Review of Bethlehem (2013) by Stephen W — 02 Mar 2014

This brutal, compelling drama immerses us in the dark world of mideast terror, betrayal, and above all, shifting and complex loyalties. Its unflinching look at the painful personal cost of both Israeli and Palestinian strategies and values is brought to heart-stopping effect by the flawless and deeply committed portrayals of the two lead roles: an Israeli intelligence agent and his teen-age Palestinian "asset.".

Through them, and the rest of the perfectly cast and excellently-directed ensemble, the viewer is led into a dark tapestry of brutality and deception, proving the truth of the fears on both sides: the Palestinians have no reliable counter-party with whom to negotiate, and the Israelis, while professing to want peace, take actions that produce the opposite. In the end, the destruction is mutual, agonizing, and stunning.

Where does this leave the viewer? We have been taken on a nightmarish ride, journeying through the most painful of landscapes...but returned to the dismay with which we started without a shred of hope for improvement. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is just what you thought, the film tells us, but worse.

Those of us who are neither Israelis nor Palestinians, but who care about both, can only look to the final credits for solace: the director is an Israeli and the writer is a Palestinian. They worked together and this film got made. Thank G-d.