Review of Ushpizin (2004) by Natalie L — 07 Dec 2015

The movie "Ushpizin" which translates to "guest" written by Shuli Rand and directed by Gidi Dar is set in Breslov Orthodox community, Jerusalem, Israel. It follows the life of protagonist Moshe, and his wife Mali who desperately want a child, as they are tested throughout the film multiple times of their faith in god. The story is set during the holiday of Sukkot- a Jewish festival which refers to the temporary dwellings the Children of Israel had to live in during the period of wandering after exodus. The movie starts a day before Sukkot. Moshe and his Wife are in desperate need of money and after endless praying, they are given a "miracle" which happens to be an unexpected envelope of money-$1000 slipped under the door step. The couple is overwhelmed and ecstatic to be able to have a celebration and pay rent for their home when unexpected visitors show up at their doorstep. Eliyahu and Yossef are convicts and people of Moshe's past-Yossef being a friend of Eliyahu. Eliyahu is determined to bring out the worst in Moshe for his own amusement, and the two create chaos between the household, which eventually broadens among neighborhood. When the two first enter the town, they mislead Moshe by telling him that they have finished serving time and felt the urge to visit him, as he is their old friend. During the dinner of Sukkot, they say and do many things which in the face of god and Jews is disrespectful. In addition, they bring up sensitive topics which include the couple's incapability to have a child and Moshe's past in attempt to provoke his "true self" as they believe that the whole Jew thing is an act. They raid the house of all it's food and demand for more to eat. The series of events that occur during the visit of Eliyahu and Yossef test the faith of the community, specifically Moshe, and his willingness to stay faithful and righteous during the time of hardship.

The movie gave me a greater insight to the different beliefs and practices of the Jewish community-specifically orthodox. The common theme of suppressing anger was often brought up as an indication of the core of their lifestyle. Furthermore, the comparison between actions of the Jews and non Jews during various situations gave me a better understanding of how they handle the different situations due to their beliefs. It shows how faith has such an immense impact on one's actions and values. Through the watching of the film, I gained a greater respect for the religious as I got a sense of their devotion towards their god. Additionally, I felt that it was very clever for the writer to use Moshe's past as the primary obstacle in the movie because often times one's past is the hardest thing to overcome, although it is essential to grow and advance in life. He uses the idea of all these events being a test of his faith to guide him in attempt to make the right decisions, although they sometimes result in conflicts. Although the visuals may not have been as creative and artistic as the other films I've seen (eg. Water), but I strongly feel the content far outweighed the visuals. Overall I would give this movie a 5/5 because the director and writer were able to discretely convey how religion affects the lifestyle of people-especially during the worst of times.