Enemies, A Love Story

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Nobel laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer wrote often about despair and redemption, the subjects of his novel on which this Paul Mazursky film is based. Ron Silver plays a Holocaust survivor who has moved to America and married the Polish gentile who hid him from the Nazis. An intellectual, he is not satisfied with this simple peasant woman and so he has an affair with a sultry émigré (Lena Olin). His life is then made more complicated by the reappearance of his wife from the old country (Anjelica Huston), who he thought had died in the Nazi death camps. Mazursky and his terrific cast find the pain, irony, and sad humor in this material, capturing Singer's tone and bringing it to life. --Marshall Fine

Description

Herman Broder (Ron Silver) is a Holocaust survivor in postwar New York, wed out of gratitude to the peasant woman who hid him from the Nazis. He carries on a mad affair with a concentration camp survivor (Lena Olin), only to find out that the snappish wife (Anjelica Huston) he thought had died in the war is miraculously alive.

Customer Reviews:

Making the Best of an Awful Situation.......2006-12-28

Life is not always fair. One must often play the cards they are dealt. The Nazis severely damaged the stable relationships of many European Jews. Herman Broder (Ron Silver) has emigrated to New York. His wife (Anjelica Huston) is presumed dead and he feels an obligation to serve as a husband to the woman (Margaret Sophie Stein) who previously was the family housekeeper. She is attractive enough and well meaning, but dumber than the proverbial door nail. Herman is also having a passionate affair with a woman who hasn't quite divorced her own husband. Can things get any more complicated? The answer to this question is a resounding yes. It turns out the original wife is still among the living. What can be done? Somebody is obviously going to get hurt. Who will it be? A saintly man would be desperate to find a morally and pragmatic solution---and Herman is not even close to being a saint. Might he wish to get advice from his rabbi (Alan King)? This particular religious leader, sadly, is not exactly a paragon of virtue. He is only a step away from being a total rogue. Alas, Herman inevitably seems doomed to make matters even worse. Isaac Bashevis Singer's story is filled with much humor and pathos. The well known post 9/11 blogger Roger L. Simon wrote the Academy Award nominated screen play. This movie should be on your must see list.

David Thomson
Flares into Darkness

4-Star Film, 2-Star Sound Transfer.......2006-09-04

As previous reviewers have stated, someone screwed up big-time with the sound mix on this DVD. If you're lucky, you can catch about every third line of dialogue - a real shame in the case of this darkly witty, Oscar-nominated film. Picture quality is absolutely gorgeous, which makes the sound muddle even more frustrating. (Unbelievable that no one involved has demanded a reissue in all the years since this DVD release.) Still, this wonderful film is worth the struggle - even if you have to resort to turning on the subtitles.

Long and Drawn Out.......2006-05-07

It's a hellish tale about a modern jobe from Bashevis Zinger's Novel. Herman Broder (Ron Silver) is a Polish Jew living in Coney Island after the Holocaust. It is 4 years after the end of WWII and he works as a writer and has a wife whom he wed because she protected him from the Nazis. Meanwhile, he's enjoying the company of another woman during 'business trips' when he finds out personally that his original wife thought to have been killed by Nazis is alive and in New York!! It sounds so absurd that you might think this movie is a comedy, but it's not. There are funny moments, but throughout this movie you will become wrapped up in the very serious moral dilemma of a man married to two women while he's in love with another and the conflicting emotions that all of the characters feel and experience. All of this is brought in a suffocated, sarcastic, sweaty manner, that you feel his suffering. It's really not a movie that I'd recommend.

The comedy potential is not capitalized on.......2005-12-23

Ron Silver plays a Jewish concentration camp survivor living in Coney Island (the time is c. 1950) with the non-Jewish peasant girl (Margaret Sophie Stein) who helped save his life during the war. He also has a Jewish mistress (Lena Olin) whom he visits constantly. One day his real wife (Anjelica Huston) from before the war (he thought she was killed) shows up. So now he's involved with three woman - definitely a man with a big problem.

