In this “inspired by real events” work from prolific British director Michael Winterbottom (The Trip films, A Mighty Heart) comes a tight-wire act of a film set in the pivotal and volatile moment in 1938 Tel Aviv when the occupying British, under their League of Nations mandate, are attempting to keep the peace in a city with a mixed Arabian and Jewish population at odds with each other.
Shoshana succeeds to varying degrees as a several different genres—from a romantic drama to political thriller—but I found myself most enthralled with the love story of the title character (Irina Starshenbaum), the daughter of Ber Borochov, a co-founder of the Zionist labor movement, and British superintendent of the Palestinian police Tom Wilkin (Douglas Booth), for the simple reason that Winterbottom sells their passion for each other most convincingly.
Even those closest to them believe their loyalties and duties might be compromised because of their relationship, but the reality is quite different to the point where it might tear them apart. But the filmmaker attempts to weave through the complicated politics of the period and region to give us a sense of the roots of a conflict that are still playing out almost 100 years later. But by always returning to this core relationship at the center of the story, we’re able to examine allegiances, methods, and the effectiveness of violence in a cause so deeply rooted in establishing a home.
The film essentially sets up a series of characters that are either seeking a solution or seeking to disrupt with violence. Harry Melling plays Wilkin’s eventual boss, Geoffrey J. Morton, who uses torture techniques to interrogate suspects but also has a penchant for simply killing those he believes to be guilty of something. Aury Alby is resistance leader Avraham Stern, whose followers engage in a bombing campaign that is ruthless and only seems to enrage the British. The only one with any real authority trying to find a middle ground is Robert Chambers (Ian Hart), the liaison between the British government and the Palestinian police force. He’s also one of the few who want to see this relationship between Shoshana and Wilkin succeed when it seems destined to eventually fail because both are being pulled into different sides of the conflict.
Winterbottom is a masterful storyteller and frequently excels at making complicated and dense situations seem manageable and less confusing, and Shoshana is certainly an example of that. He wants us to feel as if this love affair is the key to keeping this conflict from escalating out of control, which is of course ridiculous, but he somehow makes it seem true. And as the couple’s bond begins ripping apart, the chaos and violence around them ramp up to unfathomable extremes, and the relationship becomes a metaphor for this three-sided conflict.
Shoshana’s biggest flaws might be in its less nuanced portrayals of certain, more extreme characters, but the actors in those roles are so good, they’re able to dial down the overly villainous tones and play them a bit more believably. But it’s Booth and Starshenbaum who absolutely sell us on both the romance and the impossibility of the situation in which they’re living and working. Their only solace is each other, and when that is threatened, everything else falls apart. Winterbottom has directed some of the funniest films ever made, but he’s also capable of such specific and precise dramatic works that you almost can’t believe the same person has made all of these films. This is certainly one of his more effective and still relevant movies to date.
The film is now playing in theaters.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider supporting Third Coast Review’s arts and culture coverage by making a donation. Choose the amount that works best for you, and know it goes directly to support our writers and contributors.
