THE FILM
TITLE: Golda
RELEASE DATE: 23 Aug 2023
WATCH DATE: 18 Feb 2024
TYPE: live-action feature film
ACCESS: streaming on Paramount+ or available for rent on Amazon Prime
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THE PEOPLE
DIRECTOR: Guy Nattiv
PRODUCER: Michael Kuhn, Jane Hooks, Nicholas Martin, Gavin Glendinning, Libby D'Arcy
ACTORS: Helen Mirren, Camille Cottin, Liev Schreiber, Lior Ashkenazi
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THE STORY
RUNTIME: 101min
STORYLINE: told through the eyes of Golda Meir - first female Prime Minister - Israel fights to defend itself from war on both north (Syria) and south (Egypt) fronts during the Yom Kippur War in 1973
GENRE/THEMES: drama, historical, biographic, war, Middle-Eastern conflict, cancer
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THE CRITIQUE
I am a huge fan of historical films, so Golda caught my attention in the list of Oscar nominations. A wartime biopic, the film shares the history of the Yom Kippur War from October 1973 from the perspective of Golda Meir, Israel’s first female Prime Minister. The film has a strong start. The opening montage of Israeli history leading up to the film’s period of focus is engaging, and our first views of Helen Mirren as Golda Meir are striking. There are some weak points throughout the film though. The score suddenly becomes eerie at times, as if for a psychological thriller (which this movie is not), unnecessarily discordant. And there are specific camera shots and angles that for some reason follow the same style - though quite creative, don’t fit the story.
Helen Mirren’s performance and the story’s main character brought back memories of The Iron Lady, which is ironic as Golda Meir is considered the ‘Iron Lady of Israel’. Using a few seconds of real footage of Meir from 1973 throughout the film, we see how Mirren truly brought Golda to life on the screen. Golda’s body is plagued by lymphoma, yet she strives to set her mind and will to serve her country. I’m sure Helen Mirren was on the Oscar shortlist for Best Actress; it would have been fitting to see her nominated for this role.
Golda has been nominated for Makeup & Hairstyling, which is also fitting once you see the comparison to the real woman. Helen Mirren is the mirror image of Golda Meir. The artists & designers paid attention to every detail - the hair, the cheeks, the legs, the neck. This was certainly their film to star in.
The Yom Kippur War is a part of history that I had no knowledge or understanding about prior, I didn’t know who Golda Meir was, so I went into this film as a blank canvas. I enjoyed learning while watching. Favorite moments include the various montages of real war footage that cut across the screen as Golda hears reports from the front lines. The look on her face is heavy, and there are only a few people who have lived that could understand the weight she feels in those moments. As any historical film should do, it left me incredibly curious for more of the story.
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THE RECEPTION
NOMINATIONS
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THE IMPRESSION
IN A SINGLE WORD: eye-opening
MOST STRIKING ELEMENT: un-taught history, SFX makeup
REWATCH: no
RATING: 3 // 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐
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