I had a very difficult time with Menashe.  It delves into an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn with a story in which custom and tradition are set against modern convention.  Menashe (Menashe Lustig), a widower, is in no hurry to remarry, despite the fact that his son Rieven (Ruben Niborski) must stay with his uncle until he does.  Rieven doesn’t understand why his father seems less conservative than everyone else in the community, while Menashe just wants to be left alone to bring up his son in his own way.

Joshua Z. Weinstein’s film is a probing exploration of a secretive community; it is so foreign to my own sensibilities that it is like looking at a foreign land.  I have always rebelled against tradition, at least in thought, so I spent much of this film wondering why Menashe didn’t just take Rieven and move to Wyoming where he could live as a truly free man.  The film’s simple documentary-style approach is neutral and non-judgmental, so it is up to viewers to determine for themselves how they feel about the community and Menashe’s dilemma.  I did not react positively.

The other factor in my discomfort is that I truly identify with Menashe.  He’s kind of a goof, just like me.  He works hard but at a menial job with no ambition.  He refuses to conform, likes to be comfortable rather than proper, and sees humor where others do not.  He resists being forced to change his life just to be like everyone else.  To see Menashe struggle was like looking in a Jewish mirror.  But here’s the thing — the movie makes the case that Menashe must change, that he must conform, for Rieven’s benefit if not for himself.  He is forced to surrender, to become less than himself.  I absolutely hated that.

I believe Menashe is a good film.  It reveals a part of America most of us will never see or experience.  It depicts people who share a deep, meaningful connection to their past and their religion, which is the polar opposite of many of us who live in the here and now.  It presents a realistic personal struggle between one’s beliefs and one’s responsibilities, and even shows the way for Menashe to reconcile himself to both.  But I mourn the loss of Menashe’s soul, which I believe is lost in the fight.  ☆ ☆.  28 August 2017.