Customer Reviews

James' Journey to Jerusalem

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***1/2

In the allegorical "James' Journey to Jerusalem," a deeply religious young man, filled with idealism and hope, leaves his village in Africa to embark on a pilgrimage to the Holy City. There he hopes to glean some spiritual inspiration before returning home to start life as a pastor. However, things do not quite work out for James the way he envisions them. Immediately upon his arrival in Israel and before he can even make it to the famed city, he is unjustly thrown into jail, then "sold" into a kind of paid slavery to the business man who ponies up his bail. James is forced to live in a kind of community barracks with other young men in his situation and is sent around town to do cleaning, gardening and an assortment of other odd jobs. As James toils at his labors and interacts with both his "superiors" and peers, he learns a great deal about life in a land where the weak are taken advantage of by the strong and where friendly words and acts of seeming kindness are doled out with an air of class-conscious racism and condescension.

This is a fascinating film in many ways, for it introduces us to a milieu filled with unfamiliar situations and faces. James is, obviously, a sincere and devout individual whose innocence and naivete endear us to him, even when it is those very qualities that make it difficult for him to exist and function in a world far more crassly commercial and uncaringly cynical than the one he expects to find. Yet, at the same time, James has a strength of spirit and a resourcefulness that allow him to triumph, even if only temporarily, over the adversities that befall him. However, even the saintly James, who keeps a firm grasp on his principles early on, eventually learns that one sometimes has to violate a moral code or two to get ahead in life. In many ways, this is like a modern "Pilgrim's Progress" or "Young Goodman Brown," with the noble protagonist leaving the safety and familiarity of his home to venture forth into a world filled with evils and temptations - but always with the hope of reaching that famed "City on a Hill" at the end.

However, there is one rather disturbing aspect to the film, and that is that, almost without exception, all the Israelis whom James encounters are greedy, grasping exploiters who see James and all of his compatriots as little more than chattel to do their work for them, talking down to and taking advantage of them every chance they get. Even his boss` elderly father, with whom James establishes a certain precarious "friendship," is really just a bitter, angry racist, hardly deserving of James' loyalty and trust. But to be fair, it isn't just the Jewish Israelis - even the black minister of the church that James attends ends up exploiting him. Since the film originates from Israel, it would be a bit difficult to accuse it of being anti-Semitic, and perhaps this film is that country's attempt to come to terms with a decidedly negative aspect of the nation's people and character - equivalent to the many Hollywood films made about racism, discrimination and exploitation in the United States of America.

Whatever the motivation, "James' Journey to Jerusalem" is a moving film about xenophobia, the class struggle and the fragility of hopes and dreams. The ironic final image brings that last theme home in a heartbreaking way. For James does finally reach his destination, but not quite in the way he intended.

James is an inspired young man sent by his village on a pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem. His character is developed at length with his respect and affection for the people he meets in Israel. Except for an eccentric older man (played by Eli Wallach) the Israeli figures are not well developed except to show their suspicion of "guest workers" who may want to stay in the country with welfare programs or take jobs away from natives. Many of the jobs available are due to the restriction of enty by Palestinian Arab workers from Gaza and the west bank. Ironically, the replacement workers from Europe, Africa and elsewhere have suffered themselves at the hands of the intifada. Watchers should know that the movie is cosponsored by the New Israel Fund that has a primary mission of justice for workers and Arab citizens. It is allied with the former Labor socialist party, but has taken new directions. Even knowing the political slant of the messages, there are many enjoyable scenes of James and how he adapts to the realities without losing his sense of mission and pride.

Filmaking is alive and well in modern Israel. This is a lively, chaotic and totally charming story of the rough and seedy side of Tel Aviv, where illegal immigrants are exploited for their labor by Shimi, a tough capitalist with a heart of gold. There are many pungent personalities, family conflicts, and a moral challenge to the protagonist, who learns to sell out his spiritual quest for a quick buck - at least for a while. A very Israeli take on itself, where everyone is always striving to capture some small advantage however they can. The acting is uniformly superb. Very funny and teaches more about contemporary Israel than fifty books about the Palestine conflict.

Highly recommended.

I absolutely enjoyed this film. It is the story of a young African man and his journey to Jerusalem from his small village. During his travels he learns much about himself through the many "tests" he believes he has been given by his God. What I enjoyed most about this story is that movies are not typically or hardly made about the African men and women that travel far from their homes to the Middle East and Europe with hopes of more prosperous lives yet ending up at the bottom rungs of these societies and virtually ignored. Although this story is about James' journey to test his faith, it also gives a glimpse of what life is like for thousands of young men like him.

There are many of us who believe we are put on this earth to learn and to progress - this is a story of a young pastor sent on a pilgrimage who encounters some unexpected twists in his journey. At first, he takes them at face value - but the he learns how he can turn the situation to his advantage. He doesn't *quite* compromise his ethics but he comes close - and he realizes in the end that there are far more important things than the rewards that progress in a capitalist system can bring.

i really enjoyed this movie. it is allegorical and deals with the problems in serving both god and money. it is brilliant and beautiful and well made and well thought-out. u will be enlightened. truly brilliant adaption of an important theme and quintissential ideas.

Good story of innocence, corruption, and capitalist economies. Satirical black comedy w/an unexpected frayer in the end.

With a soundtrack featuring music by Ehud Banai, Gil Smetana, and Noam Halevi, Mr. Alexandrowicz, who is known for his documentary, THE INNER TOUR, has recruited Siyabonga Melongisi Shibe and Hugh Masebenza from South Africa, to tell a witty story of NOT BEING A FRIAR/FRYER in Israel; the worst of fates.

A generation ago, a film based on Ephraim Kishon's SALLAH character, told the story of a Mizrahi Jewish immigrant to Israel who took the worst jobs and poked fun at Israeli society and the JNF. It is now the turn of these guest workers to do the same thing. And in this story, Sallah is now an old, fully absorbed, retired man, who can now take advantage of the people on the lowest immigration rung.

In this story, JAMES arrives at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel.. He is making pilgrimage to the Holy Land for his fictional township, Entshongweniin, in Africa, where he will become a spiritual leader upon his return. They think of Israel as the biblical place. He is immediately arrested as a presumed illegal worker (Actually, when one of the actor sarrived from South Africa to perform in the film, he was arrested and held at the Ben Gurion airport, assumed to be not a tourist but an illegal worker. He had to be bailed out.)

In the film, he prays for deliverance and gets miraculously bailed out; and his adventures as a indebted segregated worker and cleaner begin. Will he ever make it to Jerusalem? Or will he stay on the coastal plain to make more $$? Will his pastor take advantage of him? Or will he take advantage of others? Will his dashiki win out over a nice polo shirt and khakis? Will Shimi's father, Sallah, sell out to real estate interests?

I found this to be an excellent movie depicting how things really are for a section of the Israeli population. James's introduction to life in Israel was an eye-opener for him, but he prevailed and learned how to make the situation work to his advantage. He returned to his native land having learned many lessons. Though they were not the lessons he had been sent to learn, they were certainly ones worth learning, This film is an excellent example of the new genre of Israeli films that take a look at real life and does it at a fast clip instead of the long drawn out approach of the last decade's directors.

The Israelis portrayed in the film are all crass, greedy, selfish, dishonest, exploitative, overweight slobs. What could have been an honest critique of materialistic capitalism and contemporary Israel degenerates into an apology for the Intifada, tinged with the stench of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. I guess the hate group that bankrolled this film got what they wanted.