‘Exodus’ Blu-ray from Twilight Time

Category: Blu-ray's and DVD's


Exodus
Exodus is one of the all-time classic films. This 1960 adaptation of the best-selling book by Leon Uris tells the story of the birth of the state of Israel, what led up to the historic event, and the aftermath of the United Nations vote leading to the establishment of the country.

The cast is tremendous. Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, Sal Mineo, Peter Lawford, Lee J. Cobb, and others gather together to tell this historic tale of hardship, discrimination, and determination. The score by Ernest Gold features the heartening theme and from the very first note the film is off and running directly into the late 1940s when the exodus to Israel, then called Palestine, was the only way of survival for many Jews fleeing the persecution in Europe, and the horrible after effects of the holocaust. The score won the Academy Award that year.

This is a story of passion – for history and survival.

Newman plays Ari Ben Canaan, a determined man who is a leader in the fight to declare Palestine a Jewish state. He takes a boatload of Jewish refugees to the front page of newspapers around the world by keeping them on board instead of having them disembark in Cypress where the British are keeping the Jewish refugees. This boat is renamed “Exodus” in reference to the story in the Bible. They all stay on the boat until Britain finally allows them to sail to Palestine.

This is the first part of the epic story. The next part is the effort, both overt and covert, try to establish the country and get self-determination for the Jews. Getting the British to relinquish the territory is difficult. There are plenty of underground efforts, conducted by both the Haganah and the more radical Irgun.

The next part of this story focuses on the aftermath of the declaration of the state of Israel and the immediate attack on the Jews by the Arabs.

Besides Ari Ben Canaan, the central characters in the film are: Kitty Fremont (Saint), an American volunteer who becomes close with a young Danish refugee, Karen (Jill Haworth) the young Danish Jewish girl determined to help establish the country, Dov Landau (Mineo), a refugee who joins the militant Irgun, Akiva (David Opatoshu), one of the heads of the Irgun and Ari’s uncle, Barak (Cobb), Ari’s father and one of the leaders who wants to rely on diplomacy instead of fighting, Taha (John Derek), a childhood friend of Ari’s who is a leader of the Arab community, and Jordana (Alexandra Steward), Ari’s sister and one of the leaders in a Kibbutz.

All of their stories intertwine as the film unfolds and the history of this turbulent and historic time comes to life on the screen. The screenplay was adapted by Dalton Trumbo (who had his own history-making life when he was blacklisted), and wonderfully directed by Otto Preminger.

This Twilight Time Blu-ray edition includes the restored six-track stereo sound. The film was shot on location in the actual places the events took place. If you have not seen this movie, this is the time. It’s one of the top ten classics. And if you have seen this movie, this Blu-ray is a beautiful edition. Exodus is a movie everyone should see.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for 20 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

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