A young Jewish man develops a fiercely anti-Semitic philosophy. Based on the factual story of a K.K.K. member in the 1960s who was revealed to be Jewish by a New York Times reporter.
A young man's experience in a juvenile detention center that touches on the tumultuous changes that befall his family and the community in which he lives.
This movie focuses on the attempts of a psychiatrist to prevent one of his patients from committing suicide while trying to maintain his own grip on reality.
"The Believer" explores a Jewish student's private journey to understand the meaning of Judaism in his life. Set in New York City, the Plot follows a morally confused young adult struggling with the conflict between his beliefs and his heritage. "The Believer" examines themes of religion, family, and self-loathing. It is a psychological examination into the forces of intolerance, both on the individual and society as a whole.Written by
Joe Bloggs
Due to the film's low budget, the crew could not afford permits and many scenes had to be shot quickly. See more »
Goofs
A copy of The New York Times is shown with an article about Danny. However, the article is not printed in the font the Times uses. See more »
Quotes
Daniel Balint:
Billings, if Hitler didn't kill six million, why is he your hero?... Concentration camps all over Europe, and he only gets rid of a measly two hundred thousand... He's a putz.
[Some surprise that a Nazi is arguing against a denier]
Ancient Jew:
Hitler was not a putz. Hitler was real. God created him to punish the Jews for abandoning God.
[the other survivors are embarrassed by this, but the Ancient Jew ignores them]
Ancient Jew:
It is you who are putzes. Little pishas with your dreams of hatred and killing...
[...] See more »
When I read a description of this film, I thought it would go overboard in the violence and "shock sequences." I was relieved and impressed that it left most of the violence to the imagination. The shock value comes from other places--the content, the dialogue. This is a very thought-provoking and smart movie, not at all preachy (and it easily could have been preachy). The acting is unforced and its story does not fall into the "American History X" trap: Its main character does not become an "all race loving" good guy. The protagonist in "The Believer" is a tortured soul, and his fate (although somewhat predictable) is fitting after the events in the film. This movie is another example that cable movies occasionally surpass theatrical movies in their subject matter and execution. Very well done.
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When I read a description of this film, I thought it would go overboard in the violence and "shock sequences." I was relieved and impressed that it left most of the violence to the imagination. The shock value comes from other places--the content, the dialogue. This is a very thought-provoking and smart movie, not at all preachy (and it easily could have been preachy). The acting is unforced and its story does not fall into the "American History X" trap: Its main character does not become an "all race loving" good guy. The protagonist in "The Believer" is a tortured soul, and his fate (although somewhat predictable) is fitting after the events in the film. This movie is another example that cable movies occasionally surpass theatrical movies in their subject matter and execution. Very well done.