But the movie refuses to take any big risks; it's obviously a very comic situation, but it pulls up short on rather than exploit that humor (one imagines it being handled much differently and better in, say, a Cary Grant-Catherine Hepburn picture of the '30s). The serious side of the storyline - memories of the war, Silver's insane passion for Olin - also goes only so far. We're left with a feeling of being cheated. The ending, which involves Silver and Olin and a last-minute decision that has dire consequences, seems too ambiguous. The movie is okay as far as it goes, but is disappointing in how it falls short of what it could have been.

grief, love, forgiveness.......2003-07-31

I saw this movie after reading Steven Pinker's non-fiction book on socio-biology, "The Blank Slate." Pinker recommended this movie based on a tale by Isaac Bashevis Singer, for its study of the human condition, ripe with irony, seasoned with despair, love and forgiveness.

The casting is excellent, and the acting is first-rate from beginning to end. Male viewers will wonder how Herman Broder gets so lucky, having three different but highly appealing women in love with him. Tidily, the three women are from three boroughs of New York City, a typical Singer touch, and the movie includes a scene where Broder stands at the subway entrances deciding which direction to take.

Amazon.com essential video

This popular and beloved film, produced by Tsui Hark and directed by Ching Siu Tung, is a standout in the Hong Kong supernatural-action genre and spawned many sequels and copycats. A Chinese Ghost Story stars Leslie Cheung as Ning Tsei-Shen, a timid and likable tax collector. Looking for a place to stay the night, he comes upon a spooky abandoned temple occupied by a tough Taoist swordsman (Ma Wu). Despite his warnings, Tsei-Shen stays anyway. Later he encounters a beautiful maiden (Joey Wang) who he quickly falls in love with. Unfortunately, she is a ghost who is being forced to trap men for an evil spirit who feeds on their souls. A Chinese Ghost Story has been widely praised for infusing the genre with humor, action, romance, and inventive special effects. Memorable images include an attacking mile-long tongue and a cloak opening to dozens of ghastly decapitated heads. The final battle in hell is said to have inspired scenes in Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness. And the film has its share of homage: A group of crusty zombies are reminiscent of the skeletons in special-effects guru Ray Harryhausen's 7th Voyage of Sinbad--and they are eliminated by Tsei-Shen in comedic slapstick fashion, not unlike the style of Charlie Chaplin. Cheung and Wang are a likeable romantic pair, and Ma Wu creates a hilarious character who breaks out into song and a martial arts dance when drunk. The DVD transfer is topnotch, with the film's misty mood lighting and fluttering gowns appearing layered and crisp. It's a must-see for Hong Kong action film fans. --Shannon Gee

Customer Reviews:

"Can I trust a ghost?".......2007-09-08

Joey Wong plays a ghost who kills men for her master Old Evil. Her newest victim is Leslie Cheung who plays a scholar and he comes to town to collect money for his job, but him and Joey Wong end up falling in love. But Joey Wong is supposed to be marrying Lord Black. Luckily Leslie Cheung made friends with a Taoist swordsman played by Wu Ma and he tries his best to help the couple stay together.

I went into this expecting nothing so maybe that is why I was so blown away. The relationship between Leslie Cheung and Joey Wong is actually believable. Leslie Cheung comes across as such a caring person and Joey Wong can't kill him even though she has to or else she will be killed. Even when Leslie Cheung finds out he is in love with a ghost he can't change his mind about someone he has already fallen in love with.

Wu Ma also gives a great performance. This is the best role I have ever seen from him, and he has been around forever.

The action is good but that is not what this movie is about. This is a love story, not a fighting movie, so don't go into this expecting any hardcore action.

4/5

Karma-Crossed Lovers.......2006-05-09

I have watched this movie again and again, and it never stops being a lot of fun. Romantic and creepy, action-packed and humorous, deeply haunting and cheerfully light-hearted, it somehow manages to blend these diverse genres and moods into a wonderfully convincing mix. Some of the scenes are just breathtakingly beautiful, too. And I don't want to go reading too much into what is clearly meant to be (and suceeds in being) good simple entertainment, but anyone interested in how Taoism and Buddhism (significantly, they aren't very distinct here) actually operate in the popular imagination could spend days analyzing this enjoyable film.

