Lemon Tree (2008) [DVD]

An outstandingly good film. The director tackles the bitter Israel-Palestinian conflict by focusing on how it impinges on one Arab widow (the wonderful Hiam Abbass) who tries to scrape a living from her grove of lemon trees. Her new neighbour, who unfortunately for her is the Israeli defence minister and his wife, is advised by his security goons that the next door lemon grove constitutes a security risk, and an order is given for its chopping down. The widow decides against all odds to fight the decision, eventually taking it all the way to the Supreme Court. The great merit of this film lies in the way the political theme, interesting enough on its own, is entwined with private dramas going on in the lives of the widow, the lawyer she engages to fight her case, and the minister's wife who is brought to perceive the human cost of a political decision in which she is implicated. These interlinked public and private themes are delicately handled, with just the right amount of weight being given to each. Hiam Abbass, who I thought was the best thing about the same director's earlier The Syrian Bride, here shines even more brightly. She gives a wonderfully subtle portrayal of a woman who resists pressure from all sides, including from overbearing male interests, to give in and conform. Against the odds and her natural temperament, she turns her small act of revolt into one symbolic of every individual fighting for justice against overweening authority. This is great acting.

This is a wonderful drama that raises a personal issue to the level of telling the story of a nation. On one side, there is a beautiful Palestinian widow, who runs a lemon grove on the border of the occupied territories. She is modest, not at all political, and yet has a quiet determination and natural charisma. On the other side, the newly installed Minister of Defense for Israel moves into a house next to the lemon grove, bringing a security apparatus and personal power to the remote area. Suddenly, the lemon grove is called a security threat and he wants it cut down, in accordance with the secret service officers who are assigned to protect him. What ensues is a legal battle that becomes a political cause celebre. Many viewers have criticized the film as anti-Israeli, but I disagree with that judgment on a number of levels. First, there are a number of full-blooded characters on the Israeli side, who struggle with what is happening. In particular the Minister's wife: she sees the situation, yet does not know what exactly she might do and struggles with it in spite of her husband's insensitivity. When she talks to a reporter, her actions lead to unforeseen consequences, which highlight many aspects of Israel's political system yet make no definitive statement and offers no unambiguous message. In my view, this is very much like what might happen in real life. Second, the Palestinian characters are also not at all simple: some are good, some not, and many are normal people trying to get through the day. While the woman is certainly a victim, there is nothing maudlin or tendentious about her struggle: it is realistic and she faces terrible odds. There is also a lawyer of good motives but questionable behavior and nosy, conservative neighbors. Third, and most importantly, there is a vital subtext to the story. No matter what you can say about the difficulties and injustices that Palestinians face, Israeli democracy is still functioning: the protagonists can seek legal redress and due process, the press is independent, and there is no outright repression of their actions. Indeed, the Minister is embarrassed that people ask him if he is "afraid of lemons". My whole family watched this and we were utterly riveted from the opening scene. It is an excellent vehicle to stimulate discussion. Warmly recommended.

Having read the good reviews I decided to buy this prior to a visit to Israel/Palestine. As other reviews explain it is the story of a Palestinian widow with grown up children who continues to survive living in and cultivating lemons in the lemon grove that her father bequeathed her. As the new Israeli defence minister moves into the neighbouring house the secret service deem her lemon grove a threat to security. The film explores the widow's and her elderly helper's relationship with the lemon trees, her deep love of them and how they link her to her dead father and her fight to try and keep the lemon tress alive and have access to them, meanwhile most of the Israeli's can't understand why some trees would matter to her. The characters are complex and not simply black and white caricatures, even the characters who are perpetrating the injustices are not shown as simply bad people, just that their focus and vision is on other priorities. The characters and their relationships - the widow and her helper, the widow and her lawyer and the community expectations on behaviour, the widow and her kids, the Israeli minister and his wife, the links with the media are all well done. The exploration as well as the sense of frustration at how many of these relationships work or don't is what makes the film interesting. The film gave me a brief cameo insight into life in this part of the world and a better sense of the complexities. It is slow and as would be in reality the conclusion rather unsatisfactory, so it is hard to say I enjoyed this film but I am glad I watched it. I think you'd need to be interested in the issues or world cinema to watch this film. Before I started the review I had given 3* "it's OK" but as I wrote the review I realised I should be more generous as it is well done, simply not an entirely engaging film but I think that is partly because I don't generally watch films with sub-titles and perhaps I like a more defined conclusion. Since it is in Hebrew and Arabic the sub-titles are essential. Finally film does not seem related at all to the book of the same name, all be it they are both based among the Israel/Palestine problems.

Toller Film!

Mi è difficilissimo recensire questo film. È una di quelle pellicole che non mi stancherei mai di rivedere, e l'ho acquistato dopo averlo già visto al cinema. Un escamotages imprevedibile a raccontare un conflitto terribile come quello israelo-palestinese, che prendere le parti soprattutto del buon senso prima che di una delle due fazioni. La storia di una donna e del suo giardino di limoni - tutto ciò che le resta - che rischia di essere distrutto dalla cecità. Hiram Abbass straordinaria a dir poco. Da vedere, tutti. Consegna perfetta e puntuale come sempre.

Il est remarquable de réaliser que ce film est Israélien, après l'avoir vu il serait possible de croire qu'il a été réalisé par des ennemis d'Israël. Ce film nous donne une image impitoyable de la vie des palestiniens, mais il n'épargne personne. Les images parlent encore plus que les dialogues pour nous donner à réfléchir sur la situation Ubuesque de ce pays déchiré par un mur, où deux cultures, pourtant pas bien lointaines l'une de l'autre, s'opposent et se détestent. Le courage et la lucidité des réalisateurs sont peut être les seuls notes d'optimisme dans tout ce gâchis. Il y a dans ce pays des hommes et des femmes qui refusent l'absurdité de la politique. Après avoir vu ce film, nous pouvons commencer à croire qu'il y a peut être des bonnes volontés qui peuvent se donner la main au delà de ce mur. Quelque soit l'opinion que l'on peut avoir, ce film ne peut pas laisser indifférent.

Lemon Tree is, in my opinion, the best performance by the extraordinary Hiam Abbass (also in "Satin Rouge, "The Syrian Bride"). This is a rather unique story, which reflects the environment in which so many have to conduct their lives, in spite of the eternal territorial dispute between Palestinian and Israeli "nations" residing in the West Bank zone... Rona Lipaz-Michael is co-starring in this movie, and I would like to see her more "involved" in this type of Israeli-Palestinian productions, where she could really shine as a star in her own right. It is a sad movie, but with some light moments, when the human spirit is allowed to express itself freely, not bound by religion or politics, so pervasive in that area of the World. I think of this as a classic, well worth the attention of those who believe in the efforts made by some to get away from the "Hollywood" movies and give all of us a real "picture" of life.

In una parabola dal sapore Kafkiano, a emergere con nitidezza è il coraggio di due donne, Salma e Mira: la prima decisa ad andare sino in fondo pur di vedere riconosciuto il proprio diritto a difendere, oltre che la terra dei padri, la propria dignità; l’altra, immersa nei privilegi, capace però d’infrangere la cortina di omertà e perbenismo della sua classe sociale per qualcosa che ritiene giusto. Questa solidarietà interetnica, che solo gli sguardi sanno compiutamene esprimere, è l’unica speranza per risolvere un conflitto annoso e travagliato che il regista gerosolimitano disegna con maestria in tutta la propria febbrile incomprensibilità.