EXODUS

US, 1960, 205 minutes, Colour,
Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, Sal Mineo, Lee J. Cobb, Ralph Richardson, Peter Lawford, John Derek, David Opatashu.
Directed by Otto Preminger,

Exodus is a huge blockbuster which succeeds in holding the interest and communicating a worthwhile pro-Jewish message. The film is based on Leon Uris' best-seller.

The first part concerns the return of Jews by ship from Cyprus. The second half takes place in Palestine. The two halves do not cohere so well and the ending is open-ended. Since 1948, Israel has frequently been at the focus of world attention, and, since 1960 when the film was made, even more dramatic and soul-searching events have happened there. Exodus can help audiences in a popular way to respond to some of the complexities.

The stars give standard performances. Otto Preminger has never been known as a small-scale director. Other films directed by him include Porgy and Bess, The Cardinal, In Harm's Way, Hurry Sundown and, in recent years, Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon and Such Good Friends

1. What were the overtones of the title? Are comparisons between the Biblical event and the events of 1946-8 valid? Why?

2. Did the film established its personalities as real characters or were they types to illustrate an ideology or a point of view?

3. Did the film communicate its message through characters and incidents or did it explicitly preach its message? Was the message communicated convincingly?

4. Did it matter that the film took such a definitely pro-Jewish stance? Was the film fair in its assessments? Did it give a clear view of Jewish traditions, the history of the world's attitudes, the treatment of the Jews especially daring the War, Stars of David etc., camps, the fact of Jews being the same kind of human beings as others?

5. Did General Sutherland cope with the Cyprus situation well?

6. Was the hunger-strike an effective way of demonstrating? How did the film present this? What could the British do?

7. What were the British views on the Palestine situation and Jewish claims - as by General Sutherland, his anti-Semitic aide (with his gibes about the General), by London?

8. What was the function of Kitty Fremont in the film? How much was she supposed to represent the views of the audience - detached, not involved, but humane, with a disinterested point of view that could be changed? Were her greater involvement and changes of view convincing - General Sutherland's intervention, the hunger strike and the ship, her love for Karen (was this too sentimental?)?

9. What kind of man was Ari? Was his background explained well enough? Was he too heroic a figure?

10. What was the role of the obvious figure of the enthusiast who has been ill-used and who lives only for revenge?

11. Once the ship left Cyprus, how did the mood of the film change? Once the film was set in Palestine, did it change?

12. What picture of Israel and of Jerusalem did the film give - Haifa, the plots, the secret groups, explosions in Jerusalem, the uncertainty?

13. Were the Kibbutz sequences different? How was the history of the Kibbutz and life on the Kibbutz presented? What future would Israel have from the Kibbutz people?

14. How were the Palestinian Arabs presented? Fairly? What rights did they have in the land?

15. How ruthless were the secret groups with their plots, bombings, killings? Did the film sympathise with these people?

16. What was Ari's father's attitude towards his militant brother?

17. Did Kitty find fulfilment in Palestine - at the Kibbutz, in staying with Karen, in growing in love with Ari?

18. Did the film build to a convincing climax? What was the function of the gaol-break, the UN vote?

19. What impact did the Israeli's fighting the Arabs and the deaths of the Palestinian Arabs and their leader make? Why?

20. What was the effect of Karen's death and burial?

21. What future did the film leave Israel with? Was it one of hope or not?

22. Comment an the use of the now well-known musical themes throughout the film.