|
The
new documentary Trembling Before G-d begins with a quote
from Leviticus 20:13, the infamous "gays are bad"
passage in the Talmud. The
film studies the balance of religion and sexuality within the
Hasidic and Orthodox communities, and does a good job showing
Jews aren't any less judgmental than Christians when it comes to
shunning their own.
Directed
by Sandi Simcha Dubowski, G-d was shot over five years in
Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, London, Jerusalem and, of
course, Brooklyn. He interviews dozens of people, both in
support of and against the religion’s hardline stance on
homosexuality, but focuses on a handful of people who have
either been ostracized by their friends and family for coming
out, or live in constant fear of being discovered and then
ostracized. There
are plenty of stories and anecdotes; some are interesting (like
the first openly gay rabbi), some amusing (the vaguely
dental-sounding word "Orthodykes" is coined), and some
heartbreaking (like a man who hasn't had contact with anyone in
his family in 30 years).
Even
though it may sound interesting, G-d isn't that
remarkable, at least as far as documentaries go.
It's one-sided and nothing particularly revealing or
shocking is uncovered by Dubowski (it's not like you can walk in
expecting the film to be a lovefest).
It's definitely geared toward a specific demographic, and
it should serve that demographic well.
As a person without a shred of faith, however, I felt
like grabbing G-d's subjects by the shoulders and shaking
them while screaming, "You fool! Just give up the religion
thing and be with whoever you want!"
But that's just me.
Oh, and there's no "o" in the title because
some folks think writing or saying the word "God"
breaks the Third Commandment.
| 1:34
– |
|
 |
|