11 September 2009

Moment Magazine: The best Jewish films

What do you get when you ask film critics to list their five favorite Jewish films? A great article in this month's Moment Magazine.

See the article here, and view the top 100 Jewish films list here. The editors are also asking readers to send in their own favorites for an update.

Most of these are well-known to readers but some were new to me. Read the film descriptions in the article above.

New York Times, Esquire and Vogue writer Phillip Lopate: The Plot Against Harry (1989), A Kid for Two Farthings (1955), The Heartbreak Kid (1972), The Nutty Professor (1963), Nobody’s Business (1996)

Entertainment Weekly film critic Lisa Schwarzbaum: The Producers (1968), Fiddler on the Roof (1971), Late Marriage (2001), The Counterfeiters (2007), The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1971)

"The Jew in American Cinema" author Patricia Erens: The Frisco Kid (1979), Green Fields (1937), Exodus (1960), Hester Street (1975), Blazing Saddles (1974)

"American Jewish Filmmakers" co-author David Desser: Animal Crackers (1930), The Pawnbroker (1965), Annie Hall (1977), Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), Blazing Saddles (1974)

"Nostalgia in Jewish-American Theatre and Film, 1979-2004" author Ben Furnish: Fiddler on the Roof (1971), Avalon (1990), Funny Girl (1968), Torch Song Trilogy (1988), Europa, Europa (1991)

"Hollywood and Anti-Semitism: A Cultural History Up to World War II" author Steven Carr: Birthplace (1992), The Search (1948), Little Man, What Now? (1934), Playing for Time (1980), The Last Stage (1948)

"The Jewish Image in American Film" author Lester Friedman: Annie Hall (1977), The Pawnbroker (1965), Quiz Show (1994), Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), Dirty Dancing (1987)

National Center for Jewish Film executive director Sharon Rivo: The Frisco Kid (1979), Tevye (1939), The White Rose (1982), Being Jewish in France (2009), The Dybbuk (1937)

Village Voice regular contributor B. Ruby Rich: Where to and Back trilogy (1982, 1985, 1986), Me Ivan, You Abraham (1993), Like a Bride (1994), Local Angel (2002), Zero Degrees of Separation (2005)

Village Voice film reviewer J. Hoberman: Green Fields (1937), Waltz with Bashir (2008), Shoah (1985), Jewish Luck (1925), Lost in America (1985)

Television Quarterly media writer Bernard Timberg: The Jazz Singer (1927), Body and Soul (1947), The Graduate (1967), Fiddler on the Roof (1971), Borat (2006)

"The 50 Greatest Jewish Movies: A Critic’s Ranking of the Very Best" author Kathryn Bernheimer: The Chosen (1981), Enemies: A Love Story (1989), Everything is Illuminated (2005), Unsettled (2006), Paper Clips (2004)

A great list and I'm sure each of us have our own favorites in this list and additional others that should be added. What do you think should be added to the magazine's list?

Read the complete article and see the list of 100 at the links above.

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