Josef in Micraim: A Strange, Dusty Bit of History

Is it worth your time?

Honestly? Only if you are a completionist for early 20th-century religious dramas or have a weird, specific interest in the Yiddish stage scene. If you prefer your movies to have, you know, movement, skip it. You'll probably hate it if you get bored by long, stationary shots where people just stand around shouting their lines to the rafters.

The film starts with Joseph, played with an intensity that borders on the comical, getting the short end of the stick from his brothers. It’s the classic story, but it feels like it’s being performed in a room with very thick curtains. Everything feels heavy. The drama is cranked up to an eleven, and the silence between lines is sometimes longer than the actual dialogue.

Odd moments and observations

• The twenty pieces of silver look suspiciously like they came from a local prop bin in the late twenties.
• Sigmund Zuckerberg has this habit of staring directly into the lens during his soliloquies, which is honestly kind of terrifying.
• The background sets look like they might fall over if someone sneezed too hard.

It’s funny comparing this to something like The Wrestler. One is a masterclass in modern, sweaty desperation, and the other is… well, this. It feels like watching a play that forgot it was being filmed. There’s a distinct lack of cinematic language here. It’s just people standing in a line, waiting for their turn to look sad or angry.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Josef in Micraim (1932) through its definitive frames.

There's a scene near the middle where the brothers are arguing, and the pacing just stops dead. It lingers on their faces for an eternity. I checked my watch twice. I actually wondered if the reel had gotten stuck, but no, it’s just the director wanting us to really, really soak in the betrayal.

If you've seen Der keusche Josef, you might expect a bit more levity or at least a different tone. Nope. This one stays in the mud the whole time. It’s not necessarily bad, just very, very committed to being a downer. It feels like it belongs in a museum more than a living room.

There’s a strange, dusty quality to the whole thing. It feels like the air in the studio was thick with makeup powder and old dreams. You can almost smell the greasepaint. It’s an interesting artifact, sure. But as a watch? It’s a chore. 🎞️