April 20, 2006

Film Review
In the Zion ’s Den

The Protocols of Zion
Directed by Mark Levin
Opens April 21 at the Northwest Film Forum

By LESTER GRAY
Arts Editor

Soon after 9/11 a vicious rumor took hold. It claimed that all Jews employed at the Trade Center, warned beforehand of the impending attacks, stayed home on that catastrophic day. As a result, the fable continues, none were killed in the terrorist strike. Film director Marc Levin, hearing this story repeated by an Egyptian taxi driver with whom he was riding, challenged the cabby on the tale’s authenticity. The driver replied, “It’s all contained in the book,” referring to The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

This Machiavellian-toned manifesto from which Levin’s documentary draws its title was composed in late 19th Century Russia by an unknown author. This apocrypha purportedly emanates from a secret meeting of Jews plotting to take over the world. Contained within are such strategies as, “It must be remembered that people with base instincts are more numerous than those with noble ones. Therefore the best results in governing are achieved through violence and intimidation.”

Inspired by the conversation in the taxi, Levin’s Protocols is a meditation on contemporary anti-Semitism and the director’s own Jewish upbringing. Levin interviews white supremacists and debates street-corner Jew bashers. He solicits the opinions of ministers and rabbis. The director even takes his crew into a prison and lets the inmates opine. In essence, Levin conducts on-camera focus groups on how Jews are perceived.

Levin also challenges some of the more common perceptions relating to Jewish machinations, confronting one of the most active stories relating to 9/11 conspiracies. It concerns several Israeli citizens visiting the U.S. who were spotted celebrating as they watched the burning towers and were arrested. Thought by some to be intelligence agents, the filmmaker is unable to completely discount it.

Later he addresses a specific line from the Protocols: “To prevent them from reaching any independent decisions we will divert their minds by amusements, games, pastimes, passions, and cultural centers for the people.” Going straight to the source, he calls Norman Lear, Rob Reiner, and others, inviting them on the eve of the release of Mel Gibson’s controversial The Passion of the Christ to join in a panel discussion to address claims regarding Jewish control of Hollywood. All parties declined to participate.

Protocols’ strongest and most darkly humorous moments come during Levin’s encounters with right-wingers. Facetiously, addressing fears of Jewish ubiquity with a conservative radio host, Levin asks him whether he thinks Jews are even in outer space. Matching Levin’s lightness, the guy says, “No, I haven’t seen any pawn shops on the moon yet.”

Levin visits the usual bastions of bigotry, leaving the impression that such narrow-minded sentiments lie mainly with demagogues and the less-educated. We never hear from the well-heeled and erudite, with whom such perspectives also find favor.

Protocols’ message is not exactly clear. That’s because it’s honest. Levin courageously allows a disjointed issue to be so. In the end he seems befuddled, and that may be the most honest response. n