Negative - This movie was primarily based on helping people realise they mistreated Jews.However, this does not mean you have to put down Ukrainians in the movie !I felt that this movie didn't show the better side of Ukraine.I found the fact that it was a Jewish lady that helped out Elija woods' grandpa very focused on the Jewish culture.Lots of Ukrinians helped out and hid Jews aswell however this wasn't mentioned.Ukrainian helpede out alot however in this movie the were shown as dumb and mean people.(for example. the scene with the men that were digging)I enjoyed the first light hearted and houmorus part of the movie,however i felt the ending was horrible.The suicide of the elderly man was greusome and unecessary.
It completley ruined my overall impression of the movie.
My Ratings: Offensive / 3
—allly, age 24, ukraine

The movie is really brilliant. I am Ukrainian, currently I am doing my research in the US. I do not agree that the movie was done only to show that people mistreated Jews, it is a very primitive point of view. The movie is much wider. It is about looking for identity, about our heritage, about sense of life and intercultural communication. I would suggest to use this movie in the departments of communication, Slavic Studies, etc. I have 12 years of experience of teaching at the university in Ukraine. The movie is based on so many cultures including the unique Odesa culture which is the mixture of everything, it's also a kind of "melting pot":))) It shows real Ukraine, with real rude waitresses, who work not in the capital city but a little bit farther from civilization:))) If Ukrainian reality is humiliation, the author is not guilty in this:))) The author who did not grow up in Odesa showed the culture of Odesa really very well, the relationships, the attitudes to other people, the realism of the story is really awesome.

My detailed opinion is below:

Everything is Illuminated

Method

From the first glance this is one more movie about Holocaust and genealogical studies. A young American Jewish guy is travelling to Ukraine in order to find a Ukrainian woman who saved his grandfather during World War II having hidden him from Nazi. He arrived at the country which is very different and is describing his impressions.
However, I would name this movie unique. This is a movie based on 5 cultures and 3 languages at the same time, with specific kind of humor and many events described happen in the city where I was born. It is Odesa, Ukraine. Earlier the city used to be named “Odessa” – the translation from Russian language, now it is “Odesa” – the translation from Ukrainian.
Jewish, Russian, Ukrainian, American, and the culture of the very special city of Odesa are described. Odesa is situated near the Black Sea, it is a huge sea-port and business centre. It is a multicultural city. It gave 30% of the whole Jewish immigration from the former USSR in 1970s (at that time only Jews were allowed to leave the country for abroad). If you imagine the whole Soviet map and just imagine that 30% of the whole immigration of that time was from one city, you will be surprised.
The main street of Odesa is named after the Spanish person, the next to it after the Greek people, it is a unique city in Ukraine. Besides, it has 2 markets (one is mostly for food and the second mostly for clothes) which were famous in the whole former Soviet Union. People have come there to shop from many places.
So, the main hero Jonathan is going to the shtetl (Jewish village) near Odesa. The name of the shtetl is Trachimbrod. Alex Perchov and his grandfather in a very old, shabby car are doing their business: they deliver Jewish people coming from abroad to the cemeteries of their ancestors. They charge incredibly high western prices and hate Jews. Besides, the grandfather (who is also Alex) is a blind driver.
However, at the end of the movie it turns out that Alex’s grandfather is also a Jew who was hiding this fact for his whole life.
The language is all the time changing. All events that happen in the USA are described in English, all events that happen in Ukraine are described either in Russian (Odesa is a Russian-speaking city) or if it is a village, in Ukrainian. Different parts of the society and their relationships are described and their styles of languages are used.
The movie is extremely humorous, however, this is a humor with tears in your eyes. It tells about very tragic events during World War II and people’s destinies.
The end of the movie is rather unexpected. The heroes find the woman but she turns to be the sister of the wife of the Jonathan’s grandfather. He never told his American family that he was married and lost his pregnant wife who was killed. Alex’s grandfather turns out to be from the same shtetl and commits suicide.
There are many types of the same language in the movie. Jonathan speaks very correct and intelligent English, Alex speaks a broken language on the level usually required at high school. The Russian language of everybody is tailored to the part of the society where the hero belongs. Moreover, the city of Odesa has special intonation, language mistakes and humor. It is officially the motherland of humor in that part of the world. On April, 1 many tourists come to the city just to celebrate the Day of Humor.
The movie was created in the style of Jewish culture, Jewish music is used there, also, a lot of details and relationships. However, in order to understand the whole movie it is not sufficient to read the translation below. It is really necessary to speak 3 languages and be acqainted with 5 cultures mentioned above.
Also, to understand many details it is necessary at least visit that society and stay among those people. The movie is great source of cultural knowledge and should be used in the departments that teach Russian, Ukrainian, cultural studies, etc.
The movie also reflects common feelings of people who experience jet lag (it is not possible to find equivalent in Russian language), the communication at the airport/customs, looking at foreign faces and “recognizing” in them somebody from native country because they are similar.
Many scenes of the movie were made in Odesa, Ukraine and in Chezh Republic where the scenery is similar to Ukrainian. The Russian-speaking actors play the roles of Russian-speaking people.
Effect on the Audience

I watched the movie in the movie theatre and observed the reaction of the American audience. They were fascinating. However, I am sure that they did not understand many scenes and the humor of those scenes.
I am sure that many Russians and Ukrainians will perceive the movie humiliating and embarassing to them because many of them will hear just the messages like “people treated Jews badly”, “Many Slavic people (Polish, Ukrainians, Russians) are also guilty”, etc.
People with Jewish origin will percieve the movie differently depending on the location where they grew up and where they live now.
Audience which has some education or background in international affairs/international travelling/teaching or studying different cultures may see the movie as an example or teaching tool in intercultural communication.

