I am a Jew. I am lost in all the horror that is going on in Israel this past week. I cannot wrap my head around the atrocities committed against innocents. Women. Children. Babies. Elderly. Grandparents. It breaks my heart and takes me back to decades ago when I was fortunate to live in Jerusalem for a year. I traveled the entire small country. I climbed Mt. Sinai by torchlight. I danced under the stars celebrating Israel’s Independence Day. I discovered that I had distant cousins who lived in Ashdod, and visited them several times. I hitched a ride to the Gaza Strip. I visited as many Temples and Shrines from all faiths as I could. I sat with Arabs and drank tea together. I stood on busses next to Army personnel, trying not to bump my head on their automatic rifles. I sat in shelters and “safe rooms” with my friends and strangers. I felt deeply in my heart what it was like to live in an area filled with so much joy and hatred entwined from centuries before. I witnessed brutality and acceptance. I am having trouble comprehending why anyone would want to “wipe the Jews off the earth.” It makes no sense, and nothing will ever be the same again. It can’t be. A line was crossed, and Israel must survive.
When I was an impressionable pre-teen, I read Leon Uris’s novel EXODUS. It changed the trajectory of my life, and I didn’t even realize it at the time. It planted seeds of longing to visit a place where I might truly feel at home. When the film, EXODUS, made its debut in 1961, this unknown pact was sealed. I never knew how “connected” I could feel while watching celluloid on a screen. I wept for the people on board the Star of David in the Detention Centers, as well as for the Arab encampments. I realize EXODUS might not be considered a “great” movie, but it was and will always be for me. It influenced my journey and is etched within my memory box for over sixty years. I can recite lines from the script. I know every word of the opening and closing song that was written for this movie and eventually received an Oscar for Original Score. EXODUS stirs my soul…especially now.
“This land is mine. God gave this land to me…With the help of God, I know I can be strong. To make this land our home. If I must fight, I’ll fight to make this land our own. Until I die, this land is mine.”
Otto Preminger understood the art of creating epic films. (He was also the director of SPARTUCUS.) When he decided to produce EXODUS, he only wanted Paul Newman as his Ari Ben Canaan, even though he did not have the look of a typical Sabra from that region. I always thought his acting was spot on, and I just ignored his blond hair and baby blues. He was a very intense actor who knew how to project his character’s power and passion. He did not get along with Otto, and he was quoted as saying he only took the part in honor of his wife’s family. Otto slanted this film against the British forces who controlled the region. This explains why the movie did not do well in England when it premiered. He also chose not to include more info from the Palestinian viewpoint. This was meant to be a pro-Israeli film from the get-go.
Eva Marie Saint had the perfect look for a “shikzah” (non-Jew). She might have needed to be younger than 35 years for the role of Kitty, who falls in love with Ari, the people, and the region. Her “inner monologue” was always about how the differences don’t matter as long as you are willing to accept and respect others with kindness and love. If only…
Sal Mineo portrayed Dov, the demolition Irgun. (Freedom Fighter) There was much controversy around his casting as well. He was an excellent young actor who died years before his time. For me, he gave EXODUS its anger and emotional peaks. Heartbreaking moments reliving the atrocities at Auschwitz while watching his breakdown. Karen (Jill Haworth) represented everything good and innocent in this world. The two of them together were striking, fresh, and unforgettable.
The cinematography played a huge role in the scope of filming. The wide-angle shots were majestic, and the magnitude of what they were trying to accomplish was spectacular. The 20,000 extras that came from all over Israel to be included in the announcement of their independence hit a bullseye. The ship, the EXODUS, sailed towards land, with all the refugees hanging over the railing, straining for a first glimpse of their Homeland. The elaborate plan and timing of the prison breakout. The view overlooking the Arab/Israeli border that Ari points out to Kitty. The bombing of the famous King David Hotel. And the silent march of 150 children in the middle of the night to safety with tape over their mouths to hush their cries. It was all bold and brilliant storytelling.
EXODUS boasted a Hollywood point of view. It was long (3.5 hours) and needed editing to create a tighter suspension of disbelief. It was not a perfect film, but it shares the mindset of what it means to be an Israeli throughout history. From the young mother repeatedly declaring “I will not go back” to the raw, explicit summation of Ari’s character…”In your fatal optimism, you are Haganah. In methodology, you are Irgun. But in your heart, you are Israel.” EXODUS represents a historical classic of monumental proportions that is still retelling the world today…we will not surrender. We will succeed. We have no other choice but to try to end the senseless killing. The world is a fu** up mess. There must be a better way to “share this earth so that the living will find peace.”
EXODUS is available to stream on TCM.
