YOUTH
Israel, 2013, 107 minutes, Colour.
Eitan Cunio, David Cunio.
Directed by Tom Shoval.
Youth seems a rather generic title for this film, although it does focus on two young men, one at school, the other doing military service, their family life, the financial difficulties of their father, and their concocting a plan to abduct a girl and demand a ransom from her parents.
The two young men, played by lookalike Brothers, have a motive but are rather callow and even brutal in their treatment of the girl they abduct, imprisoning her in darkness, blindfold with a gag, rather late in their bringing water and food to her.
The plan is interrupted by their mother gathering the family together and having a family meal.
Ultimately, the plan is futile because the girl’s family observe the Sabbath and does not answer the phone to the young men’s ransom calls and when she gives them her credit card, it is a youth card with a very limited amount of money allowed to be taken out.
A glimpse of two young men, well bonded together, with a plan that fails.
1. An Israeli film, a film about crime, social issues?
2. The city, the streets, homes, ordinary people, affluent classes – and the hideaway for the abducted victim? The musical score?
3. The title, very general, as applied to the brothers?
4. The introduction to the brothers, Shauli following the girl, at length, his plan, photograph, sending it? His brother from the military, the bond between the two brothers, the resemblances? At home, the family, going out with their grandfather and his friend to the cinema?
5. The similarity of characters, hatching of the plan, the lack of moral perspective, wanting the cash, abducting the girl, the brutal treatment of her, testing the eye patches, tying her up? The mattress, blindfold, the gag?
6. The girl, her age, family background, friends, the voicemail on her phone and the parents not answering?
7. The boys’ mother, home, the surprise meal, the shopping, the gathering? The little girl with the phone, getting it back from her?
8. The brothers returning, the girl’s resistance, securing her more severely?
9. The brothers having to go back and forth, the interruptions, the family not responding to the phone calls, their encounter with their father, his financial problems?
10 The treatment of the girl, the water, her weak state, her explanation that her parents kept the Sabbath and did not answer the phone, the fact that she was always missing on the Sabbath because she did not believe in it?
11. Going to the ATM, the limit on the card, a youth card?
12. The decision to let her go, the threat with the gun, her paces, not looking back – but her looking back?
13. The failure of the plan, the brother going back to the Army, the phone call, the information about his father and death?