Purpose of the Director

The message of the text is complicated. I should say, it is a bunch of messages. They are directed to people who should remember their “roots”, be tolerant to other cultures, try to learn other cultures to enrich themselves. It is necessary to see the world in order to understand ourselves.
What is the purpose of classical literature? What is the purpose of Dostoevskiy’s novel? When Dostoevskiy was 18 years old he wrote to his brother Mikhail, “The Man is a secret. It must be revealed. If you are revealing it for the rest of your life, don’t say that you have lost time. I am dealing with this secret because I want to become a Man.” The purpose is revealing. The revealing of the secret of the man, the ways of finding your own goals, understanding your purposes.
At the end of the movie everybody finds his way and it becomes illuminated for him. Jonathan and Alex become mature and understand themselves more clearly, the grandfather finally finds his peace and puts together his past and present. Alex’s parents find their Jewish identity.
One more purpose is development. A personality should develop and strive until the last breath. “Vivere militare est”, as Romans used to say – “Struggle means life.” This movie pushes people to develop their minds, to think, to look at themselves from different angles, re-evaluate, enrich themselves with other cultures and who knows what else. The creation is a complicated process and even the author could not give you all answers.

ally, Yuliya: thank you both very much for your opinions. I enjoyed the movie for perhaps a less cultivated reason than you did, Yuliya. To me, it was nice to see a movie treat such a potentially devestatingly sad topic with some humor.

TO OTHER READERS: THIS WILL RUIN THE ENDING, BUT TRUST ME, YOU SHOULD READ IT ANYWAY:

I also thought the suicide seemed unnecessary at the end. However, it made little sense, I think, because he eased up on the grandfather character. As far as I remember, the grandfather in the book was not Jewish and suffering from survivor guilt, but an ethnic Ukrainian who had had a Jewish friend and ratted him out to the Nazis to save himself.

This change might have been a compromise move, as the original version was more understandable, but also would portray Ukrainians in a more negative way.

In some ways it's pretty hard on Ukraine, but I've been to those "restaurants", too. And the voice of Alex was pretty well done. (played by the ethnic-Ukrainian lead from Gogol Bordello) As far as American movies about Eastern Europe, it's well done. I certainly liked it more than the book.

you might like to visit :


http://www.tal.yesh.net


in order to read about the real town

depicted in the book.

you know everyone seems to be bashing on the fairy tail part, but i loved it, i fell in love with brod and her love or not love with yankel, everything i just loved... at first it was really boring but once you put yourself there it is amaing writing... its poetry...

Tal1: Thank you for the link! How fun to be able to see the real pictures. Looks a lot prettier than the movie portrayle, huh?

Ren: Actually, as far as the critics that I read, most of them seemed to love the fairy tale as well. In fact, much of the praise seemed to concern that part. My comment here was partly in response to the critical acclaim, which I felt was praise for the Emperor's New Clothes.

However, I will admit that I've long been a bit of a philistine about critically acclaimed books. In any case the best thing is that you enjoyed the book. Thanks for your opinion - they're particularly helpful when the present a counterpoint to mine.

I just wanted to say thank you for all the opinions and the information. I just watched the movie on HBO and my reaction was similar to those Americans in the theater- loved the movie yet found myself confused at times...laughed but didn't know exactly why.

I have not read the book but plan to do so now. The grandfather's suicide was sad but I felt as if he did find some peace. He was ready to go.

Death can be a beautiful event in life. He lived this one partially in hiding. Maybe in the next he will be free.

Just a quick comment, with thanks to those comments before my own for their view points.

My interpretation of the grandfather's suicide was a justaposition against JSF's aunt's character. He (the grandfather) tried to run from his past/heritage, while she (the aunt) stated to pick up the pieces of her ruined village, both literally and figuratively.

I thought the message in his suicide is you cannot escape your past/heritage, you cannot deny who you are. His decision to die was his acknowledgement that this was the case. I saw this as a return to his roots, and acceptance of both who he was, and where he belonged.

Great film, to my mind. Very thought-provoking. I came away with an appreciation of the value of family, and each day you share with them.

One final comment, I didn't come out of this film with any impression that it reflected poorly on Ukranians. If anything, I thought it was an interesting introduction to the culture. Of course, I'm a Brit, living in the USA, so perhaps I'm just oblivious to any intended slights present in the film.... :)