maurice yacowar Perhaps the dominant theme in Joseph Cedar's Time of Favor is the need for doubt, i.e., the folly, often fatal, of absolute certainty of one's righteousness.In Michal's first conversation with Menachem she notes how the Israeli men see everything in black and white, untroubled by nuances. He takes pride in quickly overcoming doubts, which serves him well as a military commander but troubles his attraction to her. Their lyrical shadowplay shows them too doubtful about their feelings to touch but open to intertwine their shadows. In a close later scene the Mossad men discuss their concern over Rabbi Meltzer's lack of doubt.In both closed male systems, the IDF and Rabbi Meltzer's militant yeshiva, the men are too absolutely certain of their righteousness to achieve justice. Indeed Meltzer insists that in war one needs to forget one's family, lover, emotions, to succeed as warrior. When the soldiers target Menachem in the tunnels at the end, as in his violent interrogation earlier, their unfounded certainty about his guilt threatens a profound injustice.When Menachem declares that Rabbi Meltzer has stolen his soul he realizes that Meltzer's domination threatens Menachem's and Michal's happiness, not to mention the general peace. Where her rejected suitor, the scholar Pini, launches a suicide bombing mission to impress the rabbi and Michal, Menachem resolves to leave the army and his command of the rabbi's military unit. He wants to live a more sensible, human life. As Michal notes, the rabbi's blind vision cost her mother's life. If a terrorist were to kill Michel, Meltzer would dismiss it as the pain on which Israel is built. Where Pini loves Michal for the Rabbi Meltzer he sees in her, Menachem's love for her exposes his mentor's dangerous folly. Michal has her father's strong will and strong sense of self but is mercifully free of his arrogance.Here's the film's crowning paradox. It's about the development of a suicide bomber in a West Bank settlement, targeting the Temple Mount, but it has nothing to do with the Palestinians. Cedar's point is that Jewish religious fanaticism and messianic fervour are as dangerous and irrational as the Palestinians'. Hence Menachem's rousing speech to his troops: in war you don't fight the enemy, you fight yourself. As it happens, that's the original meaning of the Islamic word jihad. Menachem's term to fire up his troops' dedication to Jehovah also parallels the Arabs' bloody service to Allah. To the secular Mookie, it's like a stick of dynamite up the soldier's ass. That's religious fervour for you. It fires you up — fatally and alone.Cedar frequently parallels scenes to pointed effect. In one, he cuts from Michal's solitary sabbath devotion to the barracks men rowdily and brutishly celebrating the eve. Her modest reverence contrasts to their loutish service. Among the men Menachem sits quietly contemplative, as if already decided he must choose her life over theirs. For more see www.yacowar.blogspot.com.

Vishal Agrawal Meltzer is a Rabbi in West Gaza. He teaches fanaticism. He has two important men for his religious purposes. Menachem is the leader of his army and Pini is his best student who will be his successor. Meltzers daughter brings these three characters confronting each other as she falls for the right contender. This film is extremely assuming. It assumes you know everything about settlers and their politics. It seems a lot is also lost in translation. Still this film works for me. It talks about a fundamental question what's more important men or god? At least thats my interpretation of 'Crusade' and 'Jihad'. I like the sequence where Menachem is arrested and questioned. There are lots of things in the film I could not understand or relate to but still it was good. I think the story is good but it was not presented in a comprehending manner. My interpretation of the film is that people, if given power, use it for their individual purposes. So power should not be consolidated in one hand. The 'two contenders', a religious fanatic and a trigger easy army man, was also a very interesting conflict. Film also raises the question how difficult and important it is to separate violence from religion. Character of Michal is good. She only brings these two characters in conflict. Quite nice check it out. 8/10

J. M. Verville When watching this film I was very astonished at how much potential could have existed for the plot that was given, yet how badly the actual film was executed. The basic plot seemed very interesting, but for many reasons, the portrayal was a failure. It seemed to have lost direction on a large scale.None of the characters involved seem real or convincing in their roles, and often there seemed to be a sense of passionless acting that bogged the film down. Also, too much plot was happening all at once so that it was hard to follow the progression of the film. Large, unexplained character shifts and a certain sense of dark, dreary boredom plagued the film.I found the film to be very lacking, tedious, and something that I would recommend to no one.

Jan Lisa Huttner We saw this film on Friday night @ one of Chgo's premiere "art" theaters (the Landmark @ Century Center). There were maybe a dozen people in the audience besides us. Too bad. With all the horrible things going on this weekend (Easter Weekend 2002 with Arafat surrounded by Israeli troops in Ramallah is retaliation for the terrorist murder of Passover celebrants in Netanya) few films could be more relevant!But I think if you see a "love triangle" in this film, you are really missing the point.SPOILER ALERT!!! (Stop reading now if you don't want to know critical plot points!!!)Pini does not "love" Michal; Pini loves her father Rabbi Meltzer & he desperately wants the Rabbi's approval. Rabbi Meltzer intends to give Michal to Pini as a prize, signifying that Pini is his best student & probable successor. For Michal, this is just further proof that her father has no interest in her as a "person." He will easily sacrifice her to his own needs, just as he sacrificed her mother. When Michal rejects Pini, he feels humiliated in the eyes of the Rabbi & the community, & therefore he does something desperate to prove himself to the Rabbi. The model here is THE ILIAD. Achilles does not "love" Briceas (sp?) -- she is his war booty, his prize. When she is taken from him, his warrior pride is offended. It is "the wrath of Achilles" that destroys the city of Troy & Pini is filled with the same wrath.Why is this important? Because right now we all desperately need to understand the psychology of suicide bombers. In almost every case, suicide bombers are young men who need to prove themselves to their fanatical male mentors. They don't live in societies in which women & the love of women are valued. A glorious death is more important than an ordinary human life (his own included). When Itamar freezes & wants to reach out for his wife, Pini is scornful & disgusted with him.Menachem loves Michal & because he loves her, he is able to renounce the zealot's life, exchange it for the life of a mench (in Yiddish, a "real" >whole human being). She opens his eyes to what is actually being asked of him by Rabbi Meltzer -- Rabbi Meltzer doesn't just want Menachem to give up Michal, he wants Menachem to give up his humanity, to give his life to "the will of God" (as interpreted by Rabbi Meltzer, of course).Bottomline: Because Menachem sees Michal AS A PERSON, he retains his humanity. Because Pini sees Michal AS AN OBJECT, he becomes an instrument of destruction.Bye now, Jan @ Films for Two