Protocols of Zion (2004)

While rattling through the bustling streets of New York City in a yellow cab filmmaker Marc Levin (SLAM) discovered the idea for his next film from an unlikely source. Striking up a conversation with his Egyptian taxi driver Levin was unnerved when the conversation turned to the events of September 11 2001. Angrily informing the filmmaker that he believed no Jews had died in the terrorist attacks on that day the cabbie explained that they had all been warned of the event in advance so they could stay safely home. Levin subsequently turned to the 100-year-old book THE PROTOCOLS OF THE MEETINGS OF THE LEARNED ELDERS OF ZION which was exposed as a forgery in the 1920s but is still followed by a disconcertingly large number of anti-Semites across the globe.After examining the book--which was furtively written by the Russian Secret Police and was alleged to be the meeting minutes of a group of Jews who were hell-bent on world domination--Levin decided to explore some of the protocols in his film. Traveling across America with his father Levin encounters various hate-filled figures and attempts to understand their feelings toward Jews. His most entertaining Michael Moore-like excursions take place in New York City where he encounters people whose oddball behavior does a fine job of discrediting their views and attends a discussion group about Mel Gibson's THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST. However these moments are tempered by some jaw-dropping footage of an Egyptian TV mini-series based on the PROTOCOLS book and the Malaysian prime minister paraphrasing from the pages in 2003. Creating a fascinating and worthwhile film Levin sensibly discounts various crackpot theories but makes it clear that many of the people who spread anti-Semitic feeling remain worryingly influential.System Requirements:Running Time 95 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating: NR UPC: 821575542852 Manufacturer No: TF-54285 Product Description

Protocols of Zion

The video is totally mislaeding and has nothing to do with Protocols of Zion. I regrett buying it, a waste of money.
very very poor September 17, 2008

Meandering and Lacking Focus, but Still Interesting

Marc Levin's documentary "Protocols of Zion" is an examination of how the ugly prejudice of anti-semitism continues even today. There are 3 main themes of the film- the historical origins of "The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion," claims that no Jews died in the 9/11 attacks and that Israel was behind the attacks, and the persistence of blood libel myths in Arab culture.

As to the first claim, Levin explains how the Protocols were a forgery of the Czarist secret police, and even though they were debunked as such in the the 1920s, many people stubbornly believe them even to this day. Allegedly, the "Protocols" is a secret document of the Jews to take over the world. Levin interviews a street vendor in New York who says that he always sells out of Protocols. Overall, however, "Protocols" focuses surprisingly little on the "Protocols of the Learner Elders of Zion" themselves.

Another main theme is the common accusation that no Jews died in the 9/11 attacks, and that 4,000 Jews didn't show up to work that day. Levin interviews many people who claim as much. The source of that claim, according to ADL President Abe Foxman, is that the Israeli Consulate-General in New York received 4,000 calls from Israelis on 9/11 asking about their relatives. From that, rumors spread and people, eager to believe in some kind of conspiracy, seized on it. It's sad how many people, even today, will embrace bigotry. The filmmaker tries to reason with these people, but to no avail.

Finally, Levin shows some disturbing footage from the Middle East that evince widespread anti-semitism. For example, TV series in Egypt and Palestine propopogate the accuracy of the Protocols and the ritual murder charge. The most heart-breaking part of all is a home video clip of a Palestinian mother talking to her 3 1/2 year-old daughter. She asks, "do you like Jews?" "No." "Why not?" "They're pigs and apes." "Where does it say that?" "In our Koran." Shameful.

I only wish "Protocols" had a little more focus. It's valuable in showing the persistence of prejudice, but it kept jumping from topic to topic. In addition, the filmmaker constantly being on camera occasionally distracts the narrative flow of the documentary. Overall, this is a decent film about modern prejudice that could have been better had it been better-executed. January 29, 2008

Raises questions that it proposes to refute

I find it a damning revelation that this film was ORIGINALLY released with an interview with the 5 israeli Mossad agents that filmed the attack on the tower. One of the men actually admits on israeli television that they "were there to document the event"; it immediately concludes that they were questioned by the FBI and released. "Released"? After an admission that they were there to "document the event"? That's not a mistake....that's leverage. Perhaps to the degree of what John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt are alluding to.

Listening to Mr. Ahmadinejad's respectful and insightful speech after being distastefully and vulgarly insulted by an obviously undereducated and seething with hatred university president Lee Bollinger did nothing more than reveal how shallow these people in acedemia and politics actually are. Last time I check a capacity for reasonableness and a determination to work toward the betterment and equality of ALL people was a foundational precept of the Constitution of the United States. Ironically that very Constitution particularly Article 1 section 10 has NOT been obeyed for the last 94 years. Circumspectly IF there were a politician worth consideration in the last 94 years he would have spoken up and demanded that the chains of bondage known as the Federal Reserve would have been abolished and faced criminal charges.

In the same way men are made slaves and controled by MEN and POWER that interestingly enough never seem to make the front pages. Nothing in this world is as valuable as the value that GOD places on human life. To close this out I will end by saying that in later versions of this dvd the interview with the israelis that ADMIT being in New York for the express purpose of "documenting the event" has been removed.

If there is no shame, no ill intentions, no crazy 'conspiracy theory' then why alter the 'facts' Mr. Levin so elaborately put together?

Truth needs no rewrite. no convincing. Truth reveals itself the wise understand it. September 24, 2007

Disconcerting

I am a big fan of the genre, and I can say without qualification that this is a very well-made documentary. The subject matter is both chilling and mystifying. Marc Levin demonstrates that no matter how many times they've been debunked the "Protocols" continue to be cited by anti-Semites old and new, domestic and international. Following 9/11 the manufacture of new myths surrounding the Jews gives us, through Levin's lens, a fascinating if disturbing opportunity to witness the development of this kind of lie first-hand. It is a briskly made film with its fair share of humor, but it definitely leaves you with something less than a smile on your face. I highly recommend it. May 19, 2007

The Hidden Hypocricy

All the while this film bemoans anti-Semitism, Marc Levin's father has the nerve to downgrade the Catholic Church by making fun of the sign of the cross. Some people in this world can't take it but they can dish it out! Anti-Semitism is horrid, but I have no sympathy for double-tongued people. April 9, 2007

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