Product Details

• Actors: Elia Suleiman, Azi Adadi, Haim Adri, Bsoul Ahmas
• Directors: Elia Suleiman
• Format: Color, Import, Subtitled
• Subtitles: English, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Run Time: 92 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00063AAT2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #416,753 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Separated by a checkpoint, Palestinian lovers from Jerusalem and Ramallah arrange clandestine meetings.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, but not for everyone, November 12, 2004

By 

Tarek Sherif (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Divine Intervention (Original Hebrew Version With English and F.rench Subtitles) Yadon ilaheyya (DVD)

First of all, it should be mentioned that this film contains minimal dialogue and only the thinnest thread of a storyline. If anyone reading this needs either one of these things to enjoy a film, they should look elsewhere.

That said, I have to say that I absolutely loved this movie. What you get here is a series of loosely related vignettes about the frustrations of daily Palestinian life. It's sometimes sad, but often hilarious. Suleiman's sense of humour is biting and generally subtle, although there were a few scenes that I felt went over the top (in particular, the ridiculous ninja scene near the end, but it doesn't take too much away from the film).

One final note about the claim that this movie is propaganda. This is idiotic. Yes, there are some jabs at Israel, but this is a movie about Palestine. I think ignoring how people feel about the occupation would have simply rang false. In general, Israel and the IDF appear only sporadically and are generally playing very minor roles (e.g. the love story taking place in the shadow of a military checkpoint). The bulk of the movie, however, focuses on the frustrations Palestinians face at the hands of other Palestinians.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wry Comedy and Political Allegory in Palestine and Israel, March 2, 2005

By 

Tsuyoshi (Kyoto, Japan) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Divine Intervention (Original Hebrew Version With English and F.rench Subtitles) Yadon ilaheyya (DVD)

'Divine Intervention' is directed by Elia Suleiman, himself a Palestinian born in Nazareth, Israel. And quite appropriately, the film opens with this place, where Santa Claus with a knife stuck in his body, is running desperately for life, chased by a band of kids. The brief scene set the tone of the film, which is could be as audacious and even absurd as possible.

[ALMOST WORDLESS, AND PLOTLESS] 'Divine Intervention' has one plot about two Palestinian characters, a man 'ES' (played by the director Elia Suleiman) and a woman (Manal Khader). He is born in Israel while she in Palestine, so the only point where they can meet each other freely is the parking lot next to the army checkpoint between the two countries. But the film is not a love story, or romance either. And the film is made with a minimalist approach, which means the film is often wordless.

What you see is a series of vignettes, or sketches, all inspired by the political situations surrounding the turbulent Irsaeli-Palestinian relations. These vignettes, some of which are enormously surreal and curiously attractive, are based on the life of the Palastinian people living in Israel and Palestine.

[SURREAL SKETCHES] Yes, they are. See how ES driving a car, eating an apricot. He throws away its pit out of the window, and it hit the tank, presumably that of Israeli army. And the big tank suddenly explodes! The film comprises such incredible (and some may say, darkly funny) moments. In one scene, a woman walking like a fashion model, wearing sunglasses, approaches to the checking point, and leaves the astonished soldiers behind, gracefully catwalking. One of the most elaborated (and perhaps controvetial) scenes shows a gravity-defying female fighter looking like a ninja, strike down the (Israeli?) soldiers in a 'Matrix' fashion.

[FRUSTRATION] To fully understand the film, and hopefully enjoy its unique taste, you have to be alert to the political situations of the country it descibes. Not all vignettes are successful, but one thing is clear -- they all represent the hopelessly frustrated feelings of the Palestinian people living there. Watch the final scene, which is low-key, but shows the very essence of the film.

If someone is allowed to turn such a feeling into a comedy, it must be Suleiman, whose deadpan comic timing is often compared to Tati and Keaton. But Suleiman never looks like M. Hulot, and never runs. And Tati and Keaton never made such a political film. Essentially, however, they are all artists with great sense of humor, and 'Divine Intervention' should be seen as such original artists' work. And the good soundtrack (with Natacha Atlas's great rendition of 'I Put a Spell on You') gives an addtional charm.

Finally, though Suleiman clearly sees thing from Palestinian viewpoints, the film itself is quite open to any interpretations. That means, you either like it, hate it, or simply is nonplussed. Whatever your reaction might be, 'Divine Intervention' reveals how the people in Palentine feel in a symbolic way.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Cannes Film Festival Winner Worthy of the Acclaim, October 27, 2004

By 

Bay Film Buff (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Divine Intervention (Original Hebrew Version With English and F.rench Subtitles) Yadon ilaheyya (DVD)

This film, through the use of symbolism, fantasy, romance and revelations of day-to-day life for occupied Palestinians, tells the story of a man dealing with family illness, work and love. It is a powerful story, rich with imagery and emotion, and one of the few Palestinian films that has received such wide-spread acclaim. Moments of comic relief and scenes depicting the sometimes strange occurrences of everyday life do not take away from the fact that this is movie beckons an enduring question -- when will there be peace?
This is a wonderful movie and whether you enjoy politics or just an interesting film that makes you think - you will not be disappointed with this pick.