Golda - Israels eiserne Lady

Academy Award Winner Helen Mirren really played well as Golda Meir. She got her mannerisms, her wit, her kindness, her intelligence, and even physical posture right. Taking place during the Yom Kippur War, this film goes into detail bout the politics behind the scenes and Golda's physical and emotional turmoil as she leads down a disastrous road of death and pain. The film tells of the politics behind the war like a decent thriller because sometimes less is more showing emotions of people as they listen to the war through radio communications. As great as Mirren is as Golda, it's the script showing a war but not the details that anyone can keep up with. The film can be unbalanced at times showing too much info without giving a clear concise telling of a story. The film may suffer with its storytelling but Helen Mirren is a good reason to watch this movie.

I saw it for Helen Mirren. And, indeed, she offers a splendid performance.

I liked , very much, this precise crafted docudrama , proposing a fair perspective about a politician in middle of a terrible war, fragil and the most powerful from members of her cabinet, impressed by sacrifices of Israeli soldiers and unpitifull in crucial moments, using, in wise manner, the relation with Henry Kissinger , admirable acted by Liev Schreiber.

A beautiful film for many profound special scenes, from the metamorphose of cigare smoke to the dialogue with Kissinger in kitchen and the birds on the hall of hospital.

Not exctly a biopic. But useful, for many reasons, anatomy of a moment defining the history of Israel not only as isolated event but as definition of its survive tools , people, reactions, power.

Having experienced the Yom Kippur War living 10 minutes from Israel's border with both Syria and Jordan, I was very interested to see Golda. There is a lot in this film that captures aspects of Israeli mentality and culture, presented in such a subtle way that it is not until after viewing the film may become apparent to someone who reflects on what the film portrayed.

More than anything, however, Golda is about Golda. It might surprise some viewers to realize that much of her persona was shaped by having escaped the pogroms of what is now the Ukraine. She was only a child when her family came as immigrants to the US and the film shows a side of her haunted by what might have been had they not made it to a safer country.

Another interesting element of her story is illustrated by her exchanges with Henry Kissinger. To avoid a "spoiler" I will instead urge the viewer to pay close attention to the inter-actions between them, always behind closed doors.

Golda is a history lesson wrapped in a biography. It is solid film making with good writing, directing and an outstanding performance from Helen Mirren. It captures an amazing phenomenon: the experience of war time leadership born on the shoulders (and in the kitchen) of a woman who carried this burden with incredible courage, sensitivity, intelligence, and honesty.

Many of the negative reviews here focus on the historical inaccuracies this movie makes of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, but the movie isn't really about the war itself. Instead it's about Golda's own personal struggle to overcome cancer, fear, old age, and the many stresses of war to become the leader her nation needed at that exact moment in time. It is a brilliant performance by Helen Mirren that should be enjoyed for Golda's own personal journey rather than for the accuracy of the battles portrayed in the movie. If you put these inaccuracies aside, you will watch a performance worthy of an Oscar and a story of triumph in the face of almost certain defeat.

Too minimalistic, it lacked details about Golda's rich life. It left me with many questions and dissatisfaction. She deserves more than just showing her part in the war and the peace with Egypt.

Her legacy is nothing compared to who she was, to what she did, to how she even became the first female president ever. The struggles she went throughout her political career are not only the war. The movie should have been named 'Kipur War' and not 'Golda' since it didn't even SHOW Golda as a whole. Iv'e expected to know her more and have more personal outlook on her life. Either way- I appreciate Hellen and her marvelous acting skills.