Kadosh is a powerful movie directed by Amos Gitai. Normally associated with documentary films, Amos Gitai deviates from documentaries by creating this fictional film, yet still the film contains elements of documentaries by allowing us to get an inner look at the Jewish Orthodox religion. The movie follows the lives of two Jewish sisters who are oppressed by their society. Amos Gitai revives the style of the 60s, and 70s, by creating a very political and personal film (606). Amos Gitai condemns the Jewish Orthodox religion by showing scenes of women feeling inferior to men, women feeling unclean and impure, and of both sexes feeling trapped by their religion.
The movie opens with Mier, Rivka’s husband going through a lengthy morning ritual before he goes to study. Mier is illuminated, while Rivka remains in the shadows almost unable to be seen. Their beds are separated and the sun shines brightly on his bed. This scene is an extremely long take, and lasts for several minutes of the film. This gives us the sense that the movie will be about him. The scene seems also very documentary like because it shows a very realistic depiction of his morning ritual. He says a prayer thanking God for not making him a woman. Though at this point we are unsure why he is praying for that, it is clear that being a woman in their society is not preferred. In these first few minutes of the film we are already presented with the issue of women being considered inferior to men. His words, as well as the cinematography of the scene convey the idea that men do not consider women equals. Because Mier is illuminated, and Rivka is in the shadows it seems almost like he is superior. It attracts the viewers eyes to him and causes the viewer to think that he is more significant in the scene. These first few moments of the film already set up the ideas that men are superior. Amos Gitai criticizes the religion by showing how men are treated as superior.
Another scene allows us to see how the men belittle women. The priest tells Mier that “the only task of a daughter of Israel is to bring children into the world.” He explains that men are meant to study the Torah, and women are meant to serve the men, keep the home clean and cook meals. We learn many different things within this scene about the Jewish Orthodox beliefs, as well as see the belittling of women. The dialogue within this scene evokes anger among the viewers because it clearly shows the limitations of women’s roles. Amos Gitai shows us that women are clearly not equal to men in their society.
When Malka tries on her wedding dress it is clear how much the women are feeling inferior. This scene is one of the most important of the film because we learn even more about how women are treated in this society and how they feel about it. The scene is very simple keeping the two women in the center of the frame. There are no editing or camera movements, which helps us to focus on Malka’s words. This is another scene that has a very natural feel to it because of the long take of Malka putting on her wedding dress. We learn that women are not allowed to study the Talmud, which is a law book in Jewish religion. She feels like the men don’t want women to study the laws because men want to be able to do what they like with women. We feel anger because Malka says she feels like the men are hiding something so that they are able to control her. Malka explains how women are forbidden to touch the Torah. This is one of the extreme causes for the feelings that they are inferior to men. These scenes depict Gitai’s belief that women are inferior to men in this religion.
Not only are women made to feel inferior, but they are also made to feel unclean. Throughout the film are many scenes depicting a purification bath house where women go to be cleansed. One of the more important ritual bath scenes is when we first see Rivka going to be cleansed. She talks to the matron about her sterility and hopes to be cleansed and made pure. We see a closeup of her as she prays. She explains how she is going to purify her body and cleanse her soul. It is clear that she feels spiritually dirty, though she has done nothing wrong. The prayer is evidence of her desperation to become pure.
It is very clear throughout the film that Jewish Orthodox followers are trapped by their religion. In one scene we see Malka cutting her hair after the wedding. This is an extremely emotional scene, yet without dialogue. She is in a very dark room with only a small source of light. As she cuts her hair she fights back tears and forces herself to smile. The camera slowly zooms in on her face as we see her true emotions about the marriage coming through. Malka was forced to marry a man that she did not love because of her religion. Through the use of this zoom, Amos Gitai helps us focus on her emotional distress in the scene. It makes it clear that she feels imprisoned by her religion.
We also see how Rivka is trapped by her religion when she goes to the doctor to determine if she is fertile. It is clear throughout the film that women are believed to be at fault when a couple is unable to conceive. Even the doctor in the scene suggests that it could be Rivka’s fault for not being able to bear a child. After running some tests the doctor determines that Rivka is able to have a child, and her husband could cause the infertility. The religion forbids men from being tested for infertility, which places the blame solely on the women. This shows that the religion traps the couples in this situation because the men are unable to be tested.
The women aren’t the only ones who feel trapped; however. Amos Gitai gives us a sense that men are also trapped by their religion by showing Mier’s questioning of the marriage laws. He is told that he must take another wife, but Mier fights this by giving examples from the Torah of marriages to barren women. He tries to reason with the priest so that he may remain married to Rivka, whom he truly does love. This scene adds a new element that shows that the religion doesn’t only entrap women, but also men. Amos Gitai condemns the religion by depicting the characters as being entrapped in different ways by the religion.
Amos Gitai created a political statement about the treatment of women in the Jewish Orthodox religion. Through these different scenes we see how men are superior which causes the women to feel inferior, and unclean. We also see how the religion has trapped not only the women in the religion, but also the men. In the final scenes of the movie Gitai’s viewpoint is clear. He portrays the religion is a negative light so we understand that he is against these religious views. The film contains many gorgeous scenes, and uses long takes to really capture the realism of the situation. The film is an awakening to the horrifying treatment of these women. Sean Axmaker, a writer for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer says, “Amos Gitai's "Kadosh" is a harsh portrait of a community that crushes the spirit of its citizens.” (‘Kadosh’s’) The film leaves the audience with a feeling of anger and great sadness for the women who live in the Jewish Orthodox communities
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