The Chosen (film)
Encyclopedia
The Chosen is a 1981 drama
film directed by Jeremy Kagan
, based on the bestselling book of the same name by Chaim Potok
published in 1967. It stars Maximilian Schell
and Rod Steiger
. It won three awards at the 1981 Montréal World Film Festival
.
near the conclusion of the Second World War. Reuven Malter is a middleclass modern orthodox Jewish teenager, who is son of a dedicated Zionist. At a pickup baseball game, Reuven meets Danny Saunders, another Jewish teenage boy, who is the son of a strict Hasidic Rebbe
. At first, the meeting is one of enmity. However, both boys go on to form an unlikely friendship. Their complicated friendship is strained by historical events such as the Holocaust and the creation of the State of Israel. In addition, their personal lives and their decisions about their futures also add to their personal drama.
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
film directed by Jeremy Kagan
Jeremy Kagan
Jeremy Paul Kagan is an American film and television director, screenwriter and television producer.-Early life:Born in Mount Vernon, New York, Kagan received his B.A...
, based on the bestselling book of the same name by Chaim Potok
Chaim Potok
Chaim Potok was an American Jewish author and rabbi. Potok is most famous for his first book The Chosen, a 1967 novel which was listed on The New York Times’ best seller list for 39 weeks and sold more than 3,400,000 copies.-Biography :Herman Harold Potok was born in The Bronx, New York City, to...
published in 1967. It stars Maximilian Schell
Maximilian Schell
Maximilian Schell is an Austrian-born Swiss actor who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Judgment at Nuremberg in 1961...
and Rod Steiger
Rod Steiger
Rodney Stephen "Rod" Steiger was an Academy Award-winning American actor known for his performances in such films as On the Waterfront, The Big Knife, Oklahoma!, The Harder They Fall, Across the Bridge, The Pawnbroker, Doctor Zhivago, In the Heat of the Night, and Waterloo as well as the...
. It won three awards at the 1981 Montréal World Film Festival
Montreal World Film Festival
The Montreal World Film Festival , founded in 1977, is one of Canada's oldest international film festivals and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF...
.
Plot
The film takes place in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
near the conclusion of the Second World War. Reuven Malter is a middleclass modern orthodox Jewish teenager, who is son of a dedicated Zionist. At a pickup baseball game, Reuven meets Danny Saunders, another Jewish teenage boy, who is the son of a strict Hasidic Rebbe
Rebbe
Rebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
. At first, the meeting is one of enmity. However, both boys go on to form an unlikely friendship. Their complicated friendship is strained by historical events such as the Holocaust and the creation of the State of Israel. In addition, their personal lives and their decisions about their futures also add to their personal drama.
Cast
- Maximilian SchellMaximilian SchellMaximilian Schell is an Austrian-born Swiss actor who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Judgment at Nuremberg in 1961...
as Professor David Malter - Rod SteigerRod SteigerRodney Stephen "Rod" Steiger was an Academy Award-winning American actor known for his performances in such films as On the Waterfront, The Big Knife, Oklahoma!, The Harder They Fall, Across the Bridge, The Pawnbroker, Doctor Zhivago, In the Heat of the Night, and Waterloo as well as the...
as Reb Saunders - Robby BensonRobby BensonRobby Benson is an American film and television actor, television director, educator and singer.-Early life:Benson was born Robin David Segal in Dallas, Texas, the son of Freda Ann , a singer, actress, and business promotions manager, and Jerry Segal, a writer...
as Danny Saunders - Barry MillerBarry Miller (actor)Barry L. Miller is an American actor. He won Broadway's 1985 Tony Award as Best Actor for his performance as 'Arnold Epstein' in Biloxi Blues....
as Reuven Malter - Hildy Brooks as Mrs. Saunders
- Keathe Fine as Shaindel Saunders