Enemies: A Love Story (1989)

A ghostwriter finds himself romantically involved with his current wife, a married woman and his long-vanished wife.

Director:

Paul Mazursky

Writers:

Isaac Bashevis Singer (novel), Roger L. Simon (screenplay),

Stars:

Ron Silver, Anjelica Huston, Lena Olin

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ron Silver	...	Herman Broder
Anjelica Huston	...	Tamara Broder
Lena Olin	...	Masha
Malgorzata Zajaczkowska	...	Yadwiga (as Margaret Sophie Stein)
Alan King	...	Rabbi Lembeck
Judith Malina	...	Masha's Mother
Rita Karin	...	Mrs. Schreier
Phil Leeds	...	Pesheles
Elya Baskin	...	Yasha Kobik
Paul Mazursky	...	Leon Tortshiner
L.J. Dollinger	...	Reb Nissen Yaroslaver
Zypora Spaisman	...	Sheva Haddas
Arthur Grosser	...	Doctor
Burney Lieberman	...	Yom Kippur Cantor
Nathaniel Katzman	...	Wedding Cantor

Storyline

Set in 1949 New York, a Holocaust survivor who makes a living as a ghostwriter for a Jewish rabbi, finds himself involved with three women - his current wife, a passionate affair with a married woman, and his long-vanished wife whom he thought was killed during the war and suddenly reappears. The film concentrates on the views of the Jewish survivors, who no longer abide by religious morales and question a God who could let the Holocaust occur.

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Plot Keywords:

survivor | jewish | holocaust survivor | rabbi | prostitute | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 December 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Enemigos - Una historia de amor

Filming Locations:

Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$7,754,571 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Morgan Creek Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Masha: Herman! This is the last time I'm going to talk to you, and I'm going to tell you you're the worst fraud I've known in my life! If you hear that I'm dead, don't come to my funeral.

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Connections

References A Double Life (1947)

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Soundtracks

"Mona Lisa"
Written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans
Performed by Leo Parker

User Reviews

Well-acted but hollow...

Filmmaker Paul Mazursky obviously lavished a lot of love on "Enemies: A Love Story", but the material's thin design shows through, that and a curiously limited budget which gives the nostalgic trimmings a misplaced, artificial appearance. Pretentious drama adapted from Isaac Bashevis Singer's novel takes place in New York 1949, with Holocaust survivor Ron Silver involved with three different women: his second wife, his mistress, and his first wife long thought deceased. Solid acting by Silver and Lena Olin, superb work by Anjelica Huston nearly keeps this stilted formula afloat, but the period flavor was too elaborate a feat for low-budget Mazursky to capture, and the finale is sadly ineffective. ** from ****