Movie Review III: GOLDA

September 22, 2023

By Bessy ADUT

Here is Autumn everyone! I would like to start this new season with a historical movie based on a prime minister of Israel.

Golda is not a conventional movie, “Golda” spotlights Meir during the roughly three weeks surrounding the Yom Kippur War in October 1973, when the combined forces of Egypt, Syria and Jordan attacked her country during its holiest day. Golda Meir was Israel's first and only female prime minister.

As a leader in Israel's independence movement, Meir was accountable for concessions between Zionist Jews and British powers. She was also a main fund-raiser. In early 1948, she traveled to the U.S. and raised 50 million dollars, which was used to purchase greatly needed weapons.

Looking at the movie reviews from critics seems to be fifty-fifty. Helen Mirren who plays Golda is so believable and the make-up is excellent you can’t even recognize her aside from her incredible acting skills. This film is like a history lesson in a very presentable form.

If you’re a smoker you may be tempted to smoke watching the movie as Golda seems to be a real chain smoker, if you are one of the people who managed to quit smoking, you’ll be thankful you won that war within yourself as we witness Golda’s health issues down the road.

Golda had its world premiere at 73rd Berlin International Film Festival and also got screened at Jerusalem Film Festival.

Apparently, there has been a casting controversy for Helen Mirren being cast as Golda as she is not a Jewish actress. British actress Maureen Lipman said "I'm sure she will be marvellous, but it would never be allowed for Ben Kingsley to play Nelson Mandela. You just couldn't even go there."

Helen Mirren thought this was a genuine concern and had discussed it with the film’s director Nattiv.

This is a film based on a true story. In 1973, Golda Meir needed to respond to investigations of the Agranat Commission. In a way, it is similar to Oppenheimer’s investigations.

Golda Meir listens to Henry Kissinger’s concern that the United States needs to increase its support for Israel in light of the 1973 oil crisis. Meir is pressured to give up on Sinai Peninsula that Israel earned in 1967 at 6-day war so that Israel could keep U.S. support. Anwar Sadat, comes to an agreement to establish diplomacy in exchange for the return of the Sinai Peninsula.

Golda Meir is an old lady while working as a Prime Minister and handling a war she struggles with her own health matters. There are parts in the movie that show her like a successful career woman and on the other hand your typical Jewish grandmother giving a gift to another politician’s newborn grandchild. There are many heartwarming instances like this.

I was particularly impressed by the way how military and war scenes were handled. Most of these scenes were done with shaky camera and sound effects. We don’t really see many typical war scenes but we get the idea and the traumatic war environment feel. Once again, I see a similarity in how that was done in Oppenheimer and Golda.

In some of the scenes, we can feel Golda’s pain by watching young soldiers dying during the war fighting for their country. Difficult decisions are made. At the end of the day, they win and manage to keep their land however there is sorrow for all the young men who died for this cause like many other wars in history. There was another powerful scene in the movie where a secretary couldn’t stop her tears while typing all the dead ones.

On one hand, we can relate from a Patriotic point of view and understand their need to defend their land and country. On the other hand, from a humanistic perspective, it’s hard to take it all in how many innocent lives are lost during this war.

This is a very serious and historical drama. I would advise anyone who has interest in history and politics of Israel it really does shed light and it’s also a successful period movie.

On a side note, I never heard Golda as a name and looked at the meaning, Gold. Golda is a precious feminine name with English, Yiddish, and German roots. Stemming from the Proto-Germanic word for “gold,” Golda has become synonymous with generosity, compassion, and abundance which are pretty much portrayed by this character.

Golda Meir has said “Above all, this country is our own. Nobody has to get up in the morning and worry what his neighbors think of him. Being a Jew is no problem here.” “It is true that we have won all our wars, but we have paid for them.” That is a true statement also for our country Turkey. We had to pay for many wars we have won in our history, thanks to many of our heroes.

The rest is history, I hope you enjoy the read as much as the movie itself. See you soon again, on my next movie review.

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Movie Review III: GOLDA

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