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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
highly informative and unbiased documentary, January 1, 2008
This review is from: Blood and Tears (DVD)
"Blood and Tears: The Arab-Israeli Conflict" is an interesting and informative documentary that attempts a nearly impossible feat: to sort out the tangled mess that is the Middle East in a way that might make the whole thing just a little more comprehensible for those of us not intimately connected with the history of the region. It's an ambitious and valiant goal for a movie that runs a mere 74 minutes, but, overall, it succeeds remarkably well in its endeavor.
The movie takes an essentially chronological approach to the material, beginning all the way back in Biblical times, though its main focus is on the key events of the 20th and 21st Centuries - namely, the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 and the continuing, violent struggle between the Israelis and Palestinians that has been raging over it ever since. (Note: the movie was made prior to the Lebanon-Israeli conflict of summer 2006). The film is remarkably fair in its presentation, providing, through interviews with some of the key players in the region, a generous array of viewpoints culled from various sides of the issue. In a way, this makes the movie even more depressing, for while the film is enlightening its audience on many of the facts of the situation, that enlightenment only emphasizes how truly deep-seated and intractable many of the root problems are that divide the two warring factions. For while the Palestinians and the Israelis may be speaking of some of the very same incidents and events, the antagonists often come to diametrically opposed conclusions about those events. Clearly, despite occasional halting efforts towards non-violent solutions and diplomacy, as well as a sense of optimism in the closing moments of the movie, it sadly doesn't appear as if peace will be coming any time soon to the region.
The goal of the movie is certainly not to offer a "solution" to a problem that has eluded some of the greatest peace-loving minds of the past couple of centuries. It is, instead, to provide the kind of objective information we need to better our understanding of the situation. And that the movie does very well indeed.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent review of "Blood and Tears" that appeared in Jewish Week, January 2, 2008
This review is from: Blood and Tears (DVD)
"Making a documentary film about the history of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict that would be balanced,
thorough and entertaining appears, at first site, to be just
as monumental an undertaking as actually ending the
conflict itself. Yet acclaimed producer/director Isidore
Rosmarin and co-writer Jeff Helmreich took to the task
anyway, coming up with a remarkable piece of
documentary filmmaking aptly called "Blood and Tears."
Interviewing officials andlaypeople from both sides --
from Benjamin Netanyahu to the leaders of Hamas --
Rosmarin creates a pastiche of opinions and viewpoints,
never failing to root them in an artfully constructed
web of facts and figures. The result is awe-inspiring;
like all great pieces of documentary cinema,
this one, too, weds the real and the perceived,
the concrete and the emotional, challenging even the
most deep-set of beliefs. Particularly now, when the
situation in Israel and the Palestinian Territories is more
fragile than ever, this is a must-see." Jewish Week
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best movie on the Arab Israeli conflict yet!!, January 2, 2008
This review is from: Blood and Tears (DVD)
Blood and Tears is the best film I have seen so far covering the arab israeli conflict. Its unbiased footing gives you a real feel for what both sides are going through. The film takes you through the long history on both sides, and really makes you feel the true arguments and feelings that both have for the land of Israel.
The interviews are great featuring some of the biggest names from both sides of the conflict. The footage in the film show excellent and candid pictures of life in the conflict.
I would highly reccomend Blood and Tears to anyone who has any interest in this international conflict, looking for an unbiased, and easy to understand approach.
Even those of you who know nothing about this conflict will learn a great deal, and still be entertained when watching Blood and Tears.
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