Film Review: Incitement (2020)
For those unfamiliar with the complicated nuances of Israeli-Palestinian relations or the 1995 assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, Yaron Zilbermanโsย Incitementย may best be viewed with a Wikipedia page or two open for reference. Thatโs not to say that a film such as this โ one with an intricate historical backstory โ canโt stand on its own without prior knowledge of the incidents and individuals involved, but that these facts are compelling to the point that one canโt help but want to know more while watching a truncated version play out on screen.
Incitementย might not nail its delivery, but it works more than it doesnโt โ and, if nothing else, offers a glimpse into the series of leaps in logic that one driven to zealotry must overcome before inflicting such an act of extreme violence. The radicalization of Yigal Amir (Yehuda Nahari Halevi), Rabinโs eventual assassin, doesnโt come as a response to a specific event as it does in most films that tread similar ground, but from what appears to be a lifelong and family-fed low-key hostility for various Jewish sects, classes and countries of origin. This hostility manifests in Amir as hatred for both the Palestinian settlements that dot the countrysides of Israel and Prime Minister Rabin, the man trying to end the nationโs decadeslong conflict with Palestine at the now famous Oslo Accords.
In contrast to many American films about fanaticism,ย Incitementย doesnโt paint Amir as evil, brainwashed, coerced or predatory. Quite the opposite, in fact: Heโs an intelligent, well-liked, normal law student whose political activism doesnโt even seem to be considered all that radical by the rest of his community. With just a small amount of logical maneuvering, his views are shared by many and even backed up by Jewish scripture.
But besides some repetitive family strife and an inauthentic love subplot that barely goes anywhere, Zilberman fails to convince viewers that Amir is as dedicated to his beliefs as history proved he was. We know how the story ends, but the fanaticism that leads to it isnโt fully formed, and with Incitement clocking in at over two hours, it should be. The story is good no matter how you slice it, but thereโs room for some fat to be trimmed, with exposition and development of motivation taking its place.
When it works, however,ย Incitementย is a fine piece of historical storytelling. Using a technique that could have easily backfired if mishandled, Zilberman weaves extremely dramatic archival news footage into the film, culminating in security camera footage of the actual assassination. These shots become a haunting bit of cinematic artistry that add layers of depth and, oddly enough, humanity to a film already steeped in cultural and historical importance. I canโt say whetherย Incitementย is an accurate or fair telling of the events leading up to Rabinโs death, but I can say that because of this film, I now want to find out for myself.
Originally published by MOUNTAIN XPRESS.
