DbcultAccessing Vault...
4.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 4.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Va'Yehi Be'May remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you are looking for a movie that actually makes sense from start to finish, you should probably just keep walking. Va'Yehi Be'May is a total mess, but it is the kind of mess that feels like finding an old box of photos in a dusty attic. It is mostly for people who want to see what Tel Aviv looked like before it was full of skyscrapers and traffic.
If you hate grainy footage where everyone looks like they are moving at double speed, you will probably hate this. It is loud even though it is mostly quiet, if that makes any sense? 🎭
The whole thing centers around the Purim celebration, which is basically like a huge carnival. There is a tailor, his wife, some settlers, and tourists all getting mixed up because everyone is wearing weird costumes. Honestly, the plot is almost secondary to the sheer chaos on the screen.
The AdLoYada parade is the real star here. You see people in these giant, slightly terrifying paper-mâché heads that look like they belong in a horror movie. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Roving Thomas on an Aeroplane, just with more people dancing in the sand.
There is a scene where the tailor gets confused for someone else and it just... keeps going. The editing is pretty jumpy, which I guess is just how things were done back then. I found myself squinting at the background more than the actors. The streets look so empty and dusty compared to how the city looks now.
It is not exactly 'top tier' in terms of technical skill. The camera work is pretty basic, mostly just pointing and praying they caught the action before it moved out of frame. But there is something so earnest about it. You can tell they were just excited to have a camera in the middle of a big party.
The tourists in the film look just as confused as I was for the first ten minutes. They have this 'what am I doing here' look that feels very relatable if you've ever been to a festival you didn't understand. It is a bit like Solser en Hesse where the comedy is mostly just people being silly in front of a lens.
One guy wears a costume that I think was supposed to be a camel? Or maybe a horse. It was really hard to tell with the film grain and the way he was hopping around. The way the settlers are portrayed as these tough types even when they are caught up in a parade is kind of funny. It’s greatest sin is probably that it tries to have a plot when it should have just been a documentary.
I wouldn't call it a 'good' movie by modern standards. But it is a fascinating slice of history that only lasts about twenty minutes. If you have a short attention span, you might actually like this because it moves so fast. Just don't try to track every single character or you'll get a headache.
It is definitely more interesting than some of the dry history books from that era. At least these people look like they were having actual fun. The costumes are way more elaborate than I expected for 1932. Even the tailor's shop feels like a real place where you can almost smell the old fabric.
The film has a lot of 'burstiness' in the way it cuts from a close-up of a face to a wide shot of a thousand people. It’s jarring. It reminded me a little of the costume drama feel in Casanova, but obviously way lower budget. You can tell they didn't have a lot of money, but they had a lot of spirit.
I think the tailor, Yehezkel Friedman, does a decent job of looking stressed out. His wife, played by Dvora Halachmi, mostly just seems to be enjoying the spectacle. There is one shot of a tourist looking at a map that feels so staged it made me laugh out loud. 🗺️
The music—if you find a version with a soundtrack—is usually a bit tinny. It adds to that feeling of being transported back to a world that doesn't really exist anymore. It is worth a watch if you are bored and want to see a party from ninety years ago. Otherwise, you can probably skip it and not miss much plot-wise.
IMDb —
1925
Community
Log in to comment.
