MovieChat Forums > Daniel Deronda (2002) Discussion > mordechai

mordechai

posted 21 years ago by voodooqueen126
10 replies | jump to latest

did anybody find the portrayal of the jews in daniel deronda slightly offensive? i liked this peice but i though mordechai was slightly over the top.

[–] la_bella_despinetta 21 years ago

It's quite true to the book, and you have to remember that the book was written in a different era with different standards.

[–] styleequeen 20 years ago

For it's time the portrayal is actually very sympathetic. In the book even Sir Hugo and the (female) Meyricks have anti-Sematic sentiments, though are ultimately supportive of Daniel's choice. The fact that the hero converts at the end of the story is a big leap for the era. Many people still thought that Shylock was a reasonable portryal of a Jew.

[–] rhia83 20 years ago

Actually, if you go to the website (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/deronda/ei_judaism.html), you will find that the character of Mordecai was actually based on Emmanuel Deutsch, a Jewish scholar and one of Eliot's close friends. I'm Jewish, and I absolutely was NOT offended whatsoever.

[–] Katrelle 20 years ago

Mordecai was definitely my favourite character in the series and the main reason that i read the book. I wanted to know if the series' portrayal of him was good and it was. My grandfather was Jewish but i never met him. After i saw the series and read the book it really inspired me to find out about my heritage.

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] voodooqueen126 19 years ago

he just seemed such a mystical character...

Do I look as if I care?

[–] spiffyjellybean 19 years ago

He's quite mystical in the book, so I suppose they were staying close to the book, which has many interesting prophetical passages on Jewish history and things.

[–] tsmith11169 19 years ago

im jewish too and wasnt offended. i think mordechai was a character who was supposed to represent a jew with zionistic hopes which i think started to just take off at the time of this book (im probably wrong lol). oh yeah, i too really liked his character.

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] catalina_caesar 17 years ago

I don't find the portrayal of Jews in this film offensive at all; indeed, it seems that the Jewish characters represented conscience in the story.