| From | Message |
sonny
7/23/2002
20:46:07
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 Subject: Fao Henry Bean
IP: Logged
Message:
Dear Mr Bean,
I just like to say what a thought
provoking,powerful and visceral piece of film
making 'The Believer' was. Indeed I was
pleasantly suprised that anybody was willing
to put up the money to make it. I say that
because even though I feel that anybody can
view this film and have a reaction to it, surely
this film will reverberate most with a secular
jewish audience and more to the point, with
jews who feel a connection to the essence of
a jewish ethos but who feel can commit to a
life of piety.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is that whilst
I'm fascinated and interested in Yiddishkeit,I
have'nt got willpower or guts to go through
with becoming frum. This for me is what the
main thrust of the film was about. The self
persecution of somebody who tries to
reconsile the fact of being a good rightuous
jew with the fact that he has self doubts and
questions that don't have a place amongst a
religious agenda.When he realizes this, his
insecurities curdle into to self hatred.
What for me was most unsettling about the
film was the fact that I saw a great deal of
myself in the character.You'll be glad to hear
that although I dont intend becoming a neo
nazi , I do find myself critisising and generally
mocking frumkeit,which perhaps is the surest
way of saying that I secretly harbour a secret
desire to become frummer than G-d except for
one small detail,I'm not sure I believe in him
or her.
Having said all this,I comfort myself with the
fact that frum jews are as fucked up as the
rest of us(in most instances more so).I say
this as somebody who works for an ultra
orthadox company and has to deal with them
on a day to day basis.They are prey to the
same corruptions and mistakes as the rest of
us and the motto that just because you pray 3
times a day does'nt make you a good jew
certainly rings true for me.And yet I get sick
with jealousy knowing that I will never be
accepted as one of them unless I do some
serious Teshuvah.
Anyway I was so happy to see a website for
this film please forgive me as I just started
riffing and probably sound an absolute
meshuganah.
p.s I'm a huge fan of "Deep Cover"(my friends
and I can't help quoting lines from it-the sIaps
scene with felix barbosa is a classic and
sydney lassick's face is priceless)I always
thought it was deeply underrated film(in
England at least) and after seeing "The
Believer" feel it deals with a lot of the same
issues(duality of character,the desire for
redemption etc),even the David Jason
character( and I have some sympathy for him)
could have been a prototype for the Danny
Balint character.
I don't know if you read this page but if you do I
wonder if you could e-mail me a resume of
your work.If I'm not mistaken I remember you
directing a film called "The Rapture" but any
other info would be great.(I have the book on
"The Believer"-very enlightening)
p.p.s I wonder if you are fan of the work of
Phillip Roth and Micheal Houllenbecq (two
writers I really enjoying reading) and if there
are any books or films that have inspired you.(I
thought Darren Aronovsky's Requiem for a
dream was excellent).
Sorry if I sound a bit obsessive but I'm a great
fan of your work and the internet just just
seems to have that effect when you write
anything
Thanks Lee
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