The Chosen **** (1981, Maximilian Schell, Rod Steiger, Robby Benson, Barry Miller) – Classic Movie Review 7777

Director Jeremy Paul Kagan’s 1981 drama The Chosen is a first-rate film from Chaim Potok’s novel about two late teenage boys in Forties New York (it is 1944 in Brooklyn) – Hasidic Orthodox Jewish boy Danny Saunders (Robby Benson) and Zionist Jewish boy Reuven Malter (Barry Miller) – whose friendship is interrupted by the feud between their families.

The two young actors are warm and charismatic, and Rod Steiger unexpectedly distinguishes himself as Benson’s strict rabbi father, Reb Saunders, with Maximilian Schell strong too as Professor David Malter.

The Chosen is a movie about people, atmosphere and feelings, and made with the greatest attention to all these by director Kagan, who, like his actors, goes for sharp truth and avoids the pitfalls of sentimentality. Edwin Gordon’s screenplay is excellent.

Also in the cast are Hildy Brooks as Mrs Saunders, Ron Rifkin as Baseball Coach, Val Avery, Robert John Burke as Levi Saunders, Lonny Price as Davey, Evan Handler as Sidney Goldberg and Kaethe Fine as Shaindel Saunders. It is Robert John Burke’s film debut (billed as Robert Burke).

The Chosen is directed by Jeremy Paul Kagan, runs 108 minutes, is made by Chosen Film Company and Landau, is released by Twentieth Century Fox, is written by Edwin Gordon, is shot by Arthur Ornitz, is produced by Edie Landau and Ely Landau, is scored by Elmer Bernstein and is designed by Stuart Wurtzel.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7777

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