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Amazon.co.uk Review
Written by Rula Jebreal and based on her novel, Miral tells the true story of Hind Husseini, and specifically her efforts to set up an orphanage back in the wake of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. At least that’s where the film starts. Husseini set up the Dar Al-Tifel Institute, and that’s where young Miral finds herself in 1978. The film also then moves to 1988, where she’s teaching at a refugee camp, and facing a tough dilemma of her own.
If you’ve not guessed already, Miral is a challenging, compelling film, one that treads carefully in telling a significant and important story. Director Julian Schnabel isn’t always utterly confident in how he chooses to tell it, but the strength of the material itself means that the end result is still very strong.
Schnabel does, on the whole, a very good job here, after all. Although he owes a debt to the terrific Freida Pinto, best known to date for Slumdog Millionaire. Her performance is compelling, and helps drive the film forward.
Miral is far from perfect, and inevitably it’s not going to be to everyone’s taste. But it’s a well-made take on a story that deserves to be more widely known. It’s a movie worth seeking out. --Jon Foster
DVD Description
The true story of Hind Husseini's efforts to establish the Dar Al-Tifel institute and orphanage in Jerusalem after the 1948 partition of Palestine and creation of the state of Israel. Following the death of her mother Miral (Frieda Pinto, Slumdog Millionaire) is sent to the Institute, and is shielded from the troubles of the outside world as she grows up within its walls. However when she is assigned to teach at a refugee camp Miral is quickly awakened to the reality of her peoples struggle. When she falls for political activist, Hani, Miral finds herself torn between the fight for the future of her people and Mama Hinds belief that education is the road to peace.
Stills from Miral (Click for larger image)
Stills from Miral (Click for larger image)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Miral is a compelling and deeply touching movie. I was really engaged to the movie, as the poigant story-telling and inspiring characters stand out really well. It unfolds the actual events following the partition between Israeli and Palestine. It tells an important story of how two inspiring women fought for their country through different beliefs following the partition. I really developed strong admiration for the courage of the characters. The story is beautifully depicted and will really touch you. The movie provides an insight into how the conflict escalated between the two countries and continues to attract headlines. The spirit of humanity is deeply questioned throughout the movie. Can peace and harmony ever exist in humanity? Why do we fright? Frieda Pinto's performance as Miral is moving and drives the movie forward. The support cast is flawless. The screenplay, cinemagraphy and direction are delivered really well in attempt to engage you and evoke strong feelings.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is a film from Julian Schnabel based on the life of Hind Husseini (Hiam Abbass). She rescued some fifty five orphaned Palestinian children in 1947. This was the ending of the British mandate and the birth of Israel; and as history has shown no nation is born without pain. The pain that this film wants to expose is that of the displaced Palestinians.
This handful of children soon becomes thousands and Hind opens a school for them, which is still educating such children today. The theme that runs through the film is that of education versus resistance, especially armed resistance. The paradox that is left unanswered is that the more education you have, the more aware you are of the alternatives and the increased sense of injustice has to, in certain cases, lead to armed revolt.
The film uses the lives of four women to tell the story of the history of Israel from birth to the present day and the internal turmoil's of those fighting for Palestinian autonomy, including the PLO. That said this is not a bloody war based film, it is the study of people who make sacrifices for the betterment and care of others. There is frequent use of actual footage and it tends to show Israeli aggression, but I did not feel this was an anti Israeli film moreover it seemed to be saying that a peaceful coexistence could still be a reality in lieu of the enactment of the 1993 Oslo Accord which guaranteed two separate states - one Israel and one Palestine. This was a co production of France, Israel and Italy, but it is in English. With some Hebrew and some Arabic, it does tend to jump around a bit, and this may have been to attract a wider International audience, even Willem Dafoe and Vanessa Redgrave make short appearances.
There are good performances all round and it both looks and sounds brilliant, if there are any criticisms it is that it takes on too big a task in trying to cover over fifty years of history and despite much effort comes across as being biased, and often spelling things out for the characters that would have been common knowledge. Once again that could have been for those new to this subject, but it still felt a bit unnecessary. That said I really did enjoy this film, it is 108 minutes long but just flew by, and it crams so much in at the beginning, that you blink and you miss something, whilst it slowed down towards the end I found that it still did not take away from the overall cause of the film. For those interested in Israeli/Palestinian matters or World Cinema this is a must see.
