Jewish movies, Jewish directors, and producers can be found in the early days of cinema. One of the most respected comedy directors is Ernest Lovich, whose first film was in 1925; Fritz Lang, with the creation of the MDB Metropolis, which was released in 1927. Zionist propaganda films were produced in Israel as early as the beginning of the twentieth century. Here are some of the most important Jewish films.
The city without Jews, 1924
The City without Jews is the first film in which the theme of the Jews is presented in full and in the name of the film. The film was directed by H.K. Breslauer, an Austrian expressionist director. The plot is based on the book by the Christian Jew Hugo Battower. The satirical book foretells the rise of the Nazis to power, shortly after the premiere Hugo Bettauer was murdered in the Tower by a Nazi nationalist.
The Jazz Singer, 1927
The Jazz singer is not only a pioneer in Jewish film but also because it caused a revolution in the film industry. It is one of the first films to combine a synchronous soundtrack with a picture and included dialogue segments, it laid the foundations for the transition from silent cinema to the cinema with sound. It is also the first film to become a show. The film tells the story of a jazz singer who wants to perform on Broadway and argues with his parents who want him to be a cantor. The film includes many Jewish concepts.
The Jew Ziss 1934
The Jew Ziss is a British film by the Jewish creator Michael Balcon based on the book by the Jew Lion Feuchtwanger. The film tells the story of the Jew Ziss Oppenheimer who wants to leave the ghetto, he sneaks into a duke’s party and forms political ties with him. The film tried to warn against anti-Semitism, however, a few years later the Nazi propaganda minister would make his own “Ziss Jew” film and interpret excerpts from the film in an anti-Semitic way.
Gentleman’s Agreement, 1947
A Gentleman’s Agreement was produced in the United States two years after World War II and deals with the problem of anti-Semitism. That’s why a lot of producers didn’t want to produce it. Finally, Fox decided to produce it. The director was Ilya Kazan and the story is based on a story by the writer Laura Hobson. The film tells the story of a journalist who impersonates a Jew and experiences anti-Semitism in the United States on his own flesh.
The Pawnbroker, 1964
Sydney Lumet’s film is the first American film to deal with the Holocaust from the perspective of a Holocaust survivor. The film also became an international success. The film tells the story of a shop owner from a Holocaust survivor neighborhood in Harlem who suffers from post-trauma and memories of the Holocaust arise in him. Without his knowledge, his shop becomes a money laundering tool for prostitution services and he gets involved with local gangsters.
Fiddler on the Roof, 1971
Fiddler on the Roof is probably one of the best-known Jewish films in the world. It is based on a musical of the same name, which itself is based on the story “Tuvia the Milkman” by Shalom Aleichem, the Jewish writer. The star of the film is the Israeli Haim Topol. The story tells of a poor father in Russia who marries off his daughters, and each time there is a different problem with the grooms: the poor groom, the socialist groom, and the gentile groom. In the end, the whole family is deported from Russia and they leave for the United States or Jerusalem.
Yentel, 1983
Yentel is a film written by Barbara Streisand based on the story of the Jewish writer Yitzhak Bashevis Singer and it talks about the status of women in Judaism. Yentel is the daughter of a rabbi who secretly taught her Torah. After her father dies she pretends to be a man in order to be able to find a place to study Torah.
Stranger on the Field, 1992
A Stranger on the Field is a sports drama about a Jewish football player who is required to hide his Judaism after antisemitic experiences. An acquaintance from childhood then reveals his Jewishness, and the actor named David decides not to hide anymore, despite the price he pays.
These are just some of the most important Jewish Jewish movies that have hit theaters and Hollywood in particular. Other films on Jewish subjects include, of course, Schindler’s List, The Pianist, The Possession based on the well-known play, and Israeli films on the subject of Judaism, such as Eyes Open and Footnotes.