Alicia I love this movie so much

Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

l_rawjalaurence Set in Bethlehem during the current Arab-Israeli conflict, Yuval Adler's film (cowritten with Ali Wakad) concentrates on the life of seventeen-year-old Sanfur (Shadi Mar'i) an Israeli Arab trying to survive in the midst of almost impossible conflict. Cultivated at an early age by Israeli Secret Service officer Razi (Tsahi Halevi) to be a spy for the Israeli cause, he reports on the activities of the Palestine Liberation Front and Hamas. At the same time he fulfills the same role for the PLF, led by thuggish man Badawi (Hitham Omari) who has known Sanfur since childhood. Sanfur twists and turns, telling the stories that both Razi and Badawi want to hear until the complications of his life become too difficult to manage, with tragic consequences.BETHLEHEM looks at the ways in which Sanfur's life is dependent on family values as he is morally obliged to avenge the death of his older brother İbrahim (Tarik Kopty), while at the same time trying to conceal his association with Razi from his father Nasser (George Iskandar). Familial traditions are so strong that the younger siblings have little or no power of self-determination. Hence we feel for Sanfur as his face becomes more and more contorted with pain as he tries to maintain an urbane façade while fulfilling impossible tasks.As far as the civil war is concerned, the film suggests that involvement is very much a badge of male power. By carrying guns and patrolling the streets in search of enemies, the young man (Palestinian and Israeli alike) feel that they are somehow committed to a cause, giving them the excuse to indulge in pointless violence. Sanfur becomes embroiled in that culture, even though he is manifestly unsuited for the task.Set in a series of dingy rooms and dark passages in a ruined city, the film creates an underworld in which concepts of "good" and "evil," or "right" and "wrong," simply do not exist. No one, it seems, can grow up unaffected (or should it be corrupted) by the civil war, which seems never-ending, despite continued calls for a ceasefire.

pc95 (spoilers)"Bethlehem" directed by Yuval Adler, is a decent suspense drama set in Israel along very similar lines to it's sister movie entitled "Omar". Here there is an overarching plot that is not as well focused as "Omar". Suffice to say about 2/3 of the way through the movie the filmmakers decide to can the initial drive of the movie and go along a different line with secondary characters. This doesn't hold as much dramatic weight. By the end we know what's going to happen and there is little if no tension. Still the movie has a good first 2/3 setup until the main character's brother is killed in fighting is fairly captivating. The editing and camera work is not the best nor is the accompanying soundtrack showing the budget constraints. 6/10

Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) Today I would like to review "Bethlehem", the big winner recently at the Israeli Film Prize and thus not surprisingly Israel's submission the the foreign film category at the 2014 Academy Awards. The movie is Yuval Adler's first feature film and can very basically be summarized as a story of trust and betrayal and a teenager who is clearly overwhelmed by the complicated situation he's in. Basically the film teaches us that there's obviously no black and white and every situation of it displays a whole new shade of gray.One thing I was not too fond of was the inclusion of the terrorist leader. It did not add particularly much depth to the story but made me think it was mostly included for depicting violence and making the film more controversial this way. The actor was decent though (I'm not sure if he was great , but he managed to come across pretty scary) and kinda saved it. The stair running scene is certainly one you will not forget that quickly. The ending of the movie is truly violent and I remember very well how one audience member in my showing left the theater complaining loudly about it. Very tense.The boy's character could probably be summarized the easiest by referencing a quote he made which pretty much said that nowhere is really his haven that he would have needed so much with his brother gone and one side just sends him to the other and he is basically nothing but a pawn in this complicated game between Israelis and Palestineans. However, I have to say the fraternal love did not particularly touch me and offered room for improvement. What I found more interesting was the complicated relationship between the Mossad agent and the boy. The agent seemed to have quite a Captain Ahab parallel with the boy's brother and still he managed to make sure that his informant was not near when they caught his Moby Dick in order to protect him.One thing that confused me a bit was how quickly the agent recovered after his severe injury and was right back in action. Also, I felt the relationship between the agent and his girlfriend was displayed a bit random. It was obviously a crucial aspect in the final scene, but they could have shed more light on it earlier on. All in all, it's a decent movie, but not really a must-see unless you're really interested in Gaza Strip related films.

classicalsteve The first scene involves some Palestinian boys engaged in an updated version of "chicken" in the desert outside of Jerusalem. Instead of some teenagers in the 1950's driving their cars off some embankment as in "Rebel without a Cause", these boys are using semi-automatic weapons and a rather worn "bullet-proof" vest. The main character of the film, Sanfur (played by Shadi Mar'i in completely convincing performance), is a Palestinian teenager who dons the vest and instructs his fellow peers to shoot him, if they have the guts. This is a game but a very brutal one. When some of the adults appear on the scene, the kids scatter. But I think the point is the adults are playing at the same brutal game, daring each other to fire at one another.The film involves three groups: two militia groups of Palestinians who are somewhat at odds with each other, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, and their common enemy, the Israels. Sanfur is literally caught between all three who seem to be playing a very deadly game of tug-of-war. His family is sympathetic to the Palestinian Authority but he socializes with people in Hamas, the more radical of the two. At the same time, Sanfur is good friends with Razi (Tsahi Halevi in an equally compelling performance), who is in reality an Israeli agent. His agency's duty is to infiltrate the Palestinian regions near Jerusalem and Bethlehem and root out members of the Palestinian militia groups. While Ravi appears to be Sanfur's friend at one level, the Israeli is using the boy to obtain information about Hamas.The conflict begins with a decision to hunt down and assassinate a Hamas leader name of Ibrahim, whom the Israelis have been chasing for a year but is also, unfortunately, Sanfur's brother. Sanfur finds himself caught between the radical Hamas leaders, his family which appear to be on the moderate side of the conflict, and Ravi the Israeli, who has become like a father-figure for the boy. Now the boy is torn between all these loyalties. The crucial moment of the film occurs when Sanfur forces Ravi to take a kind of test of friendship. Will he succeed or fail? Will the boy side with the Palestinian authority, Hamas or with the Israeli agent? An incredibly compelling film, but a very dark one about the current hostilities between Israelis and Palestinians. The acting is outstanding, and I have read that some of the actors had never performed in a film before. The viewer feels as if he or she is with these people, almost spying on their conversations and actions. There is never a dull moment, but this is not that kind of film where the good guys and the bad guys are neatly spelled out for us.