The Jew

A dark drama about a dark period in history, this is a portrait of Antonio da Silva (brilliantly played by Felipe Pinheiro), the talented well-known Jewish playwright and puppeteer who lived in Portugal during the Inquisition. Unfortunately, da Silva's artistic skills are not the focus of the film, rather, viewers are immersed in the perverse world of the 18th century Catholic church's violent condemnation of Jews--several disturbing scenes involve the interrogation and slow torture of suspected heretics, Antonio da Silva among them. The majority of this shadowy film takes place in prison cells and tribunals, and while the story, in theory, allows for limitless emotion and drama, the plot drags. In fact, some scenes are so theosophy-heavy and interminable that the viewer is likely to either scream from frustration or fall asleep. From a strictly historical perspective, The Jew has something to offer, but it fails to deliver much in the way of enjoyable entertainment. Optional. (A. Glover)