A poignant documentary about gay and lesbian Jewish faithful alienated from their ultra-orthodox Jewish families and communities, Sandi Simcha Dubowski's Trembling Before G-d is technically quite conventional and spare (apart from the necessity of photographing some persons in shadow or silhouette, sometimes a bit too artfully, to preserve their anonymity). Essentially comprised of interviews (conducted in different locales), the real power of the film comes from the subjects themselves: a young British man, now HIV-positive, whose parents sent him to Israel in the mistaken belief there were no homosexuals there; a lesbian couple cut off from their families; a young man who underwent therapy for two decades before accepting his orientation; a Brooklyn divorcée who still keeps the truth from most of her relatives; a middle-aged New Yorker long estranged from his father and obviously torn not only by the separation, but also by his abandonment of orthodox practice; and an openly gay rabbi. But Dubowski also includes observations from spokespersons for the orthodox tradition--religious leaders and psychologists, as well as Hasidic protestors--who strictly adhere to the sanctions against homosexuals. The cumulative effect of the testimony is profoundly sad, especially since it suggests that there are no simple paths to reconciliation on the horizon. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include the 37-minute “Trembling on the Road: A Look at the Life-Changing Movement of the Film Around the World,” director Sandi Simcha DuBowski's 15-minute short film “Tomboychik,” a 20-minute interview with DuBowski, the four-minute featurette “Behind the Silhouettes” on the film's use of narrative-linking silhouettes, a 23-minute featurette “More with Rabbi Steve Greenberg” featuring the first openly gay orthodox rabbi, “More with the Rabbis” segments for five rabbis, the four-minute music montage “Mark: The Musical,” an eight-minute “conversation” with editor Susan Korda and DuBowski, a two-minute deleted scene, a 14-minute “Petach Lev: The Trembling Before G-d Israeli Education Project” discussion with facilitators as led by Tanya Zion, the two-minute segment “Shlomo on Donahue” with gay psychotherapist Shlomo Ashkinazy, the two-minute segment “What is the Atonement Ceremony for Sexual Sins?,” international resources, links and glossary, and a trailer. Bottom line: an excellent extras package for a compelling documentary.] (F. Swietek)
Trembling Before G-d
New Yorker, 84 min., not rated, VHS: $49.95, DVD: $39.95 (2 discs), Oct. 21 Volume 18, Issue 6
Trembling Before G-d
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