Golda is a tense new drama profiling Golda Meir, Israel’s only female prime minister, and her actions during the 19 days of the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Starring the brilliant Helen Mirren as Golda and Liev Schreiber as US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, we follow Meir as she navigates overwhelming odds, a skeptical cabinet, and a complex relationship with Kissinger to save Israel from destruction and the loss of countless lives.
On October 6th 1973, on Israel’s holiest day and during the month of Ramadan, having by-passed Israel’s surveillance systems – not difficult as it transpires these were not even turned on at the time – Egypt, Syria and Jordan began a combined surprise attack on Israel – via the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. Severely outnumbered and outgunned, and without a military background to help her decision-making, Meir is forced to rely on her gut instinct in the race against time to deal with “problems with the neighbors again” and reach a ceasefire.
Directed by Guy Nattiv (Skin, The Flood) with a script by Nicholas Martin, Golda tells the story of war from the top – how late or wrong decisions by an army’s top brass can cost thousands of lives, and how tough those decisions are to make. Mirren is excellent as the tough-yet-tender chain-smoking Meir and Schreiber is the perfect complement as Kissinger, her supportive, yet realistic ‘big-picture’ US counterpart. Mirren’s physical transformation into the stooping, sickly Meir is incredible. Her casting has been questioned by some as Mirren is not Jewish. However, Meir herself was not religious. She strongly identified with Judaism culturally but was an atheist in religious belief. She famously said “I believe in the Jewish people and the Jewish people believe in God.” In any case, whilst it’s preferable for minority characters in films to be played by actors from minority backgrounds, the best person for the role should get the job. Mirren is one of the best character actors in the world and her casting was perfect for this film. At times she appears similar to her role as The Queen – maybe this was done on purpose to highlight the strength and position of Meir. Nattiv has done a great job, combining beautiful art direction with strong cinematography and archive footage of the war to tell a heavy, nail-biting story. The simplicity of the low-tech early 1970’s is recreated well, as are the personal horrors of war. My only criticism is that there are way too many smoking scenes – we get that Meir was a chain smoker but the emphasis on her smoking in scene after scene is excessive and unnecessary. Also, the scenes involving aircraft appear artificial and low-budget. These are minor issues, however. As educational as much as it’s entertaining, Golda will keep you rooted to your seat.
Queerguru’s Contributing Editor Ris Fatah is a successful fashion/luxury business consultant (when he can be bothered) who divides and wastes his time between London and Ibiza. He is a lover of all things queer, feminist, and human rights in general. @ris.fatah
