerusalem, where they risk their lives for what they each believe in. It depicts the1947–1949 Palestine war and the end of theBritish mandate of Palestine.[2]
According to Feldshuh, the film faced significant budget restraints, with two of her scenes cut and Chouraqui needing to rely on stock documentary footage and spare editing.[3]
OnRotten Tomatoes, the film received a 36% approval rating based on 22 reviews, indicating a generally negative reception, with the site consensus being "[t]hough a noble effort, O Jerusalem fails to combine this history lesson and human drama into a coherent cinematic piece".[4] OnMetacritic, the film has a weighted average, score of 39 out of 100 based on 11 critics, indicating "overwhelming dislike".[5]
However, film critic Stephen Farber was more positive, writing forThe Hollywood Reporter: "It is admirable in trying to be fair to the Israeli and Arab perspectives while lamenting the enmity that endures to this day".[1]
Jeannette Catsoulis inThe New York Times wrote a negative review of the film, describing it as a "middle school history lesson – complete with textbook dialogue and strained neutrality".[6]
John Anderson wrote inVariety that "[t]here's a great movie insideO Jerusalem that wants freedom and independence, but is suppressed by an earnestness that's practically colonial".[7]
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