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Winslet, 'Waltz,' and how Hollywood likes its Jews
By Bradley Burston
Tags: Oscar, Kate Winslet 

Click here for more from Bradley Burston

Hollywood is about message. It is not, strictly speaking, about subtlety, nor idle fretting over obvious irony.

So when Israelis woke up before dawn on Monday to watch the 81st running of the Oscars, the message was clear enough. Hollywood knows exactly how it likes its Jews: Victims. Civilian victims. Targets of genocide. None of this Goliath stuff. None of these pre-emptive, disproportionate, morally amorphous behaviors.
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My wife, the child of Auschwitz survivors, saw it right off, even in the dark. Even before they announced the winner of the Best Actress award.

Against a well-deserved paean to eventual winner Kate Winslet, a giant screen showed hunted, gaunt, clearly doomed figures. "This is how Hollywood likes its Jews," my wife said. "Hunched over and dressed in rags."

Minutes before, as if to underscore the Hollywood principle that Jewish history ended in the Holocaust, and Israeli history ended with "Exodus," the Oscar ceremony enlisted Liam Neeson - star of the ultimate Hollywood version of the Good Christian-Bad Holocaust epic, Schindler's List - to deny the Oscar to a film showing Jews not as they may have been, but as they, in fact are.

The narrative of Israel has become increasingly uncomfortable for the limousine left of Hollywood. Not necessarily because of the specifics of occupation and overkill. No, there are wider problems with these Israelis. Their story arc doesn't work.

They are neither cutesy, comedic Yiddishers nor noble, chiseled, ascetically moral kibbutzniks. They bear as much resemblance to Zohan as Adam Sandler does to Tzipi Livni. Israelis are complicated, angry, unhappy, family-oriented, insular, often flawed human-beings.
Perhaps, in the Hollywood context, the problem with these Israelis, is that they are not identifiable as Jews at all.

Last year, "Beaufort," an exceptional Israeli film about IDF soldiers at war in Lebanon was one of the five nominees, but lost to the Austrian entry, in which a Jewish concentration camp prisoner forges currency for the Nazis.

This year, "Waltz with Bashir," an extraordinary, soul-shattering Israeli film about IDF soldiers at war in Lebanon, was one of the five nominees. Its only conmnection to the Holocaust, however, is an uncomfortably authentic one. As Neeson's announcement suggested, with his small but ringing note of incredulity, a nominee it will forever stay.

There were at least eight films classed as Holocaust-based, released in 2008. "Waltz with Bashir" was not one of them. But in dealing with searing honesty about war, memory, the violent death of innocents, as well as about the complex darkness at Israel's heart, it has fundamentally more to do with the Holocaust than any of the eight.

Ari Folman, the director of "Waltz with Bashir," is also the son of Holocaust survivors. The Holocaust informs the film in ways that Hollywood is literally incapable of imagining. Because this is the real thing.

"Waltz with Bashir" was not made for Hollywood, it was made for human beings. It was made for the people who went through the horror it shows, and who are still going through new horrors which feel exactly as unbearable.

The story of how Hollywood likes its Jews has been told before, of course, never more succinctly - or with a heavier cargo of irony - than when Kate Winslet played a satirized version of herself in a 2005 episode of the U.K. series "Extras."

Winslet, then winless in four trips to the Oscar nomination altar, explains to series star Ricky Gervais, why she's decided to act in a Holocaust film.

Gervais: You doing this, it's so commendable, using your profile to keep the message alive about the Holocaust.

Winslet: God, I'm not doing it for that. We definitely don't need another film about the Holocaust, do we? It's like, how many have there been? You know, we get it. It was grim. Move on.

I'm doing it because I noticed that if you do a film about the Holocaust, you're guaranteed an Oscar. I've been nominated four times. Never won. The whole world is going, 'Why hasn't Winslet won one?' ... That's why I'm doing it. Schindler's bloody List. The Pianist. Oscars coming outta their ass ...

Gervais: It's a good plan.

This year, despite general agreement that her performance as a 1950s-era Connecticut housewife in "Revolutionary Road" was far better than her role as a former SS guard in "The Reader," life imitated Gervais, and the Oscar was finally Winslet's.

Back in Israel, meanwhile, the debriefing of the Academy Awards had begun. On an early morning television news show, Meital Zvieli, the lead researcher for "Waltz with Bashir," said that despite their disappointment, the crew members watching in Israel felt that, in any case, "The film won." It had been seen by people who needed to see it, people who in many cases began to speak to their families about their own experiences only after having experienced the film.

That may be the only point that really matters.

In the end, the cultural distance from the Jews of Hollywood to the Jews of Israel may be impassible.

The oldest and most basic need of the Jews who invented the film industry, the compulsion to reinvent themselves, early on developed into the need to reinvent the Jewish people. There, after all these years, the industry remains.

Perhaps, after all these years, it's time for Hollywood, at long last, to take seriously and with intelligence another piece of Gervais' scripted advice.

Move on.

