"Ushpizin" surpassed even my high expectations. I had heard it described by friends and family as one of the few movies ever to portray Hasidic Jews in a completely sympathetic and non-patronizing light. But it's so much more than that. What surprised me most was that it possesses some psychological depth. It's the type of film where you keep going back and reexamining character motives, gaining new insight with each viewing.
The story involves a rehabilitated criminal named Moshe (Shuli Rand) who has become a Breslover Hasid living in the Old City of Jerusalem. As the film begins, the Sukkot holiday is approaching, and he doesn't have enough money to prepare for it, having been passed over for a stipend. His wife Malli (Michal Bat-Sheva Rand) has not conceived after five years of marriage. He implores God to help them out, in what may be the most intense depiction of prayer I have ever seen in a movie. Then things start to happen. In a random act of charity (a common practice among Orthodox Jews), someone slips a thousand dollars under his door while only Malli is home. Out in the street, Moshe bumps into Ben Baruch, a sort of village idiot, who claims to have found Moshe a free Sukkah (the ceremonial hut that religious Jews eat and sleep in during the week-long holiday). What Moshe does not know is that the Sukkah was stolen from a neighbor.
Moshe and Malli think that their prayers have been answered. But the gifts are only the start of their problems. A pair of escaped convicts from Moshe's past life show up at his door, surprised at the direction he has taken in life. While not entirely comfortable, he invites them to stay with him for the duration of the holiday, according to a tradition to have ushpizin, or guests, on Sukkot. Meanwhile, he uses some of the money to purchase a very expensive etrog, or citron, the lemon-like fruit used for ritual purposes on the holiday.
The elements of this story fit well with Jewish teachings, including a tradition of stories stretching back to the Bible itself, involving people who are tested by being sent difficult guests. God, in this scheme, listens to prayers but is not a wish-maker. Every "miracle" is only the beginning of new challenges.
But "Ushpizin" is not just a simple religious fable. It has surprising layers of depth. This is partly due to director Giddi Dar, a secular Jew who interprets the story on a psychological level. Nothing overtly supernatural happens in the film. The religious motif depends on finding meaning in a series of apparent coincidences, all skillfully woven into the story in a way that never feels contrived.
The funny thing about character development is how crucial it is to most fiction, yet how rare it is in real life. People are usually set in their ways. Bad habits, such as a fiery temper, die hard. Criminals do get rehabilitated, often by religious communities, but a cynic might suggest that such individuals are simply channeling their aggression in a new direction. There's probably some truth to that assumption. "Ushpizin" recognizes these issues, amid its upbeat tone. What Moshe must ultimately learn is that he can't escape his past until he's truly confronted his own weaknesses. Morality comes not just from caring. It requires some level of struggle.
The production values of this complex yet entertaining tale are nicely high. Every shot has the mark of quality. A scene where several characters become drunk (possibly the basis for the movie's very mild PG rating) is portrayed with a subtly wobbling camera. The acting is strong all around, but the most astonishing performance comes from Michal Bat-Sheva Rand, a former theater director who never acted before this film. She took the role in accordance with her religious modesty standards, so that no one but Shuli Rand's actual wife would play his wife. With her intensely expressive face, she steals the film.
The character she plays is a tower of strength, which may come as a surprise to those people who imagine Hasidic women as weak and passive. The movie tears down negative stereotypes without ever seeming to try. It doesn't come off as the type of movie that's trying to prove anything. It is informative without being pedantic. And it is an amazing accomplishment from so many directions.
The story involves a rehabilitated criminal named Moshe (Shuli Rand) who has become a Breslover Hasid living in the Old City of Jerusalem. As the film begins, the Sukkot holiday is approaching, and he doesn't have enough money to prepare for it, having been passed over for a stipend. His wife Malli (Michal Bat-Sheva Rand) has not conceived after five years of marriage. He implores God to help them out, in what may be the most intense depiction of prayer I have ever seen in a movie. Then things start to happen. In a random act of charity (a common practice among Orthodox Jews), someone slips a thousand dollars under his door while only Malli is home. Out in the street, Moshe bumps into Ben Baruch, a sort of village idiot, who claims to have found Moshe a free Sukkah (the ceremonial hut that religious Jews eat and sleep in during the week-long holiday). What Moshe does not know is that the Sukkah was stolen from a neighbor.
Moshe and Malli think that their prayers have been answered. But the gifts are only the start of their problems. A pair of escaped convicts from Moshe's past life show up at his door, surprised at the direction he has taken in life. While not entirely comfortable, he invites them to stay with him for the duration of the holiday, according to a tradition to have ushpizin, or guests, on Sukkot. Meanwhile, he uses some of the money to purchase a very expensive etrog, or citron, the lemon-like fruit used for ritual purposes on the holiday.
The elements of this story fit well with Jewish teachings, including a tradition of stories stretching back to the Bible itself, involving people who are tested by being sent difficult guests. God, in this scheme, listens to prayers but is not a wish-maker. Every "miracle" is only the beginning of new challenges.
But "Ushpizin" is not just a simple religious fable. It has surprising layers of depth. This is partly due to director Giddi Dar, a secular Jew who interprets the story on a psychological level. Nothing overtly supernatural happens in the film. The religious motif depends on finding meaning in a series of apparent coincidences, all skillfully woven into the story in a way that never feels contrived.
The funny thing about character development is how crucial it is to most fiction, yet how rare it is in real life. People are usually set in their ways. Bad habits, such as a fiery temper, die hard. Criminals do get rehabilitated, often by religious communities, but a cynic might suggest that such individuals are simply channeling their aggression in a new direction. There's probably some truth to that assumption. "Ushpizin" recognizes these issues, amid its upbeat tone. What Moshe must ultimately learn is that he can't escape his past until he's truly confronted his own weaknesses. Morality comes not just from caring. It requires some level of struggle.
The production values of this complex yet entertaining tale are nicely high. Every shot has the mark of quality. A scene where several characters become drunk (possibly the basis for the movie's very mild PG rating) is portrayed with a subtly wobbling camera. The acting is strong all around, but the most astonishing performance comes from Michal Bat-Sheva Rand, a former theater director who never acted before this film. She took the role in accordance with her religious modesty standards, so that no one but Shuli Rand's actual wife would play his wife. With her intensely expressive face, she steals the film.
The character she plays is a tower of strength, which may come as a surprise to those people who imagine Hasidic women as weak and passive. The movie tears down negative stereotypes without ever seeming to try. It doesn't come off as the type of movie that's trying to prove anything. It is informative without being pedantic. And it is an amazing accomplishment from so many directions.