One of the most
thought provoking films of the year, leaves you asking more
questions than it answers. The most attractive Ryan Gosling
gives us a startling performance of his role as the
anti-Semitic modern day nazi and his understandings and
seeming contradictions of the Jewish 'Torah'.
The film opens
with skin head Danny following a 
Yeshiva
student on the subway while dressed in his nazi/skin
attire. Not content with stamping on his feet, he follows
him out of the station, and the predictable happens.
Startling aggression and violence follow, which dogs Danny
through out the film even amongst his fellow right wingers.
He goes on to
attend a right wing gathering in New York (where the film is
set) along with a few of his nazi mates and makes an impact.
To the amazement
of his hosts he is extremely articulate,logical and
intelligent in his theories for the eradication of the
modern day Jew. Unlike his 'more brawn than brain'
mates, he has a master plan, even down to who he is going be
his first Jewish target.
Lina and Curtis
were planning a somewhat covert insidious operation to seize
power and pursue their right wing ideology. Also
fascinated by Danny's rhetoric was Carla, the daughter who
later on was to play a questioning part of Danny's seemingly
extensive knowledge of Torah and Judaism.
The film was
based somewhat on the true story of Daniel Burros who was
outed by the New York Times as being the leader of the
Klu-Klux Klan and the American Nazi party. he committed
suicide when he was discovered to be Jewish by birth by an
investigative reporter.
Conflict and
arguments were not new to Danny and the film provides
flashback to his schoolboy days and heavy handed
discussions with his rabbi teacher, whom he questioned
constantly. For the non-informed film goer, they were indeed
logical arguments and that is why the film is so stimulating
- the passive acceptance of the Torah - the sexuality
'problems' and contradictions that arise. Danny flicks from
being the bomb planter and desecrater of the synagogue, to
that of protector and upholder of the Torah and its decrees.
Carla starts to
question Danny's knowledge of the Torah when she finds it in
his bedroom after he removed it from the
damaged synagogue -from that she idealistly begins to learn
Hebrew from Danny. He continues to maintain his anti-Semitic
violent views citing the "know your enemy" rule as
an excuse for his knowledge of Judaism.
Henry Bean did a
great job in directing this film with wonderful aspects and
close ups and brings out the best in this beautiful young 22
year old actor.
Sent to
corrective lectures by a judge for his aggression in a
Kosher diner, he is confronted by Jewish ppl who endured the
Nazi regime in Germany during the war. recounting their
stories, Danny is close to tears - but for what reason?
tears for the man who saw his child stabbed by a German
soldier or tears of aggression against himself for having
some pity. Danny is being torn apart by conflict within
himself.
What ever u do ,
don't miss this.
