Protocols of Zion

A one-man crusade against ignorance, intolerance, and hatred, Marc Levin aims to expose the anti-Semitic lie perpetuated for 100 years by the controversial forgery published as The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Levin's documentary opens with the controversial question popularized by anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists ("Did you know that no Jews were killed in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, because Jews were warned not to go to work that day?"), before proceeding to examine how this loathsome sentiment traces its origins to a century-old book proven to be a fake in 1921, yet still embraced by zealots who proclaim its veracity. New York-based filmmaker Levin (best known for his 1998 poetry-in-prison drama Slam) first heard this lie from an Egyptian taxi driver, and here he travels America from coast to coast to explore the whole Zionist phenomenon, bemusedly seeking feedback from high-profile Jews in Hollywood (Norman Lear recommends him to Rob Reiner, and vice versa). But Levin finds more truth in historical documents and on the streets of America, where Arab Americans, neo-Nazi skinheads, Christian evangelicals, and other interviewees are eager to express their hodgepodge of conflicting Jewish conspiracy theories. The only civilized response to all of this is—essentially—anguished despair, but Levin's film enlightens as much as it enrages: whether he's "outing" auto pioneer and noted anti-Semite Henry Ford as a Protocols publisher or showing clips of inflammatory Egyptian and Hezbollah TV movies based on the discredited tome, it's clear that Levin's revelation of the truth is more urgently needed than ever. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a 15-minute discussion with director Marc Levin, a six-minute segment on the plot, a five-minute featurette on the story of the Passion, a timeline, director's notes in the accompanying booklet, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a good documentary.] (J. Shannon)