Protocols of Zion

An interesting and engaging subject matter, and one that deserves discussion and attention. However, I found Levin's presentation to be meandering and unfocused. The film was entitled "The Protocols of Zion" but devoted relatively little time to the eponymous text -- more of a survey of anti-Semitic attitudes in contemporary America. Which is itself a worthwhile subject of course, but it seemed that Levin started off trying to make a documentary on one subject, and instead ended up with a documentary on a related, but different, subject. It seemed as though he would occasionally remember what the title of the film was and throw in another of the "Protocols".

A well-intentioned film on an important subject, which unfortunately missed the mark. I'd be very interested to see a documentary that actually discussed the Protocols of Zion in depth.

This documentary has a promising start: a report on the current day use of the discredited anti-Semitic fraud, "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion." Levin is at his best when he's covering how this silly false text is still being cited by anti-Semitic political activists, white supremacists, and the like. Actually, he could have spent even more time describing the theories regarding the document's source and history.

Unfortunately, he loses focus. After giving his main topic too abbreviated a treatment, he takes a scattershot approach which is ultimately a superficial analysis of 20th and 21st century anti-Semitism and the politics of Israel. Covering the issues of anti-Semitism and Roman Catholicism (and more pointedly, anti-Semiticism in the "Passion of the Christ") for example, could have been its own documentary. Instead, it is just a misplaced digression in this movie. Next, a presentation of anti-Semitism among Arab-Americans and Palestian-Americans, their motives and their views, takes up about 30 minutes of film.

In reality, each of these major themes: the current role of the Protocols in anti-Semitics politics, the tension between the Christian church and Judaism dating back to the Crucifixion, and the Arab-Israali conflict could take up its own proper treatment via documentary. Levin does each a disservice by trying to cover all in one modest film.

'The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion' is one of the most famous underground books available all across the world. Although the book has been proved to be a forgery many times, there are still a considerable amount of people who believe what is written in the book. In brief, the book tells of a secret meeting between a group of Jews who plan to take over the world by controlling the banks and media. I have not read the book, but this is what I've heard what the book is about. This documentary is about a Jewish filmmaker who goes all around New York City and the United States and asks all kind of people about their thoughts about Jews and the book.

This film had the potential to be a really great documentary, but Marc Levin does not go deep enough. Although certain moments of the film are really funny, Levin is too brief or sloppy. He is open-minded and fair though. He interviews all kinds of people; white supremacists, African-Americans, American Palestinians, Jews, and many others. He does shatter some myths about the Jews and the book, but other parts are just brushed over without any kind of clarity. I must commend him, though, for tackling some controversial issues and talking to people who are not afraid to express their extremist views.

Protocols Of Zion is a bit of a fun documentary that sort of dives into the subject of anti-semitism, by covering the strange popularity of The Protocols of Elders Of Zion and how people took what was in that book as complete fact. The filmmaker, Marc Levin, takes us on a trip around North America (but mostly around New York) and talks to a wide range of folk, from Skinheads to Sikh leaders to yes, Rob Reiner, to try to get down to the Zion mystery, on the way he finds out that people make up the weirdest things about the Jews. Did you know they were pre-warned about September 11th? That they run Hollywood? These and other fallacies are explored, but rather lightly I found, nothing really extreme here.

This was too preachy for me. There were actually several scenes where the filmmaker was on camera preaching to the people he was supposed to be interviewing.

In general, it focused too heavily on pointing out the logical fallacies in "The Protcols of the Elders of Zion." That was unnecessary, in my opinion, because most people watching this movie already understand that "The Protcols" are nonsense.

It would've been more interesting if Levin had included a bit more information about the earlier history of "The Protocols," including their original concoction by the czarists and how they were used before and during the Nazi era, maybe with some documents describing how the Nazis got "The Protocols" into Germans' and other Europeans' hands.