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DIVINE INTERVENTION Send This Review to a Friend
There is plenty of whimsy in Palestinian writer-director Elia Suleiman's "Divine Intervention," but the humor leans heavily toward the Palestinian side in the face off with Israel, and how you feel about the issues will influence how you feel about the film. Suleiman depicts the daily hassles and ironies of life from his particular viewpoint. In terms of style he resorts to understated comedy, both in his direction and in his
deadpan manner of acting as his own star.
Suleiman's film, which was showcased at the New York Film Festival, sees humor at a checkpoint where Israeli soldiers control the movement of Palestinians. He does this on one occasion by having a leggy attractive woman stride rhythmically through with the soldiers all but hypnotized by her undulating walk and unable to interfere. He unleashes a balloon with Arafat's picture on it floating in the sky much to the puzzlement and frustration of the guards.
The sadness of life in a hospital is juxtaposed with the absurdity of everyone, patients and nurses alike, lined up smoking in a corridor. The director also adds a quiet note of romance, with a couple (played by Suleiman and Manai Khader) from different sides of the checkpoint meeting regularly in a vacant lot and sitting in a car holding hands.
A fantasy violence sequence occurs at a shooting range where Israelis are invited to fire at pictures of Palestinian women. Suddenly a real Palestinian woman emerges, and like a weapon-wielding kung-fu champ, she decimates the men, then disappears in a skyward whirl. Divine intervention.
There's filmmaking talent here, no doubt, but the emphasis is on the suffering of the Palestinians without reference to why the Israelis must pay attention at checkpoints or to the violence being inflicted by those who would destroy Israel. It is tough to make a film of this sort within the larger context of what's happening, but Suleiman is undaunted in his effort to comment with his wry and imaginative sense of humor. It is the perspective that can lead to debate. An Avatar Films release.
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