It must be admitted that (as others have noted here) the subtitles are about the worst I've ever seen. While the dialogue doesn't necessarily have a lot of nuance, and while the story moves along primarily through visual means (one could probably pretty much follow the story with no subtitles at all), still, some proofreading and perhaps some consultation with someone whose first language is English might have been a good idea. Oh, well. Anyway, their garbled English is still better than my complete ignorance of Cantonese, so who's to complain?

So watch the movie and see for yourself. I bet you won't be sorry.

Great Movie! Horrible subtitles. Nevertheless, a must see!!!.......2005-12-26

This movie has everything from love/romance to superstition and myth.It gives the viewers a Philosophical message as well.For example, Wu Ma the Taoist in the movie, is trying to seek immortality and chants in the movie,very interesting(dont want to tell the whole story).The special effects are also done very well.Lesile Cheung and Wu Ma are excellent and subperb; they are great actors and their peformance is impeccable throughout the film. Overall, great film with some scenes that can be disturbing, but if you can get past that then its worth the trip... Also, a must see for zealous fans of Lesile Cheung.

DO NOT BUY.......2005-12-10

Do NOT buy this version of CGS.

First of all, the subtitles are horrible. It ranges from horrible grammar to senteces that are utterly incomprehensible. The subtitles succeed in giving the movie a low-budget B rated effect (clearly undeserved).

Secondly, the picture quality is awful. I actually do believe that it is the worst transfer of video to DVD that I have ever seen. You can literally see the tracking lines. The picture is fuzzy and cloudy.

Also, if you buy the company's release of CGS part 2, not only are the subtitles terrible for that movie, but the voices are dubbed from Cantonese to Mandarin. So even their Chinese dialogue doesn't fit their lips!

*

Now I know I've been complaining much but rest assured, I have a solution. Buy the release from Hong Kong Legends. The subtitles are perfect and the picture and sound quality makes the movie look like it was made last year. Buuuuuuuuuuut...... you will need a region-free DVD player. Hong Kong Legends sell region 2 DVD's I think. But yeah, thats exactly what I did for this DVD because 1., this Amazon version I bought is atrocious, and 2., its worth buying it for this movie. I actually hold it up to my top ten movies of all time.... and I'm a picky film buff. Hope this helps.

Funny, beautiful, a great time.......2005-11-06

I originally saw this movie when it first hit the USA market. No subtitles! All the Malaysian male students that I worked with were in love with the female lead in this movie. They kept talking about how graceful her hands were, they had never seen a woman so beautiful, so graceful who held herself so beautifully. I know one student watched it over 20 times. None of them spoke or read Chinese!

I, an American female, was so intrigued by their interest, I went and rented this movie. I had such FUN! watching the movie, and trying to figure out what was going on, I rented it over 10 times! Needless to say, the female lead is incredibly graceful, I was touched by the innocence of the male lead part. The male students were all invigorated by his innocence and good soul! and yet he could attract the attention of such a beautiful ghost.

This movie NOW! has come out with ENGLISH subtitles! Half the fun of watching this movie is laughing over the subtitles. I wish the other reviewers had a SENSE of HUMOR! Get a life people! This is a FUNNY movie! it is low budget, without the billions of dollars on special effects. It is touching because the characters are! The story is funny, warm, scary and loving because of the acting! characters! and the good direction! Out of all the three movies made this first one, really showcases! the innocense and some traditional values in the Asian culture, that I at least grew up with. I find it sad that it is difficult now, to find movies with this type of fun, funny, supernatural good story telling style.

I won't bore you with the entire plot, plenty of others have ruined more of the surprises! - then they ever should have. I plan on buying this DVD! I've searched for it since 1988! and finally found it! Yippee! Don't watch it if you are a dullard! It's for people who enjoy a wonderfully goofy story with a fantastically graceful woman, with hilarious "special effects", (low budget!), and truly goofy but well-meaning subtitles. If you have difficulty in translating some of the subtitles, you don't have much of an education! for example, instead of "one" they might have "on", (big deal, once in a while) they forget to type in the "e", big deal you can figure it out through the context. And to enjoy the story, there is enough action, and the plot is so obvious, you can enjoy it! plenty ! without any subtitles, whatsoever! Rent it for a good time! All three are a great time, you can rent them through their on-line program!

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