Joseph Cedar’s new film, Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer, opened this week in Jerusalem. This
is the story of Norman Oppenheimer, a New York Jew, who makes a living by
hustling, putting together deals and selling influence. He’s lonely and is desperately seeking some self-importance.
The role is played by Richard Gere, who we would usually expect to play a completely
different character – someone who radiates self-confidence. Here, he is challenged to play the
eager-to-please Norman, and he does it magnificently! And his charming
personality makes it easier for him to gain access to places where he wants to
be seen as one who takes pleasure in helping others.
Norman befriends Micha Eshel (Lior
Ashkenazi), a deputy minister in the Israeli government. Courting a person who might one day be in
power, Norman buys him an expensive pair of shoes. According to the filmmaker, these shoes
represent “something that doesn’t evaporate, something that the character walks
through life in.” And then when Eshel reaches
power, Norman cashes in, obtaining a certain amount of status from his position
as someone who knows the new prime minister of Israel. But the prime minister can’t be seen as
accepting gifts, and thus we wonder when will it be necessary for him to just
cast his friend aside.
At the Israeli premiere of the
film last night, sponsored by the Times of Israel, filmmaker Joseph
Cedar had an opportunity to discuss his film with the audience. He described the film as “a love story
between two people, that starts out with a gesture and ends up with one
sacrificing himself for the other.” The
gesture is the purchase of the pair of shoes, a symbol of the corrupt and
greedy Israeli politician whose willingness to accept an expensive gift shows
his own moral failings.
According to Cedar, the movie is
about one American Jew and one Israeli, and also about American Jews
collectively. He also called it a
"fairy tale." However, I didn't see it this way. Rather, it seemed to
me that this film is a very real satirical and sarcastic portrayal of American
Jewry, and a hard-hitting look at the relationship between American Jewry and
the political leadership of Israel.
American Jewry in the archetypal character of "Norman" is seen
as a bumbling, not-too-aggressive fellow, begging for an opportunity to be seen
near the seat of power – the way the leadership of American Jewish
organizations grovel at the feet of Israeli politicians, wanting nothing more
than to be in their presence and to be of service to the cause, without any
critical thinking.
In particular, the film makes fun
of AIPAC, which is called "AIPAL " in the film (hinting that all that
these Jews want is to be pals with the Israeli leadership). The Israeli
politicians don’t provide anything in return; rather, they require the
sacrifice of each and every American Jew for the sake of their personal agendas
which they define as the agendas of the very survival of the state (a very direct
hint to the current leadership in Israel!).
Joseph Cedar certainly knows how
to make complex narrative films. His
previous award-winning films include: Footnote, Beaufort, Campfire,
and Time of Favor. I
especially loved the way that New York City can be seen as a major character in
the film.
But I am troubled by Cedar’s simplistic view
of American Jews as groveling in the face of aggressive and confident Israeli
politicians. Notwithstanding this
criticism, I really liked this film – the parallel to the “court Jews”, the
deviousness, the intrigue, the influence peddling, and above all else, the
depiction of both the leaders and their American Jewish followers as morally
compromised.
