Kedma focuses on several of the refugees of the boat. They come from all parts of Europe and practically none of them speak Hebrew, the language they will need in order to survive in their new country. Once they reach land, many are rounded up by British soldiers. Those who escape the soldiers are taken in by the Palmach, the Jewish army that is battling Arabs for control of the land. Given weapons instructions in languages they do not understand, these new immigrants are thrown into battle against entrenched Arab positions. Those that survive help remove Arab families from their homes while being cursed and denounced by those Arabs, again in languages they do not understand.
There is no way that anyone making a movie on this subject would not be seen as making a political statement. Director Gitai makes his points in a way that may be effective in his own country, but plays quite differently outside. Perhaps in a country where arguments are voiced with such heat and anger, Gitai's approach, cool, distant and analytical, helps people see events in a different way than they have been taught all their lives. Outside Israel, however, audiences may feel remote from the characters. There are few close-ups in the film except for some short talks or speeches made by certain characters. The British attack on the landing refugees is shot at such a distance as to seem almost comic. Characters, dressed in the heavy gray coats of Eastern Europe tend to blend together and remain more archetypes than people.
Kedma also suffers from a tendency found in many American period films, the fortune-teller effect. This is when characters speak of the future almost as if they know precisely what is going to happen. The Palestianian man who berates the Jewish soldiers is so specific about what the state of Israel is going to face that one almost awaits him to announce that "thirty-nine years from now we will erupt in a thing called the Intifada!"
Gitai's wide vistas and distance from his characters is, unfortunately, exaggerated on the new DVD edition released by Kino International. At least the image is presented in 16 X 9 format as well as standard. Every bit of detail in the image helps. A bigger problem comes with the many languages used in the film. Since everything is translated into English subtitles, it is difficult for English speakers to tell which characters are speaking in a language other characters cannot understand, which is a major story element in this movie.
Otherwise, Kino International has provided an excellent presentation of Kedma with a stills gallery, background history (very necessary as the film assumes you already know the history) and an Amos Gitai filmography plus three trailers. Kedma is a difficult movie but provides a look at a key point in Middle East history from the viewpoint of a filmmaker of that region.
For more information about Kedma, visit Kino International. To order Kedma, go to TCM Shopping.
by Brian Cady
