The film goes from Cyprus to a boat to Israel, all while remembering historical events during the Holocaust, Israel, and much more. Unlike many modern films that are decisively pro or anti-Israel (sometimes to the extreme), this one displays its message eloquently but clearly, although it leaves some room for you to decide how to perceive it. Yet it can also be watched as a love story or a survival epic. It shows reason for the wrong and the right and has the ability to change your opinion. Ultimately, the movie leaves you thinking about all it has to say and what its characters had to say.
It has great cinematic quality too. Paul Newman and Lee J. Cobb are great as their parts, portraying real people in real situations. The cinematography is excellent, too, with shots that bring the emotion to you and put you in the mindset of each character. The epic score tops it all off- it is the key to this movie’s wonder. It keeps everything flowing and depending on its variation can match the emotion of any scene. Finally, Otto Preminger’s direction tops it off. The drama is raw and truthful, while on a grand scale that few other movies have been able to capture.
