Bethlehem ***½ (NR) As character-driven political thrillers go, this subtitled Israeli production is a fine one. The plot is complex, with nuanced characters depicting multiple facets of the long-standing conflicts between Israelis, Palestinians and other parties of interest and influence. Screenplay credits are shared between Israeli writer/director Yuval Adler and Palestinian journalist Ali Wakad giving perspectives from both sides of those borders.
An Israeli agent who’s been trying to catch a bomber who killed 30 civilians for over a year has cultivated the target’s kid brother as a source. The young man is conflicted on many emotional, cultural and familial levels. He resents living in his brother’s glorious shadow. He feels pressured to prove his toughness to neighborhood militants, while secretly maintaining ties with the more radical Hamas group that is maneuvering for a greater foothold in his home town of Bethlehem.
The intrigue is riveting, enhanced not only by the locations, but the pace. The downside is the film’s inevitable takeaway - what this intimate view of the situation indicates about the odds for ever achieving a sustainable peace in that ravaged region? The Palestinian side, where most of the action occurs, is shown to have many clashes of personal and ideological goals within its ranks. Among the handful of Israeli operatives we see, there are comparable rifts over priorities and methods. What’s clear is that violence begets violence. Those who kill are seen as heroes by some and criminals by others. The elimination of one perpetrator creates a ripple effect, spurring others to avenge their losses. On the other side, each new act calls for more punishment. The supply of victims and justifications for the next round of reprisal seems infinite. Bethlehem is solid as a movie, but disheartening as a glimpse into that reality. (3/14/14)