A Review of the Movie: Everything is Illuminated

There are rare films that encapsulate the emotion of discovery and drama with humor. Particularly on the sensitive subject of genocide and the Holocaust. "Everything is Illuminated" is such a film. The illumination takes place in the facial expressions of the characters. The dialogue while poignant could be excluded all together and the message of the film could be understood.

It is about a view back in time when survival was sometimes by chance or luck. It is about coming to terms present day with dark images of death defying fear, interpersonal betrayal, and the human need to be remembered. Even if it takes an object to bring you back. The object is a symbol of one's presence on the earth.

The film a Warner Brothers Independent film directed and written by Liev Schreiber is based on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer. Elijah Wood's eyes and persona plays the character Jonathan Safran Foer an American born Jew in his early twenties is the "collector," of the family. He leaves his Ivy league schooling for a trip to the Ukraine.

On the surface his mission is to locate Augustina the woman who he thinks saved his grandfather from the murderous invasion by German fascist into the Ukraine. Ukraine at the time of Jonathan's journey is post 1989 and Ukraine is an independent country.

The film would not have come to being had not an editor for the New Yorker brought it to the attention of Liev Schreiber the accomplished actor. Mr. Schreiber read the short story by the author Mr. Foer and contacted him for a meeting. The novel, subsequently published by Jonathan Safran Foer is a fictional work of his actual visit to the Ukraine to discover his ancestral past.

Messrs. Schreiber and Foer met in a bar later in New York City and hit it off because of their links in their Ukrainian heritage and left the details of their collaboration to the agents.

Liev Schreiber's compassion for the work inspired the actor to not only write the screenplay, but direct the film. His compassion and sense of acting know how provided him the ability to portray in 106 minutes a film of unprecedented insight into the generational human cost of the mania brought about by unchecked bigotry and genocide. It touches upon the impossible and often times gut wrenching choices people make and how they live with these choices.

Yet, the film is not dark. In fact it is absolutely hilarious in part. Jonathan Safran Foer is a funny character. He speaks few words and his compulsive need to document every aspect of his family including false teeth of the deceased, bugs, postcards and the like is his unique personality. Not until he meets his Ukrainian counterpart Augustina's sister is the audience clear on the motivation of the "collector." The need to measure. The need to catalogue. The need to preserve.

In Jonathan Safran Foer's biography he tells of his grandmother's need to pick him up and in effect weigh him at every opportunity. With great deprivation and starvation comes the need to reassure the survivor by measurement that all is well. I didn't understand this idiosyncrasy I have personally seen in the past twenty years in people I have met. Now, I do understand. It is the legacy of the survivor that is both tender and sad.

everywhere regardless of country of origin. He wears flashy disco type clothing and is a real hit at disco clubs in Odessa, with the girls. He is a The film is punctuated with humor by the Ukraine family in Odessa who Jonathan pays $1200 to shuttle him around the heartland in the Ukraine in search of Augustina. His lanky of the same age interpreter Alex tries to probe the mind of Jonathan for insight into the American scene that Alex has only read about in magazines.

His English is stilted, and funny. Alex loves the club set and he is every bit the image of his age group. He is a Ukrainian break dancer by night and a tour guide for "Odessa Heritage Tours," by day for the family business.

Alex's family consists of his aging grandfather, a quick with a right hand punch father, a submissive brother and a little brother who he adores. His grandfather feigns blindness due to a variety of reasons. Apparently after his wife passed on the condition appeared like a phantom. In answer to this disabling condition, grandfather picks up a psychotic dog at the local Ukrainian dog pound.

The dog has no redeeming qualities on the surface, except she loves grandfather. The dog is named Sammy David Jr. in honor of grandfather's favorite entertainer.

The story is divided into levels of illuminations by chapter and narrated by Alex. The story is about discovery, recognition and above all the connection of all of us. The misunderstandings of language are virtually extinguished between Jonathan and Alex as the story progresses. The recognition and personal reconciliation of Alex's grandfather is fed to the viewer in increments.

The final chapter, while sad in part is peaceful. The story of human beings brought to the edge of abject despair and desolation who within their lifetimes were able to meet one more time to share a tender moment. It is also about time marching on and the effect their ancestral background plays on their life experience. It is finally about resolving history and the ability to honestly move on.