Cast A Giant Shadow [DVD]

Quite an odd film, the way the story is told and unfolds.An interesting look at the beginnings of a new state in '48. From the POV of an American WWII vet, who happens to be Jewish, is presued by a desperate group of Guerrilla fighters for his military strategic prowess. Reluctantly accepting the mission, against the orders of his immediate superior officer, a 3 star General, he takes flight into the plight of a beleigured fledgling nation of immigrant refugees, under constant local attack and the dwaing power and presence of the British Empire.The cast of Hollywood elite actors is very impressive. The plot points and flow of the story arc is not! It is so poorly handled, laid out and executed that it shows through, badly.It's as if the preproduction team had never read the book of "does and don'ts in story structure - 101". They seemed to have just gone ahead anyway and hoped they could "fix it in post [production]". This is often a bad idea, but doubly so during the moviemaking days of late 50s early 60s.The story roughly flows with a form of intregue (inciting incident) that sets into play a call for action. This takes a long time to realise. So much so that there is a distinctive loss of impulse and a sense the film isn't what it's set up to be. Eventually we get there, the call to action is, erm, actioned; and away we go.Once we all know what the stakes are, who's involved and why, the ball rolls along wonderfully. A fabulous display of commradery and a splend mixed of male & female, armed combatants, joyfully defending the convoys of passengers and goods as they travel under constant attack from port to cities and towns. Everyone was in this together for the benefit of everyone. To build a home in a stretch of desert that was unrelentingly harsh and hostile.Thus was born the state of Israel. Through blood, sweat and tears. Through courage, determination and necessity.There is a fantastic recreation in such exacting detail of the institutional gathering if the 1st Knesset. The 1st recital of "Hatikvah", the Song of Hope as the National Anthem, and results of the UN votes to accept Israel as an independent state.Joyful and full of hope for their, now, globally accepted new state, Israelis go out to celebrate as any nation would. However, as threatend and promised, the Arab nations surrounding Israel, set into motion both airborne, rocket, tank and troop attacks upon the poorly armed civilians and groups of millitia.Our hero jumps into organised caos once again and sets into motion the brilliant strategy of "make it up as you go along" with everything they've got. This includes dropping fizzy water dispensers, on advancing Egyptian troops from their one and only light training aircraft, courtacy of the the Brits.The human sacrifice is extensive. The impact on moral utterly devastatng, but still they fight on. Cutting roads through and up high rocky terrain to bring food supplies to cut off areas under seiged, under fire and under norished. Through grit and grind they plough their way through. The losses are heavy, the rewards are great. But they won their way through.All in all this is a somewhat fictional story based on the actual accounts of the forming of the State of Israel. But it's more than that. The main players are easily recognised by their uncanny resemblance to the historic figures, even if their names have been changed.This is also a pet project for Kirk Douglas. He brought in the big names of Hollywood to give it credance; Wayne, Brynner, Sinatra, Topol, Dickinson, Holden, Jackson, Kemp, Cuthbertson, Palmer, Senta Berger from Austria and even a very young Michael Douglas in an uncreadited role.Much as this is a hugely significant event in modern history and filmicly comes both before, during and after the equally fictional movie account of the "Exodus" affair (with the backdrop of the same actual events),it really rambles along with unnecessary lingering love interest for lengthy lulls that do nothing to emphasise the emotional cost upon members of key character's families, often kept on the sidelines of grander events. This then makes for difficult editing to bring about a good flow of what is quite a complex story. Too many jumps, stops and starts to hold ones focus (as I have said) on the main thrust and arc of the story. (Hence only 4 ⭐)However, it's a worthy film that had to be made and story told along with a worthy filmscore by Elmer Bernstein.

The acting was good from all involved. It is an entertaining film typical of a big budget film of the time, dealing with a subject of great historical importance but unable because of the limitations of the medium to be anything more than superficial. Worth looking at then reading reading about for more insight especially from the angle of a conflict of rights. We must never forget the Holocaust! We must work for peace.

Remember watching this in my younger days, it was repeated quite often on TV but not sure why I've not seen it shown recently.Still a classic and gives some insight into the early days of the issues.

Probably the best dramatized historical film I have ever seen.

I don't know how close this movie are to what really happen, but it makes you think about how it looks today in the middle east.

I can thoroughly recommend the Region 1, Kino Lorber edition of this DVD. The film is great and the picture quality is sparklingly clear with good colour. A superior product to the MGM, UK region 2 version.

Very good movie about how Isreal struggled for independance good acting from kirk douglas this should be made in to a modern day equivienlent to show that Isreal is a great nation

Entertaining true story , with plenty of action. Good to watch the birth of Israel.