betterforever128
Except for the Jewish law that says a man is not allowed to marry 2 sisters (which Shira does point out when the match is suggested, but is never addressed further. Maybe he just can't marry two living sisters?), it is a perfect picture. The insight, the mannerisms, the process and procedure, but especially the acting. The furtive staring at the Sabbath table, the awkward passing of the baby. The actions of every day Chassidic life display the characters deep feelings, completely forbidden overt expression and and yet all encompassing shared meaning. Spoilers start here. I think the film takes a very healthy position and respect for the question a woman's role in Chassidic society. I see the mother (Rivka) as very pushy and in control of everything in the house. She makes all the decisions and does not need to consult with her husband before making big moves. Shira is given many choices and her opinion is respected. Her mother pressures her as many mothers would but her father, aunt, and rabbi all recommend she make her own choice. Shira fails to define her own needs until after a failed secondary match. She discovers her own desire, and the value of her own feelings, which she was not in touch with when her first match was suggested. I don't think she is passive or pressured. I think she matures and grows as a character as the movie progresses. She learns that what she needs is not just a random bochur (boy) to be her husband but someone she really cares about.As to the title, although Shira does end up filling the void in everyone's lives, Shira also becomes a complete person for herself. This is what the rabbi was referring to when he said she had to be honest and understand her emotions when he initially rejected the idea of her marrying Yochay. It is what she went on to express to her date whom she rejected on the grounds of needing to establish a home of honesty and truth. And being true to herself is how Yochay eventually convinced her to marry him. The way the story is told reminds me of the realism of Russian literature. A story of meaning and feeling implied by actions and intensity often in contradiction to the words being used. p.s.After reading all of the other reviews I have noticed a couple of regular misunderstandings. First the guy she has a date with after Yochay is not the boy from the grocery store who turned her down initially. Secondly Frieda and the other red head are not Shira's sisters.
Turfseer
For those who are inclined to seek their pound of flesh from the extremely pious devotees of religion, director Rama Burshtein's intense dissection of how an Israeli Hasidic family copes with a domestic tragedy, may seem to be a just critique of religious extremism in general. But as a member of such a community, Ms. Burshtein's intent is not to criticize such a community but to show its humanity, warts and all.'Fill the Void' begins as we're introduced to the larger Hasidic Jewish community during the Festival of Purim. As the Bible says, 'Be fruitful and multiply'; as a result, Hasidic families usually end up having large families. It's a 'Mitzvah' for the head Rabbi to dole out wads of cash to the fathers who are having a hard time trying to pay the bills, given the numbers of children involved. But not all the issues involve economic need; one man complains about his 'mentally ill' wife. The Rabbi's solution: more cash. The man shoves the money back in protest and it's obvious that the head Rabbi's solutions can't always revolve around financial remuneration.The focus of 'Fill the Void', is the upper middle class Hasidic Mendelman family from Tel Aviv. The father is a kindly man, Rabbi Aharon, who's married to Rifka. The break into the second Act occurs when their 28 year old daughter, Esther, dies in childbirth, after giving birth to a son, Mordechay. After the funeral, the son-in-law, Yochay, is hesitant to accept an offer to marry a widow in Belgium, and bring the newborn with him to a foreign country. Rifka's solution is to try and convince her surviving 18 year old daughter, Shira, to marry Yochay, and become a good mother to Mordechay.Shira, a sensitive but tough soul, was expecting to be matched up with a young man her age. The idea that she should shack up with her brother- in-law, is repugnant to her, not only because of the subtle feeling that such an act is incestuous but because she's being robbed of the opportunity of experiencing being a newlywed with a partner who's also going in completely fresh.While Yochay has his doubts, things become more complicated when Shira insists that an older family friend, Frieda, would be a better match for her brother-in-law. Yochay is insulted but soon comes around to the idea of marrying the much younger Shira, at the strong urging of Shira's mother, Rifka.The pressure on Shira is subtle but Ms. Burshstein makes it clear that Shira is never forced into anything. When they go before the head Rabbi who asks Shira what are her "feelings" about her pending decision, Shira claims that it's not a "matter" of feelings but rather, a matter of expediency. Quoting the famed Rabbi Nachman, the head Rabbi, calls the wedding off as he realizes Shira's motivations for this marriage are negative. This decision plunges Shira's mother into despair.Shira eventually changes her tune. One factor is that she finally gets to meet the young man she originally was betrothed to. He turns out to be a complete dud. And then after she meets with Yochay again, he shows her his sensitive side, breaking down over his wife's recent death and trying to cope with all the pressure. Shira eventually changes her mind, recognizing that Yochay is worth shacking up with. Not only is it now for the good of the child but, she will go into this union with genuine affection for her brother-in-law.Ms. Burshstein paints a portrait of a community that also has its share of outsiders, peripheral characters who must find a way to fit into the insular community, despite having handicaps or flaws. One such character is Rifka's sister, Shira's aunt, who has no arms and never married. We're also introduced to a lonely widow, who interrupts the head rabbi by lamenting that she doesn't know how to choose a suitable oven for her kitchen.All the performances in 'Fill the Void' are spot on, particularly Hadras Yaron, as the tough as nails teenager, Shira and Yiftach Klein, as the sensitive and thoughtful brother-in-law, Yochay.Critics of religious fundamentalism may still interpret 'Fill the Void' in their own way. At first glance, the rules by which this community live by, seem awfully restrictive, particularly the way in which children are married off and women can't participate in the rituals, in the same joyous way, the men do. Nonetheless, Ms. Burshtein, through her sensitive story, proves that this community is a lot more open, than the average person gives them credit for.
Avery Hudson
Along with NYFF pick Arat, Fill the Void introduces a new film meme of chaste eroticism, as a young woman creates love to the fierce rustle of silks in prayer.Director Rama Burshtein was born in New York and studied at the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School in Jerusalem. In her first feature film, Burshtein tells the ancient story of a man and a woman looking for happiness.With influences ranging from Jane Austen to David Lynch, the screenplay follows the family of Rabbi Aharon (Chaim Sharir) whose elder daughter Esther (Renana Raz) dies giving birth to infant Mordechai. Only the baby can assuage the grief of mother Rivka (Irit Sheleg), younger sister Shira (Hadas Yaron, in a luminous performance) and husband Yochay (Yiftach Klein).In the end, the decision rests with Shira. A movie unlike any other.
