Following World War II, the life of the Jewish nation is uncertain. The United Nations is contemplating taking a vote on creating a Jewish homeland in Palestine . Until then , many Jews are exiled from much of Europe - especially Germany - in hopes of beginning and making a new fruitful life ; however , many of them are sent to detention camps . Set in 1949 , previous years 1946 ,1947 and early 1948 were a years in which Zionist terrorist was at its height and Independent Israel still seemed heartbreaks away . Finally , the state of Israel is created in 1948 , resulting in war with its Arab neighbors . Meanwhile , some immigrants have no where to go , there arrives a former concentration camp inmate and Berlin native named Hans Muller (Kirk Douglas) . After fighting a policeman , Hans turns a fugitive , traveling through Israel with an orphan teenage boy , whom he teaches to juggle while searching for peace of mind ; meantime , being relentless pursued by a police inspector (Paul Stewart) . Regarding his risked odyssey post-war, as he is back to Israel and escapes across the countryside . Subsequently , Hans stays at a kibutz where meets Ya'El (Milly Vitale) , she is initially naive about his sedution and hostile toward Muller's means of achieving his goals . However, she ultimately falls in love with him and with his dream despite their cultural differences and the mental breakdown suffering from his experiences in the Nazi death camps. The drama and the passion of one of the epic events of the twentieth century !
This historic film concerning a deranged Jewish vaudevillian-juggler who immigrates to Israel where and he can't adjust to peacetime life . It is a worthy exercice but results to be slow-moving and boring , at times . Being well produced by the great Stanley Kramer , appropriately photographed in black and white by Roy Hunt , containing a sensitive and moving musical score by George Antheil and professionally directed by Edward Dmytryck , though it has some flaws and gaps . It is a nice and thought-provoking film, but not excellent , about a unsettling man who is a neurotic about authority and confinement , that's why he can not overcome the psychological effects of the war , concerning a thunderous traveling , as well as his slow rediscovery of hope and life . It has the usual trappings of a grand historical fresco about building of Israel state , but it results to be more an introspective drama than an epic movie . To be sure the movie is enjoyable and strong , regarding the plight of the survivors from Auschwitz and other concentration camps . A sensitive and brooding picture dealing with doubts facing the liberated prisoners and psychological dilemmas . Good performances from Kirk Douglas as an obstinate and quick to anger Jew , who due to psychological problems has not to enjoy an easy life . Here a compelling Kirk gives a very fine acting , delivering one of the best interpretations of his long career, as the ex-prisoner attempting to reclaim his humanity later experiencing unimaginable terror and distress . Douglas is assisted by a good cast , such as : the gorgeous Milly Vitale , Paul Stewart , Joey Walsh , Alf Kjellin , Beverly Washburn , Richard Benedict , jay Adler , Charles Lane, among others .
The picture well written by Michael Blankfort was efficiently directed by Edward Dmytriyck providing an introspective look about Nazism consequences with harrowing scenes , though including some brief failures . A veteran filmmaker, Dmytryck is one of Hollywood's most prolific directors who started his career in the early 40s . He was a craftsman whose career was interrupted by the activities of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), a congressional committee that employed ruthless tactics aimed at rooting out and destroying what it saw as Communist influence in Hollywood . A lifelong political leftist who had been a Communist Party member briefly during World War II, Dmytryk was one of the so-called "Hollywood Ten" who refused to cooperate with HUAC and had their careers disrupted or ruined as a result. The committee threw him in prison for refusing to cooperate, and after having spent several months behind bars , Dmytryk decided to cooperate . Dmytrick's biggest film was ¨The Caine Mutiny¨ , but he also realized another mutiny film titled : ¨Mutiny¨ with Angela Lansbury . Edward was an expert on warlike genre as ¨Back to Batan¨ , ¨Battle of Anzio¨ , ¨Young lions¨ and Western as ¨Broken lance¨ , ¨Alvarez Kelly¨ , ¨Warlock¨ , among others . Rating : 7 , better than average .
