The film "Austeria" is a horrible film smacking of the most common forms of anti-Semitism. From the very first scene, which focuses at the noses of a group of Jews, you get the impression that they chose their cast on account of the actors' noses. It is sickening to see the stereotype of "big Jewish noses" in a film, and even worse to see how they emphasize this constantly. The different characters seem to reflect common anti-Semitic prejudice, for example Bum, Tag and Asia's mother - play "the lascivious Jews." Bum tries to seduce a Asia in the forest while people shoot each other around them, she tries to escape him and gets shot in the process. Tag, the inn-keeper, has an affair with a Christian Polish "Shiksa" who parades half-naked in his inn throughout the film. Asia's mother cries for her daughter, who has just been killed, and finds herself laying in the hay with a Hungarian Hussar just minutes later... Well, so much for the "lascivious Jews", the "frum" ones, the Hasidim who withhold from such sinning, are not any better in this film. They get everyone in danger by singing and dancing as the Cossacks are nearby and could find them any minute. They don't care that there are people mourning around them, or that they all could get killed for their imprudence. They sing and dance to their deaths - naked. The absurdities go on with a Tsaddik who rarely speaks, and when he does he only says platitudes or things that don't make sense. Then there are, of course, the Christian Poles who constantly try to save the Jews - only to be rejected. This is a ridiculous and shameful film. I felt nauseous after watching it. The whole narrative is brainless and, as I said, reflects prejudice and anti-Semitism.
Review of Austeria
