Miral

It is refreshing to visit the Israeli/Palestinian conflict form a vantage too seldom shared in cinema. Director Julian Schnabel once again proves that he understands human responses in the face of political conflict. Rula Jebreal has adapted her own novel which in turn is a biography of her involvement in the history of the Palestinian conflict. It is a touching recounting of the events that took place form 1947 to the present and it leaves the window open for much conversation.

The film opens with a party held by Bertha Spafford (Vanessa Redgrave) in 1947 when she asks her guest to forget the conflict outside for a celebration of Christmas: the party is attended by both her Jewish and Arabic friends, the centerpiece being the Christmas tree brought yearly by the Husseini family and then replanted to restore the earth. Hind Husseini (Hiam Abbass) is there and meets Eddie (Willem Dafoe), an American friend of Bertha. A year latter in 1948 there is an Arab-Israeli War, the Deir Yassin Massacre, and the establishment of the state of Israel. The wealthy Hind Husseini encounters 55 starving children, victims of the war, and take s them home to establish what will become the Dar Al-Tifel Institute, a school for Arab orphans that within months grew to a population of 2000. The film then jumps forward and we meet Nadia (Yasmine Al Massri), an abused alcoholic who is imprisoned and there meets devout Muslim Jamal (Alexander Siddig) who later becomes her husband: Nadia, unable to change her life, drowns herself when their child is only 7 years old. It is now 1978 and Jamal brings his daughter Miral (Yolanda El Karam) to the keeping of Hind, reassuring her that he will see her on weekends. Time passes to 1988 and the older Miral (Freida Pinto) is victim to the intifada (uprising), is sent to a refugee camp where she falls in love with the PLO leader Hani (Omar Metwally) and commits to the Palestinian movement to secure a land of peace called Palestine that will be free of the Israeli governance and jurisdiction. Hind encourages Miral to follow her heart and convictions: it is the development of change represented by Hind, Nada, and Miral that personalizes this compelling epic. Though the conflict between Palestine and Israel continues to this day, this film allows us to appreciate the Palestinian response to the loss of their land and home by a international ruling to create the state of Israel.

Cinematographer Eric Gautier mixes the hot sun washed Palestine footage of the real intifada and the result is mesmerizing. The real star of this film is Hiam Abbass who as the gradually aging Hind Husseini brings the story to life. The large cast is excellent with special kudos to Alexander Siddig, Omar Metwally, and Freida Pinto: the presence of Vanessa Redgrave and Willem Dafoe add credibility tot he proceedings but their roles are minimal. Julian Schnabel is to be congratulated for bringing to light the 'other side' of the Arab/Israeli conflict. He gives us excellent food for thought. Grady Harp, July 11

After critical success with "Basquiat," "Before Night Falls," and "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"--I was a little surprised that Julian Schnabel's latest feature "Miral" flew as under the radar as it did. Based on the affecting memoir of journalist Rula Jebreal (who takes a screenplay credit as well), it tells the story of a Palestinian girl growing up amongst the eternal struggles between Palestine and Israel. It is an unorthodox and interesting viewpoint to see events of international consequence filtered through such an intimate perspective. Growing up under military occupation, having hatred and fear as a part of your every day existence--the potential for powerful self exploration and deep drama is inherent. But, in many ways, the film wants to tell several stories by introducing three fascinating female characters before Miral (Slumdog Millionaire's Freida Pinto) is even in the picture. That's fine, of course, but in the grand scheme of things--I'm not sure if those life stories (left largely unexplored) weren't inherently more interesting than the one settled on. In particular, I wanted to spend as much time as possible with Hind Husseini (Hiam Abbass)--a truly remarkable woman who dedicated her life to caring for orphans in the war-torn area.

The film's tag line "Is this the face of a terrorist?" also doesn't serve the movie well in setting up expectations. This is a coming-of-age story where a young women must come to terms with the economic, social and political climate of the area and time in which she was born. Sure, extremism and violent protest are a part of that world and Miral becomes entrenched in it--but this is hardly an examination of modern terrorism. It is a character study of how one adapts to such an environment when it is an inherent part of life. Miral's father leaves her with Husseini so that she may get the advantages and education that will help her avoid the pitfalls that doomed her mother. And the strongest elements within Miral's personal journey are her bonds with both her father and her adoptive mother figure. It is in personal moments shared between these characters that the film's quiet voice speaks much more powerfully.

Schnabel incorporates plenty of stock archival footage into the film to put the historical story in context. This is great and helpful, but you'll likely get more from the film if you have some knowledge of the political situation prior to viewing the movie. We haven't traditionally seen too many English language films that have viewed the conflict from the Palestinian perspective, so that may be off-putting or controversial to some. However, the story is more concerned with intimate human drama than in grand-standing. Fans of Vanessa Redgrave and Willem Dafoe should take note that they are barely in the movie (she has one scene, he two), so if that's of primary interest--you've been alerted. All in all, Miral is a good movie and surprisingly understated. But seriously, Hind is the most intriguingly complex character in the film--and her story seems so much bigger than the main narrative! KGHarris, 6/11.

Judge Daryl Loomis, DVD Verdict-- First and foremost, Miral is not propaganda, no matter what some reviews of the film would have you believe. I can show you propaganda, dark and evil material that is shockingly persuasive, but this is not that. Miral is more akin to Gillo Pontecorvo's incredible Battle of Algiers than it is to, say, any 1970s East German animation one might come across. Ultimately, I understand a pro-Palestinian film made by a Jewish director from an autobiographical book by Rula Jebreal, his Palestinian partner, is bound to drive opinions to already-established hard and fast views on the situation. If viewers can set those politics aside, however, they will be rewarded a gorgeous film of outward emotion and humanity, one that should be regarded as equal or greater to the rest of the catalog of director Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), one that people owe themselves to watch.

Miral receives a lovely Blu-ray package from Anchor Bay. The 2.35:1 1080p image is impeccable, featuring perfect color balance and detail. The cinematography by Eric Gaultier (Into the Wild) is impeccable, and some shots are downright chill-inducing; the disc is a fantastic showcase for his talent. The landscapes and the interiors are brilliant in their clarity, detail, and color balance; this is a reference-quality image. The 5.1 DTS-HD audio isn't quite as strong, but it's well balanced and robust. Miral is presented in English, with the occasional snippets of Arabic and Hebrew, and all of it is nice and clear. Schnabel uses a heavy amount of popular music for the score, including two Tom Waits songs as end credit music; all of it very effective.

We also get a good slate of extras. Schnabel conducts an excellent audio commentary with producer Jon Kilik, filled with production information, background, and a few heartbreaking stories of people who appeared in the film. For example, one of his Palestinian actors, a theater owner in Gaza, was assassinated by a religious extremist for what he considered a too liberal production of Cinderella. That it occurred literally two weeks before Schnabel recorded the commentary makes the emotional nature of the story even more powerful. A slate of deleted scenes are all very good, most of which could have been included in the final cut. A short making-of featurette gives us time with Rula Jebreal, who explains some of the differences between the book and the movie, including scenes she deemed too painful to write, but Schnabel demanded be used in the film. A filmmaker question-and-answer session gives us more of the same, and a featurette called "Julian Schnabel Studio Tour" is unnecessary. All in all, an outstanding release for an outstanding film.
-Full review at dvdverdict.com

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