Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem

Composite Score: 85.67

Starring: Ronit Elkabetz, Simon Abkarian, Gabi Amrani, Dalia Beger, Shmil Ben Ari, Abraham Celektar, Rami Danon, Sasson Gabay, Eli Gorenstein, and Menashe Noy

Directors: Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz

Writers: Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz

Genres: Drama, Courtroom, Legal

MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Box Office: $1.26 million worldwide

Why should you Watch This Film?

                Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem is the third film in Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz’s film trilogy about the unhappy marriage of the titular Viviane Amsalem, a hairdresser who has moved from Morocco to Israel with her family and now seeks a divorce from her seemingly unfeeling husband. The film stars Ronit Elkabetz in the titular role, joined by Simon Abkarian as her husband Elisha, Sasson Gabay as his brother and advocate Rabbi Shimon, Menashe Noy as her advocate Carmel Ben Tovin, and Eli Gorenstein as the judge presiding over their case – Head Rabbi Salmion. The film takes place almost entirely in the room where the divorce proceedings are held over the course of five years, focusing on the unequal rights of men and women and the stigma of divorce in Israeli society while also looking deeper into the psyche of misogyny from a societal to an individual level. It was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and was selected by Israel as their submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Oscars.

Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?

                While the film makes these profound statements about cultural norms surrounding women in Israel and (more broadly) the modern Middle East, it can be frustrating to watch everything that unfolds on the screen and know that no actual change has come in that system. If anything, Israeli culture as a whole has become more conservative since the release of Gett and not less. (I also realize that divorce law in Israel is much lower down on our concern list for that area right now, but it’s what I can talk about in association with this film, so…) I think that the Elkabetz siblings have done a phenomenal job here of indicting the traditional system through moving performances, intense courtroom exchanges, and emotionally engaging characters, but I just get this sense that most mainline Israeli citizens these days would just label the film as “woke” and move on. It’s not that it’s a bad film or not individually impactful – I just question whether it can actually incite any major change when the call is coming from inside the house.

So wait, why should you Watch This Film?

                Ronit Elkabetz carries this film (aided also by her cowriter/co-director brother Shlomi) in all its aspects, but most prominently in her leading performance. It’s an intentionally understated performance for most of the film, as Viviane is hindered from speaking by the rules of the traditional court where her divorce trial is playing out. Even in her silence, though, her presence is felt, speaking through her lawyer with looks and whispers, communicating constantly with every other character in the room with glances and gestures. It’s a dominating performance that becomes even more engrossing when she gets the opportunity to speak for herself, giving voice to the desperation that has only been implied for so many scenes, across years of time within the film’s story. It’s a part that is written to be impactful and to incite a response from the audience, and it works to perfection. She stands as this icon of feminist beliefs against the fundamentalism of the court that holds her on trial and the controlling pacifism of her husband, inspiring others to do the same.

                Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem is carried by its lead actress/co-director/cowriter in the titular role, leaving a mark on international and feminist cinema that has to hold a place among the Greatest Films of All Time. The most frustrating part of watching this film lies in knowing that, ten years later, conditions are still the same, if not worse, in this place, and that there still remains so much to do to champion the film’s cause. You can currently stream this movie via Amazon Prime Video if you’d like to check it out in the coming days.