THE TIGER WITHIN

US, 2020, 98 minutes, Colour.

Ed Asner, Margot Josefsohn, Diego Josef.

Directed by Rafael Zielinski.

From the outset, we know where this story is going. That is not the important thing – it is how the story gets there.

First, we are introduced to Casey, in her mid teens, touches of punk and Goth in her clothes and piercings, going to school, instantly taunted and her firing back, expelled. The seventh school she has been to. She is already angry and bitter. Angry with her rather slatternly mother, the current man who is living in the house, abusive and violent. She decides to leave home, to find the father who had abandoned her who has remarried and has three daughters.

Next, we are in Los Angeles, at the Jewish cemetery. Samuel is an elderly widower, originally from Germany, memories of the Holocaust. He lives a very simple life in his rented apartment.

When Casey overhears her father’s family comments, she hides, wonders, her bag snatched in the street, sleeping in the cemetery, Samuel visiting his wife’s grave, then having second thoughts and returning to watch Casey till she wakes, inviting her for a meal. A strange odd couple.

Samuel is a character all that we might have expected him to be, a dignified old gentleman, devoutly visiting temple, sad memories of his dead wife and twin children, putting up with Casey’s abrasiveness, language, but what touches him most is her ignorance. To that extent, the screenplay is directed towards an American audience which is ignorant of the Holocaust or is in denial (as has been Casey’s mother who told her that the Holocaust was a lie and that all Jews are liars).

While there is a lot of sentiment in this film, it continually has a hard, very hard, edge in Casey’s immature, unformed, angry personality. While Casey is appreciative of Samuel’s kindness, she is innately suspicious of anybody doing anything good for another. And she goes off to work in a massage parlour – and, fortunately for Samuel, Casey and us, she witnesses some boys robbing Samuel and gives chase. They renew their friendship.

In the final credits there is a tribute to a great range of religious leaders of Los Angeles who have supplied wise sayings, aphorisms, words of advice that are incorporated into the screenplay. Samuel offers Casey the image of the Tiger, her inner Tiger as the title suggests, and her need to overcome her fears of her inner Tiger. She follows his advice, seeks out her family, once again overhears critical comment and angrily leaves.

We know there is going to be greater bonding but the screenplay keeps us waiting, anticipating but uncertain, listening again to Casey’s hesitations and outbursts. And Samuel is patient. Eventually they do make a deal and Casey goes to school (angry at admissions requirements but Samuel, ever-patient, travelling with her to get her mother’s permission). And it proves that Casey is intelligent, can be thoughtful, has an artistic temperament – and attracts one of the students at school.

This reveals her vulnerability, never having been on a date, never having been kissed, thinking she was ugly, not only in appearance but her inner ugliness, hesitations to open up – but Samuel going to buy her a dress for her first date with Tony.

And we guess that there will be sadness in the ending, but images of Casey going to the zoo, close-ups of tigers, and her making some kind of effort to control her Tiger within. And, so, an ending not without hope.

Admiration for Ed Asner in his late 80s for embodying Samuel so believably. And interest in the further career of Margot Josefsohn who really gets into the skin and soul of Casey.

1. The title? The image of the Tiger, the interior Tiger, energy and initiative, needing to be controlled and channelled? The final images of the actual Tiger at the zoo?
2. The Ohio settings, homes, school, ordinary? Yet the difficult home and Casey moving to Los Angeles? The Los Angeles settings, the apartment and corridors, the cemetery, the massage parlour and interiors, the diners, the streets, school? The musical score?
3. Introduction to Casey, age, sullen, piercings and rings, new school, her being taunted, reaction, principal, expelled, the seventh school? At home, resentment of her mother’s boyfriends, her absent father and his never visiting, the violence of the boyfriend, talking with her mother, her mother siding with the boyfriend? Decision to leave, her mother’s support?
4. Travel to Los Angeles, waiting for her father, the family arriving, her hiding, overhearing their comments on her? Going off on her own, sleeping rough, sketching and the robbery of her bag, sleeping in the cemetery?
5. Introduction to Samuel, age, German, migrant, memories of World War II, Jewish? Widower, the death of his children? Visiting his wife’s grave, the rituals with stones? Seeing Casey sleeping, going back, their encounter, his giving her a meal?
6. Casey, abrasive, suspicious, the influence of her upbringing? Resentments? Not believing anybody could like her? Thinking she was ugly, exterior and interior? Her ignorance, Jews, denying the Holocaust, the influence her mother? Samuel’s firm talking with her?
7. His taking her home, washing, meal, talk? Her leaving?
8. Casey and her age, at the massage parlour, her clothes, conversation, the men, massage, sexual? Money? Seeing Samuel in the street, seeing him robbed, the pursuit of the children in recovering his wallet? Talking again, the meal?
9. Casey and her staying with Samuel, the conversations, his opening up about his life, his severe hatreds from his past? But encountering her ignorance, helping her? The deal, that she go to school, surly with the authorities, travelling to her mother to get her permission, the violent boyfriend and his aggression, Casey blunt with her mother?
10. Samuel and controlling the Tiger within, urging her to go to visit her family, Christmas Eve, tentative, her father and his reaction, his wife and her negative comment, the children, Casey overhearing the discussion, leaving? The bitterness? Back to the massage parlour?
11. Going to school, the class, the discussion about photography, her thoughtfulness? Tony and his interest, attraction, meeting with her, her self-deprecation, not believing in herself? Their company, his inviting her out? Samuel and the buying of the dress? The date, enjoying it, never having been kissed, awkwardness?
12. Samuel, going to the synagogue, the neo-Nazis and bashing him? In hospital? Casey, upset, the visit to the hospital?
13. Samuel dying, his influence on Casey and her life? Her going to Samuel’s wife’s grave? Seeing her celebrate her birthday with her father and his family, bonding with Tony – her future and Samuel being her saviour?