It is a difficult film to analyze. There are so many disconnected episodes. If the scenes are meant to be humorous, they are so subtle the humour escapes me. I am more aware of a feeling of frustration..of inactivity..of not being able to get things done. Not being an Arab or a Jew, I possibly see things differently...perhaps there is a funny side to senseless activities such as building a concrete wall and then smashing it down when it is solid.
Greeting people in a friendly manner as you drive down a street and calling them the most abominable names under your breath is a form of humour I suppose...especially for the person involved. As for dumping garbage on a neighbour's property and then being upset when he chucks it back might be considered quirky humour.
There is very little dialogue in this film, but much is made of the sound effects...the shoveling of wet concrete, the rattle of empty bottles. the sudden cessation of barking dogs. There is one character who says little but when he speaks he uses the number six in all his sentences. An interesting phenomenon for a psychiatrist but hardly hilarious.
There is one scene I find more interesting, almost funny in fact. It concerns a red inflated party balloon with the head of Arafat printed on it. It floats about above the rooftops and is suddenly spied by soldiers at the checkpoint. They are so absorbed in the correct procedure to be followed that two lovers in a car go undetected through the checkpoint. This surely must be a strong case of divine intervention.
There are a few interesting episodes with a degree of originality but equally there are some boring ones too when the characters remain static for far too long. If a sense of humour is required to provide a resolution of the long standing difficult Israeli-Palestinian relationship, I am afraid this film is not the one to do it.
Greeting people in a friendly manner as you drive down a street and calling them the most abominable names under your breath is a form of humour I suppose...especially for the person involved. As for dumping garbage on a neighbour's property and then being upset when he chucks it back might be considered quirky humour.
There is very little dialogue in this film, but much is made of the sound effects...the shoveling of wet concrete, the rattle of empty bottles. the sudden cessation of barking dogs. There is one character who says little but when he speaks he uses the number six in all his sentences. An interesting phenomenon for a psychiatrist but hardly hilarious.
There is one scene I find more interesting, almost funny in fact. It concerns a red inflated party balloon with the head of Arafat printed on it. It floats about above the rooftops and is suddenly spied by soldiers at the checkpoint. They are so absorbed in the correct procedure to be followed that two lovers in a car go undetected through the checkpoint. This surely must be a strong case of divine intervention.
There are a few interesting episodes with a degree of originality but equally there are some boring ones too when the characters remain static for far too long. If a sense of humour is required to provide a resolution of the long standing difficult Israeli-Palestinian relationship, I am afraid this film is not the one to do it.