____________________


Previous blogs:

Sure the Israeli right won? Peace lost? Look closer
Will Livni, Netanyahu settle for rotation, sharing premiership?
Israel Election Guide: Can Netanyahu be stopped? Can Lieberman?
'Waltz with Bashir,' Gaza, and the post-moral world
The Gaza War as reality television
Mr. Obama, grant Hamas the freedom to fail
In Gaza's shadow: Obama's inaugural message
Gaza War Diary IV - Can people die of ambivalence?
A Jew's prayer for the children of Gaza
Gaza War Diary III: If Mexico shelled Texas, like Hamas shells Israel
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Benedict's farewell
Pope voiced sorrow at 'extermination' of Jews in the Holocaust.
Hezbollah in charge?
Nasrallah: Hezbollah is capable of running Lebanon if it wins the election.
  1.   Hollywood echoes Israel policy. Waltz has a heart on for hollywo 13:17  |  Natallie Durson 23/02/09
  2.   Have you thought that just perhaps the film that won 13:25  |  L A 23/02/09
  3.   So what? 13:31  |  Rina 23/02/09
  4.   is this article antisemite ? 13:46  |  Malkovic 23/02/09
  5.   have you ever stopped to think.... 14:02  |  Luther 23/02/09
  6.   Wrong target, don`t bash "Hollywood", Bradley..... 14:18  |  Swiss (Dino) 23/02/09
  7.   Waltz wasnt that good 14:43  |  Herbert Kaine 23/02/09
  8.   Oh Bradley, it`s you should move on 15:18  |  sh 23/02/09
  9.   Over 4000 women and children maimed and slained in Gaza 15:20  |  Lars Hansen 23/02/09
  10.   BUT "WALTZ" DOESN`T WIN, WHY? 15:21  |  indrajaya 23/02/09
  11.   To #1 15:27  |  Brendan 23/02/09
  12.   Well described , but I would add 16:33  |  TOMY 23/02/09
  13.   #7 Could your city of origin 17:18  |  MarkC 23/02/09
  14.   how Hollywood likes its Jews 17:36  |  Zev 23/02/09
  15.   WRONG AS USUAL 17:43  |  Arik Silverman 23/02/09
  16.   WRONG AS USUAL 17:43  |  Arik Silverman 23/02/09
  17.   Lets act like grown-ups 17:51  |  ariella 23/02/09
  18.   #9 Lars Hansen 18:35  |  Moshe 23/02/09
  19.   "Over 4000 women and children maimed and slained in Gaza? 18:38  |  Someonewhocan Count 23/02/09
  20.   Make English language films about Israelis 18:39  |  dj 23/02/09
  21.   A major shift was marked 18:54  |  Chris Linthwaite 23/02/09
  22.   Get over yourselves 18:56  |  Jacques d`Nalgar 23/02/09
  23.   Holocaust studies 19:00  |  Joseph 23/02/09
  24.   you`re upset about Waltz, B -- don`t mix Shoah into this 19:09  |  PZ 23/02/09
  25.   Harvey Milk was Jewish! 19:26  |  Observer1000 23/02/09
  26.   Hollywood 19:31  |  Erik Martinez 23/02/09
  27.   Read Levy`s Review in Yesterday`s Haaretz 19:31  |  Eric 23/02/09
  28.   Palestinians as Victims = Germans as Victims: "The Reader" 19:37  |  Christine 23/02/09
  29.   Waltz w Bashir = More Leftist Self-Hate Propaganda 20:19  |  Tomer 23/02/09
  30.   Jews as victims, fine. Jews as gutsy heroes? Forget it! 20:27  |  Raymond in DC 23/02/09
  31.   the movie leaves out Damour 20:34  |  bob 23/02/09
  32.   A realy bad movie 20:35  |  Sam 23/02/09
  33.   Palestinians are still waiting 21:03  |  Janice 23/02/09
  34.   #30 Raymond in DC 21:08  |  Chris Linthwaite 23/02/09
  35.   Hollywood knows exactly how it likes its Jews: 23:02  |  Abu Garwa 23/02/09
  36.   according to polls Israeli Jews are much happier than majority 23:02  |  zin 23/02/09
  37.   How Israel portrays itself 23:15  |  American Patriot 23/02/09
  38.   Jews in America 23:47  |  David 23/02/09
  39.   Kate Winslet 23:57  |  Benjamin 23/02/09
  40.   Bob, you must also remember the Karantina massacre 00:02  |  Jeraan 24/02/09
  41.   #14 Because they like themself! 00:07  |  Bruni 24/02/09
  42.   Concentration and Extermination Camps 00:16  |  Ted from Canada 24/02/09
  43.   Kate Winslet interview re: Holocaust film disturbing.... 05:22  |  Smadar 24/02/09
  44.   Hollywood as a reflection of ethnic myths 05:34  |  allang 24/02/09
  45.   Perhaps a different censor 06:01  |  Mark Lincoln 24/02/09
  46.   Jews 07:15  |  John 24/02/09
  47.   #25 Harvey Milk 07:16  |  Varda 24/02/09
  48.   Way off the mark 07:47  |  Michael N 24/02/09
  49.   This Idea Would Win An Oscar For Sure... 08:15  |  Yosemite 24/02/09
  50.   Bradley I Know How You Feel... 08:33  |  Yosemite 24/02/09
  51.   waltz with bashir 13:05  |  Margalit Shinar 24/02/09
  52.   Dear Bradley 14:10  |  Neil 24/02/09
  53.   Comment on #43 14:46  |  Joseph 24/02/09
  54.   waltz with bashir 16:43  |  sohail 24/02/09
  55.   On the bright side... 22:37  |  Colin Wright 24/02/09
  56.   Brad who cares about the `oscars`? 23:33  |  David 24/02/09
  57.   MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT THE HEBRON MASSACARE!!!!!!! 23:38  |  JEW JEWSON JR. 24/02/09
  58.   Oops, #43 spelling errors 23:44  |  Smadar 24/02/09
  59.   It`s an unholy alliance 23:49  |  Colin Wright 24/02/09
  60.   The waltz (ing) 01:26  |  Cipporania Juliania 25/02/09
  61.   Silly, very silly 10:55  |  Victor 25/02/09
  62.   Excellent article 16:22  |  Danielle 01/03/09
  63.   Propaganda Movies 09:55  |  Shuki 02/03/09
  64.   Waltz - who votes for oscars 01:32  |  Jana 03/03/09
  65.   Over 4000 07:09  |  EW 16/05/09
  66.   Germans as victims 07:52  |  EW 16/05/09
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