The Long Way Home . Austin Chronicle . 03-23-98

The Long Way Home

DIRECTED BY: Mark Jonathan Harris

REVIEWED: 03-23-98

This Oscar-nominated documentary about the struggle to establish the Jewish state of Israel following the Holocaust is a powerful work that's almost flawless in its execution. Using remarkable film footage, archival photography, and narration by Morgan Freeman, The Long Way Home relates how the survivors of Hitler's reign of terror defied all odds to return to the land of milk and honey, the homeland of Israel. The obstacles standing between them and their destination will appall those not familiar with this blemished chapter in world history: the Allies' inability to address effectively the issue of "displaced persons" freed from the concentration camps at war's end; British intransigence toward allowing greater immigration to the Holy Land; and of, course, rampant anti-Semitism in the highest of government ranks. Of course, The Long Way Home expresses one perspective on the question of Jewish claim to Israel -- it's produced by the Simon Wiesenthal Center -- that some may find oversimplifies the issue. Be that as it may, whatever your beliefs on the matter, it's hard to deny the exquisite telling of this extraordinary story.

--Steve Davis

Capsule Reviews
The Long Way Home

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