Hi everyone!
Welcome back to Worldwide Wednesdays! We’re heading to the British Isles for a film produced in a collaboration between the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the United States, delving into the North London Jewish Orthodox community. For some films with a similar kind of collaboration among countries, check out “A Dark Song” (Episode #033) and “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” (Episode #149), which are both in the horror genre, so maybe not the best choices? If you have any better ideas, let me know at onemoviepunch.com.
And now...
Today’s movie is “Disobedience” (2017), an independent drama directed by Sebastián Lelio and written in collaboration with Rebecca Lenkiewicz, based on a novel by Naomi Alderman. The film follows Ronit Krushka (Rachel Weisz), who returns to North London after learning of the death of her father, Rabbi Rav Krushka (Anton Lesser), who had previously forced her out of the family and her community. She ends up staying with Rabbi Dovid Kuperman (Alessandro Nivola) and his wife, Esti (Rachel McAdams), as the mystery surrounding Ronit’s exile suddenly becomes very clear.
Spoilers ahead.
Religion is such a difficult topic to discuss in today’s modern age. Folks have a lot of passionate feelings for and against religion, and more often than not, those feelings are expressed from a position of ignorance on all sides, turning an entire spectrum of belief into an either/or choice between zealous devotion and militant atheism, at least if you’ve ever looked at the comments section. I have struggled myself with religion, having been on various parts of that spectrum of belief, and after a minor in Philosophy & Religious Studies, and almost two decades of soul searching, find myself off the spectrum entirely, trying to understand religion more as a social institution. I’m not really any closer to understanding that particular point, but I feel films like “Disobedience” help define the terms of today’s conflicts between religious communities and the nominatively pluralist societies they exist within.
“Disobedience” looks at a major issue for conservatively-minded religious communities today: the role of LGBTQ individuals within that community. Science has shown us that our former heteronormative ways of looking at biology are incorrect. We know now that a significant portion of the human population are born with feelings of sexual attraction towards their own biological sex, and this has been further complicated by the necessary bifurcation of biological sex and gender expression. We learn that Ronit was exiled from her family and the community years ago for being caught with Esti in a sexual situation, and the result is exile that may have been personally imposed, but was definitely driven by the community, mostly through passive-aggressive commentary and social meddling. I’ve seen the same thing happen in Christian churches and Muslim mosques, and also by conservative-minded communities towards LGBTQ people. We’re finally getting the necessary laws in place to protect people simply for their sexual orientation or expression, but no number of laws can stop a community from rejecting someone, and that’s where we find Ronit and Esti’s story.
Sebastián Lelio and Rebecca Lenkiewicz capture that tension well in their screenplay, keeping the mystery of Ronit’s exile as long as possible, even though the trailers and reviews gave away the critical conflict, and treating the orthodox community with a lot more respect than I expected. And that’s critical, because it really adds to Esti’s conflict between her community and her buried feelings, and highlights the great strengths of the orthodox community. Rachel McAdams really nails it, and she has great, believable chemistry with Rachel Weisz. The story can be predictable, but it is a great vehicle for outlining the social conflict, if not providing any real answers.
“Disobedience” (2017) is an emotional drama, looking at religious exile from family and community, and the struggle of LGBTQ folks within conservative religious communities. Sebastián Lelio delivers a solid film that treats the source material, the orthodox community, and the LGBTQ populations within those communities with respect, even when you might like it otherwise. Folks who have struggled as LGBTQ within conservative religious communities, or folks who love to examine this very struggle, should definitely check out this film.
Rotten Tomatoes: 84% (CERTIFIED)
Metacritic: 74
One Movie Punch: 8.0/10
“Disobedience” (2017) is rated R and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