This handful of children soon becomes thousands and Hind opens a school for them, which is still educating such children today. The theme that runs through the film is that of education versus resistance, especially armed resistance. The paradox that is left unanswered is that the more education you have, the more aware you are of the alternatives and the increased sense of injustice has to, in certain cases, lead to armed revolt.
The film uses the lives of four women to tell the story of the history of Israel from birth to the present day and the internal turmoil's of those fighting for Palestinian autonomy, including the PLO. That said this is not a bloody war based film, it is the study of people who make sacrifices for the betterment and care of others. There is frequent use of actual footage and it tends to show Israeli aggression, but I did not feel this was an anti Israeli film moreover it seemed to be saying that a peaceful coexistence could still be a reality in lieu of the enactment of the 1993 Oslo Accord which guaranteed two separate states - one Israel and one Palestine. This was a co production of France, Israel and Italy, but it is in English. With some Hebrew and some Arabic, it does tend to jump around a bit, and this may have been to attract a wider International audience, even Willem Dafoe and Vanessa Redgrave make short appearances.
There are good performances all round and it both looks and sounds brilliant, if there are any criticisms it is that it takes on too big a task in trying to cover over fifty years of history and despite much effort comes across as being biased, and often spelling things out for the characters that would have been common knowledge. Once again that could have been for those new to this subject, but it still felt a bit unnecessary. That said I really did enjoy this film, it is 108 minutes long but just flew by, and it crams so much in at the beginning, that you blink and you miss something, whilst it slowed down towards the end I found that it still did not take away from the overall cause of the film. For those interested in Israeli/Palestinian matters or World Cinema this is a must see.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I understand the feeling that this is a worthy film and one to watch re. Palestinian experiences BUT I don't think the film is worthy of the subject matter, OR that worthwhile as a film. Schnabel's films tend to be beautifully filmed and this is no exception. They also have brilliant soundtracks, as this film does. However, the film really lost its way. At the beginning we learn about how Hind Husseini rescued Palestinian orphans, which leads to her eventually opening up a school. THIS is where the story is. While the story focuses on Hind and Miral's auntie and mother there is fire and power in the film. Then Frieda Pinto turns up, as the adolescent Miral, and I think the passion really drains from the increasingly episodic narrative.
What really grates is that there are fine Arabic and Hebrew speaking actors in this film, especially Hiam Abbass,who are directed to randomly start speaking English, having begun a conversation speaking Arabic or Hebrew! Why not trust an audience, who choose to watch this film, to read subtitles throughout?
There is A LOT of exposition in this film to inform and educate us, at the expense of authentic exchange between characters. Would Miral really be so ignorant of what goes on in her country that she has to be told about the effects of Jewish settlers on Palestinian life and land? Bizarre.There are random, pointless scenes, like Miral meeting a journalist. This film is overlong; the screenplay really needed some pruning. It really felt as if it was talking down to its audience.
My hope is that someone will come along, if they haven't already (and please let me know if Arab filmmakers have been there already), to make a film honouring Hind Husseini's work.
What really grates is that there are fine Arabic and Hebrew speaking actors in this film, especially Hiam Abbass,who are directed to randomly start speaking English, having begun a conversation speaking Arabic or Hebrew! Why not trust an audience, who choose to watch this film, to read subtitles throughout?
There is A LOT of exposition in this film to inform and educate us, at the expense of authentic exchange between characters. Would Miral really be so ignorant of what goes on in her country that she has to be told about the effects of Jewish settlers on Palestinian life and land? Bizarre.There are random, pointless scenes, like Miral meeting a journalist. This film is overlong; the screenplay really needed some pruning. It really felt as if it was talking down to its audience.
My hope is that someone will come along, if they haven't already (and please let me know if Arab filmmakers have been there already), to make a film honouring Hind Husseini's work.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A touching, hard-hitting and historical account
Miral is an inspirational, factual story of a woman's strength, resilience and determination to protect and educate innocent orphans in Palestine in the late 1940s through to... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Hope
Moving and Inspiring
This film is hugely poignant and informative. It's an amazing personal insight into one of the most contentious issues of 20th century. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Zainab Jones
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