GOLDA Movie Review

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In case you’re unaware of exactly who Gold Meir (Helen Mirren) was and what she did, the beginning of the film shows us some old newspaper clippings and TV spots telling you a little you should know about what was going on around the time she entered the picture, being voted in as Prime Minister.

In 1967, Israel and the Arab States plunged into war. The war ended with a total Israeli victory, getting the Arab states to accept an unconditional cease-fire. Golda Meir soon became the first female Prime Minister of Israel.

In 1973, Nixon welcomed her for a brief meeting at the White House. That’s how important she became. However, that same year, four years after her election win, they were overconfident from their victory in the “six-day war.” This is made clear.

That war involved Israel defeating the Arab army gaining plenty of territory. Their success made them the force to fear at the time. Then, Israel entered the fall of 1973 unprepared to face the consequences of their arrogance and conceit.

The movie shows us the Israeli “caretaker” going to Jerusalem and walking into the Agranat National Commission of Inquiry. The commission was created to look into all of the failings of the Israeli Defense’s commencement of the war on Yom Kippur War, so called because it was going on during the actual holiday. Egyptians and Syrians invaded Israel and at least 2,800 Israeli troops died in the nineteen days of fighting. Golda Meir took the loss of these young men’s lives very personally. She took the blame and also the responsibility, something most would have run from.

Director Guy Nattiv used actual footage on occasion. Seeing the woman herself was captivating. Under the makeup, Helen Mirren looked a lot like Golda. While watching, it isn’t difficult for you to believe you’re watching Golda during these horrendous moments. She was powerful, as was her heart. Still, being a heavy smoker, she fell ill. She had lymphoma radiation treatments and her cancer was beginning to defeat her body. Knowing this, there’s a scene in the movie that stands out to me most where she tells Kissinger, the United States Secretary of State, who may have gotten us involved when we shouldn’t have, a story of her youth. When she was a little girl, Soviet soldiers went through her village, killing everyone they saw. Her father hid his family in the cellar. They’d stay quiet until the soldiers were gone. She says she’ll never forget the look on her father’s face. While asking for help from the U.S., she tells Kissinger she’s not that little girl hiding in the cellar.

It’s a great scene. Mirren is unbelievable, but there are few of these. In fact, the film is somewhat scattered, confusing and slow. It’s trivial as a biopic, more war tale than anything. But its star is given another chance to prove her strengths in this performance. You don’t see Helen Mirren one bit. Congratulations to Guy Nattiv for a fascinating film examining a holy war by only hearing it, not seeing it. At no point do you not see it clearly in your mind, based only on what you hear. That said, I would have liked to have seen more of the biopic that, at least the title suggests.