The immigrant experience has been the subject of various films and novels. One shining example of this experience is 1975’s Hester Street. Carol Kane and Steven Yeats are both at the top of their game here.
Kane and Yeats play Gitl and Yankel (he later renames himself Jake as he assimilates), a Jewish couple that settle in New York in the late nineteenth century with their son Yossele. Jake is abusive towards his wife, and to compound matters, begins an affair with a dancer Mamie (Dorrie Kavanaugh). Most of the film is a study of how quickly Jake adapts to American culture, while his wife and child struggle. Jake eventually divorces Gitl and marries Mamie.
The film’s authenticity helps it shine. Most of the dialogue is in Yiddish with American subtitles. The film, based on the 1896 novella Yekl: A Tale of the New York Ghetto by Abraham Cahan, went to extreme lengths for an accurate portrayal of both Jewish lives during that time as well as the immigrant experience. Hester Street is a fascinating film dealing with issues like identity, infidelity, and isolation. Kane was nominated for an Academy Award. Hester Street was added to the National Film Registry in 2011.
What academic library shelves would this title be on?
The film would serve well in academic libraries for students studying late nineteenth and early twentieth-century America and Judaism.
What kind of film series would this classic film fit in?
If you are developing a unique library program around book-to-film adaptations, you should also consider Hester Street.
What are some examples of ways this classic film can be used in a Public Performance setting?
A public screening would work well for this film, particularly during Jewish holidays like Passover and Yom Kippur—especially in venues such as a synagogue or Jewish Community Center.
Discover more titles with our list of drama movies.