Exodus (1960)

Directed by Otto Preminger. Starring Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, Ralph Richardson, Peter Lawford, Jill Haworth, Sal Mineo, John Derek, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Miller, David Opatoshu, Feliz Aylmer, Gregory Ratoff, Alexandra Stewart, Marius Goring, Michael Wager.

Long-winded epic dramatizing the Palestine War and subsequent founding of the State of Israel after the end of World War II, overcrowded with character and incident that do less to bring context and insight to the historical events than buttress the struggle with romance and melodrama for a more “ripping” yarn…though the first thing that should have been ripped were the script pages containing those cumbersome ideological speeches. Newman is out of his comfort zone (and looks it) as a Zionist rebel, and stiff Saint is the glamorous outsider who overcomes her initial bigotry to embrace the movement; Mineo gives one of the few worthwhile performances as a militant radical haunted by a painful past at the hands of Nazis, while Haworth gives one of the worst as his doomed lover. Not one of Preminger’s premier efforts, made with more passion than artistry (or conciseness), and yet curiously bloodless about its politics, removing much of the vitriol of Leon Uris’ sprawling historical novel. Script adaptation by blacklisted Dalton Trumbo, though he received onscreen credit same as the other 1960 epic he penned, Spartacus. Oscar winner for Ernest Gold’s score; the main theme even went on to win a Grammy for Song of the Year, the only instrumental to ever receive that award.

48/100