By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Ronit Elkabetz | Shlomi Elkabetz
Starring: Eli Gornstein | Menashe Noy | Ronit Elkabetz | Sasson Gabai | Simon Abkarian
Country: france, germany, israel
Year: 2015
Running time: 115
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3062880/combined
Michael says: “If the colloquial definition of insanity is ‘doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results,’ then surely Vivane Amsalem is feeling pretty insane by the end of GETT: THE TRIAL OF VIVIANE AMSALEM. She’s probably also feeling helplessness, indignity, sexism, and most importantly… frustration. Over the course of five years, Viviane endures countless appearances in court trying to get a divorce from her husband. She suffers the smug glances of her husband. The patronizing concern and disdain from the trio of judges. The scorn of her brother-in-law, the defense attorney. In what is surely a cover for a very special circle of hell made specifically for women who are still nearly powerless in many cultures, Viviane endures blatant sexism at every turn, and this in Israel, a country that is hardly considered backwards.
“GETT: THE TRIAL OF VIVIANE AMSALEM is an exquisitely made film. Written and directed by Ronit Elkabetz (who also stars) and her brother Shlomo, GETT so thoroughly embodies the frustrations of the film through its adept use of camera and setting. Shot entirely in a courthouse, and with deliberate use of close-ups, the sense of claustrophobia and imprisonment felt by Viviane is palpable. When she begs the judges and her husband to grant her freedom at one point in the film, she is not exaggerating. The performances are remarkable. Simon Abkarian (ZERO DARK THIRY, YES, ARARAT) is infuriating as Elisa, Viviane’s husband. His insufferable superiority, and deceptiveness nearly overcome any trace of humanity, but from time to time, Abkarian lets glimpses of compassion surface bringing him fully to life. Menashe Noy is passionate and convincing as Viviane’s advocate. Eli Gornstein brings just the right touch of humor and pig-headed authority to the head judge. Sasson Gabal (Ronit’s leading man in THE BAND’S VISIT) wraps a well-hidden anger beneath a kindly compassion as Elisha’s brother and advocate. But GETT is truly a triumph thanks to the multi-faceted work brought to bear by its star, Ronit Elkabetz. She is the central core of the film whether she is passionately pleading her case, or silently sitting at a table, burning inside at the indignity and unfairness of the world. An extended dialog-free, close-up of Elkabetz’s face three-quarters of the way through the film is powerful in its emotional expression. And when Viviane finally cannot bear it anymore and her frustration erupts in a series of rants, it leaves the viewer shaken to the core. Elkabetz is three-times Chlotrudis-nominated for supporting actress in LATE MARRIAGE and THE BAND’S VISIT, and in one of my favorite acting performances for Best Actress, OR (MY TREASURE.)
The Elkabetz’s writing is strong, avoiding sentimentality, they portray the injustice of the patriarchal legal system in Israel, draw out Viviane’s frustration to the breaking point, but sprinkle in enough absurd humor to lighten the tension. Fans of Zhang Yimou will find themselves thinking of THE STORY OF QIU JU, in which Gong Li suffered similar frustrations over an arcane governmental system. I’m going to be nominating this film in many categories, so I do hope you have an opportunity to see it. 5 cats”
Diane says: “Yes, I was remembering the delicious pain of QIU JU as I watched this!
“In GETT, I appreciated how well-meaning witnesses on both sides went astray in their testimony, demonstrating that good and bad are not as clearcut as we’d like. The judicial process, especially the patriarchal aspect of it, had center stage over who did what.
“Have we read the opinion of certain family judges on this one?”
Jason says: “If onehas no other praise for GETT: THE TRIAL OF VIVIANE AMSSALEM, say thisabout it: Probably no movie ever made gets more mileage out of the ‘XMonths Later’ caption than this one. In some ways, that’s sibling directors Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz’s best filmmaking weapon here, although they use everything else at their disposal as well to make a potentially dry film downright riveting.
“The film could, apparently, start with such a caption, as this is the third film to feature co-director Ronit Elkabetz as Viviane Amsalem, with the previous establishing her and husband Elisha (Simon Abkarian) as separated. After three years living apart, she want a divorce, but this is not a simple procedure of civil law in Israel – it involves rabbinical arbitration and is almost impossible to manage without the husband’s consent. Elisha does not even show up at the first hearing,\ and while Viviane has engaged to lawyer Carmel Ben Tovim (Menashe Noy) to represent her, Elisha eventually brings his brother, Rabbi Shimon (Sasson Gabai), in only reluctantly.
“To look at the way the Elkabetzes stage GETT, one would almost think that it would work just as well as a play; it takes place it two or three connected rooms that are sparsely and simply furnished, and the camera work is relatively simple. And yet, that is decidedly not the case; those frequent cuts from one time period to another with the location and cast staying mostly constant are something only film and television can really do. As the film goes on, they select more first-person shots, especially as the lawyers questioning those offering testimony become almost horrific figures.
“That emphasized lack of change points out the frustrating situation Viviane and Carmel face with women at a decided disadvantage; a patient man can simply wait out his wife because seemingly all the power rests with the man. The film burrows deep into the sexism present in traditional Judaism, although the attitudes and assumptions reflected are in no way limited to that culture. Through much of the film, the viewer is keenly aware that Viviane is the only woman in the room, so that when another is brought in to testify, it often changes the whole tone of the environment.
“Even aside from that, there’s a dizzying amount of illogic thrown at the audience; I suspect even those for whom this is their own culture will feel the frustration. In some ways, the central question of the film is just how inviolate the institution of marriage should be – even taking the sexism out of the equation, the operative assumption is that not only is a reconciliation the ideal result of any sort of marital discord, but practically the only acceptable one unless physical abuse is involved (and sometimes, even then). By not ever leaving the courtroom, and thus only presenting the Amsalems in these conditions that skew their behavior, the Elkabetzes force the audience to confront that presumption – we can only guess how difficult things are for Viviane, so her ability to to determine her own life is a matter of principle, not just a question of whether this situation merits it.
“It’s not just a film about ideas and clever use of cinematic form, though; the cast, both practiced and new to the series. Ronit Elkabetz is often pushed into silence by the system Viviane is fighting, but her attitude creates a framework for the rest of the film; Simon Abkarian is unnerving and unctuous as the husband. Meanwhile, Menashe Noy presents Carmel as worldly in a way that is out of place, especially compared to Shimon (who is not actually very smart), whom Sasson Gabai makes seem ridiculous but still dangerous. Eli Gornstein is a background force as the head of the panel, a wall that the rest of the characters crash against.
“Put it all together, and the result is a tense picture that is tense but also knows how to walk the line between absurdity that can bring bitter laughs and cold fury. The testimony in Gett can sometimes be tough to wrap one’s head around, but that’s half the point, showing how sets of principles given too much adherence can make a mockery out of the institutions that they are meant to protect. 5 cats
“Seen 4 April 2015 in West Newton Cinema #6 (first-run, DCP)”