Asian Cinema Challenge 2023 | 23/52 | Made in Israel
Viviane has gone to a religious court to obtain a gett from her husband, Elisha, whom she has been living apart from for over 3 years. Elisha, however, refuses to grant her the divorce and begs Viviane to come back. The court questions whether Viviane can take care of herself, despite having a stable job as a hairdresser for over twenty years. The question is whether the husband is violent, disgusting, or in some way endangers Viviane’s life. But because she no longer loves him, the court refuses, insisting on a trial reunion for the couple.
Six months later, Viviane reconvenes at the court, but Elisha does not make an appearance. Viviane’s lawyer reports that she tried for three months, but Elisha refused to speak to her. Still, the court will not hear the case without Elisha present. Two months later, the same problem. Three months later, the husband sends a friend as a messenger to inform the court that he will not appear until Viviane returns home. The court insists she must comply before they will consider her case.
Five months later, after she has complied, the court will still not compel Elisha to appear. After all, it’s she who wants the gett, not him. Still, because they promised, they will do everything they can to force him to appear. Sure enough, three months later, 1.5 years since the trial began, Elisha appears, still refusing to grant her gett, even though he freely admits that being with her is God’s punishment to him.
So, the court orders that each bring witnesses to establish just cause. Finally, finally, the case begins. Will the courts grant Viviane her divorce? Or is this yet another way in which Israel’s regressive politics will punish women?
Watch yourself, Mrs. Amsalem […] Know your place, woman.
This film is the third in a trilogy that focuses on Viviane’s unhappy marriage with Elisha. The story arc is based on the experiences of sibling writers and directors Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz as they grew up with their parents. Ronit also plays Viviane.
While the first film, To Take a Wife, had no obvious conceit, the second, Shiv’a, takes place over the seven-day mourning period, with the Gulf War as its backdrop. This film takes place almost exclusively in the courthouse, with time breaks between trials, during which we learn about the events through eyewitness testimony.
Throughout the film, we see how personal biases, religious dogma, and institutional sexism punish Viviane at every turn. Her misery is hers to resolve, and why she is miserable is everyone’s favorite topic of debate. The court sees itself as divinely ordained and gives little to no room for anyone to sway their opinions.
I imagine seeing these characters would have had a deeper meaning if I had seen the previous two movies, but their testimonies aren’t so obscure that the audience couldn’t pick up on context clues. More importantly, I imagine seeing the horrendous things that Elisha has done to his wife would make the lengths that the court takes for him all the more intolerable.
The film’s minimalism is its greatest strength and weakness. The film’s satisfying moments and points of humor come from the character studies of those witnesses — you know, all the stuff that makes courtroom dramas fun. And for a movie that takes place entirely in small, white-walled rooms, anything helps to give flavor to the experience. But the cross-examination, while it follows the formula, doesn’t always feel fruitful.
I get why people love this movie. I definitely appreciate what it’s doing. But it’s not a movie I would go out of my way to recommend, nor do I have any interest in visiting the prior films.
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