FILM REVIEW: EYES WIDE OPEN
REVIEWED BY CHANTAL ABITBOL

NO doubt some will find elements of Haim Tabakman’s debut feature film Eyes Wide Open confronting.

But the controversial film about homosexual forbidden love in Jerusalem’s insular ultra-Orthodox community is a charged and well-executed drama. Backed by strong performances and a nuanced script, the film successfully breaks down taboos, while delicately exploring the clash between desire and belief.

The film, which was recently screened as part of the 2009 Festival of Jewish Cinema, charts the path of the happily married kosher butcher Aaron (Zohar Strauss) who falls in love with the young religious outcast Ezri (Ran Danker) when he turns up at Aaron’s shop one rainy day with nowhere to go.

Aaron quickly offers Ezri refuge, giving him a job and a place to stay above his shop until Ezri finds his feet.

Up until then, Aaron had lived a life of religious observance with his wife, Rivka (Tinkerbell), and their four children. But his world takes a shocking turn when Ezri’s presence ignites repressed feelings that he can no longer control.

Behind closed doors, the pair surrenders to their urges. The scenes are as passionate as they are confronting. But as the title suggests, in the tight-knit religious world, the eyes of the community are wide open to the affair, and the pair is quickly targeted.

At first, the local yeshivah’s head rabbi appeals to Aaron to get rid of Ezri. When that doesn’t work, Aaron’s shop is stoned and he is visited by the Decency Police, a real-life squad of enforcers that take it upon themselves to clamp down on those who transgress purity laws, often through violence. All the while, Aaron’s wife stands by her husband, suffering in silence.

Tabakman skilfully negotiates the conflict between the pair’s affair and the social norms of the religious community. The tight framing and constant background music also reinforce the trapped world of the doomed lovers.

Meanwhile, Strauss’ deft performance brings compassion and a sense of humanity to the character. Danker, dubbed Israel’s new heart-throb, also stands out, matching Strauss with a strong and provocative portrayal of a young man tossed out of the only community he has ever known.

It’s a sad and searing journey that ultimately comes to an uneasy resolution. But it is a story that will no doubt provoke thought and welcomed discussion.

The Festival of Jewish Cinema is being staged in Melbourne until November 29 and in Sydney until November 30.

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