IL GRIDO DELLA TERRA (THE CRY OF THE EARTH)

Italy, 1949, 90 minutes, Black and white.
Marina Berti, Andrea Cecchi.
Directed by Duillio Coletti.

Il Grido Della Terra is a surprising film in retrospect for 1949. It must be one of the first of the films made about the displaced people and the concentration camps and the plight of the dispersed Jews in Europe after World War Two. It also focuses on the attempts of Jews to get from Europe to Palestine, the blockade by the British, the British protectorate as well as indicating the resistance from Jews against the British, the terrorist attacks as well as the Jews who wanted more peaceful discussions and negotiation. The film, in fact, does not refer to the actual founding of the state of Israel in 1948. The film stays within its 1947 settings and its uncertainties.

It is interesting that Il Grido Della Terra anticipates Exodus by eleven years. The first half of the film is a focus on the camp for the displaced in southern Italy, life within the camp, the plan of some Jews from Palestine to help in the illegal smuggling of four hundred and fifteen migrants. The film shows the rowing boats, going out to the ship and the help of the captain. British planes fly overhead, British destroyers follow the ship – and the captain decides that they should run aground so that the refugees could land. They celebrate with him.

The second part of the film concerns the difficulties in Palestine itself. It shows the British and their searches of the kibbutzes to find illegal migrants. It also focuses on a young man (who served in the liberation army with a British friend, George, and a Jewish Palestinian, Arie). David goes the way of terrorists, in British uniform but planting a bomb to cause maximum destruction. He is caught, tried, says that the court has no legality because the Jews are at war with the British and he is hanged. The terrorists abduct George and hang him in reprisal.

Arie is a natural leader, helps a young woman, Dina (Marina Berti), who has been in the concentration camps and sexually abused there, to go to Palestine. She had been David’s girlfriend but, as the years have gone on, he has a new girlfriend, Judith, who helps him and even gives her life in a suicide attempt for his release. Dina and Arie face a new future. A supporting character is David’s father who is on the side of right and not terrorism.

It is interesting in the retrospect of the 21st century that the dialogue used about Jewish terrorists working against the British could be substituted without much change for Palestinians and the Israeli government and army of later decades.

1.The film in its time, now? Jews and the experience of World War Two, the Holocaust, the dispersing of the Jews? Palestine, the state of Israel?

2.The neo-realism of the film’s style black and white photography, the details of the camp, the boat, below and on deck, the sea, the landing, the kibbutzes, Accra, the terrorist attack, the courts?

3.The musical score – with the touch of the biblical, the range of instruments for moods?

4.The title, the claims of the land, people belonging to the land, crying to God for help? The quotation from the Psalms?

5.1949, the perspective of the Italian cinema, its retrospective on the war, Italy’s role, the camps for the displaced, families, their losses? The war and the liberation of Rome? Palestine and the British? The Resistance, terrorists, reprisals? Peaceful settlement?

6.The 21st century and the dialogue of the film – and its relevance to the Israel-Palestinian? clashes of later decades?

7.The camp, Arie and his place in the war, David and George? The photo? The pathos of seeing the photo at the end with David and George both dead? Arie and his saving Dina, his love for her, David’s father, reading the letters? From Palestine, a leader in the organisation? Returning with the migrants, the landing, saving Dina, putting her in his room, George allowing it? Discussions with David, the differences in ideology? His not being in favour of terrorism? The future of Israel?

8.Dina, in the concentration camps, sexual abuse, shame, with David’s father, with Arie, noting that David never mentioned her in the letters? Her going on the ship, hiding in Arie’s room? Meeting David and his rejection? Her love for Arie and a future?

9.The doctor, his love for his son, the loss of his family, the experience of the war, peace, in the camp, the letters – and David not receiving any of his father’s letters? Their meeting, his dismay at David’s involvement? His plea to the British for his son’s life?

10.David and Judith, the return to Palestine, the British army, David and his place, his disguise, seeing himself at war, the professor and the children with the play about Esther and the King? The symbol of Jewish identity? Orders, the bombing, the damage and the bomb in the toilet, David escaping, his being arrested? The trial, the advocates and their arguments, David and the legality of the court? The sentence? His being in prison, the visit of the rabbi, the counting the steps to the scaffold, the blindfold, his being hanged?

11.Judith, her love for David, finding out the truth, seeing him with the sabotage of the tanks on the road? Her trying to save David, the death wish and her death?

12.Britain, the war, the supervision of Israel, the blockades, sending the Exodus back? The abduction of George, George and his treatment of Arie? The trial, the arguments for George, his accepting that he would be executed, his being hanged? The curfew indicating that David had been hanged?

13.The background to the building up of the state of Israel?

14.The issues of terrorism, the Jewish Resistance – but its being called terrorism in the film? Jewish authority and reprisals later for Palestinian terrorist activity?