julieharward
My husband and I viewed this movie prior to visiting Jerusalem in March 2014. We loved this movie, and are going to show it for our annual family Christmas party. We are taking all of our children and grandchildren to Jerusalem in December. This will give everyone a chance to view the culture before we go. A must see!
poikkeus1
JERUSALEM is a vivid documentary about how three faiths somehow manage to coexist in an exclusive piece of international real estate: a spiritual nexus of humanity. The film is only 45 minutes long, so there's scarcely enough time to go into the city's history. Even the portion on biblical archeology could be expanded into a multi part series. Basically, the filmmakers show modern-day JERUSALEM through the eyes of three young women - Christian, Muslim, and Jewish - as they try to explain why the city is so special to them. The problem is - the young women don't get to explain why Jerusalem is so special. Individual sequences are ravishing, with a wealth of long tracking shots and a few astonishing digital recreations. The film itself, however, doesn't have much of a story or point of view. Without a specific focus or point of view, JERUSALEM can seem like eye-candy; visually engaging, but emotionally remote.
quincytheodore
Jerusalem is the kind of film usually displayed on shopping center to advertise the new flat or curved television set. It's an undeniable graphical masterpiece as every shot is done with such precise cinematography. Its frame, composition of scenery, the contrasting shadow and lighting, one can take a random screenshot and it would be an impressive work of photography.The documentary takes audience through walks and lives of the holy city's citizens. It mainly tells the culture of three different major religions from perspectives of young women. They depict the city and its meaning to them, both personally and culturally while Benedict Cumberbatch narrates how the place came to be.It's a grand view of many corners and landmarks, taken in such angle that it is simply immersive. The high rise scene is gorgeous, meanwhile the first person perspective, especially when the camera walks through gates of houses, mosques or churches, is intimately welcoming. Every shot is taken with purpose and they are never out of focus, it offers a steady pace throughout the entire visual marvel.Granted, it doesn't cover much of the more bloody history, yet this is meant for a testament of human cultures and celebration of life. It's simply a marvelous display of excellent cinematography, regardless of one's faith.
espoeth
Jerusalem succeeds in two major ways - firstly, it manages to present the religious heritage of the city with incredible sensitivity and respect. It could have taken the faux-moral high ground of concluding that religion, and not land, is the cause of all war - and thus saved face. Instead, it considers its audience and gives screen time to the three great religions fairly and equally, not taking any one side. It is able to connect the three to a common ancestry through the clever and subtle marriage of archaeological digs and visual effects.Its second success is in capturing the sounds, sights and smells of the ancient city with startling realism. None of the thousands of people featured in its majestic shots appear to be looking at the camera, yet are too real to be extras. You feel the experience of being there in person, peering into ancient rituals and customs from a perspective few get to see.As a viewer, you are left not with a shallow materialistic mantra of "can't we all get along?", but of a sense of curiosity and wonder, and a desire to explore and research what the film describes as the "heart of the world".
AD
