Divine Intervention (2003)
83%RT Audience Score: 78%
Awards & Nominations: 6 wins & 2 nominations
Suleiman utilizes absurdist humor to craft a provocative, original film
Divine Intervention is a film that’s both hilarious and terrifying, making it the perfect antidote to the chaos of the world. While the visual puns and sight gags may not have you rolling on the floor laughing, they’ll definitely get you thinking and debating. Elia Suleiman’s sharp observations of life in the Arab-Israeli region are both surreal and valid, and the film’s non-narrative style mixes agitprop with Pythonesque silliness. It’s like Buster Keaton meets Monty Python in the Middle East, and it’s a must-see for anyone who wants to laugh, think, and be entertained all at once.
Production Company(ies)
Hideout Pictures, Shout! Factory Shout! Studios,
Distributor
Avatar Films
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
East Jerusalem, Palestine
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2002
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby SR
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 32m
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Language(s):Arabic, Hebrew, English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jan 17, 2003 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 12, 2005
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Elia Suleiman, Manal Khader, Nayef Fahoum Daher, George Ibrahim, George Khleifi, Avi Kleinberger, directed by Elia Suleiman, written by Elia Suleiman, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Roger Moore, Marc Savlov, Chris Vognar, Ty Burr, Roger Ebert, Michael Wilmington, Mark Halverson, Jordan Hiller, Josh Ralske, Jules Brenner, Philip Martin, produced by Humbert Balsan, MPAA rating, Israeli checkpoint, Palestinian-Israeli conflict, absurdist humor, provocative, original film, art, political point, deadpan wit, inner angst, black comedy, surreal stylization, Buster Keaton, Pythonesque silliness, Tati syndrome, mythological symbols, poesie, humanitarian cycle, love story, unexpected moments, original, bold
Worldwide gross: $1,675,596
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $2,779,081
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,331
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 303,062
US/Canada gross: $421,343
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $698,824
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,258
US/Canada opening weekend: $13,228
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $21,939
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,481
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Manal Khader – Woman
Nayef Fahoum Daher – E.S.’s Father
George Ibrahim – Santa Claus
George Khleifi – Jerusalem Neighbor
Avi Kleinberger – Trainer & Tax Collector
Director(s)
Elia Suleiman
Writer(s)
Elia Suleiman
Producer(s)
Humbert Balsan
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
6 wins & 2 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (68) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (55) | Rotten (13)
The visual puns, sight gags and the little parables told by the few speaking characters are rarely laugh-out-loud funny. But they provoke thought, debate and diverse interpretations.
June 20, 2003 | Rating: 4/5
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
It’s ridiculous and smart, hilarious and terrifying, difficult to swallow and probably a necessary antidote to the cacophonous history of a land that all too often seems anything but holy.
May 11, 2003 | Rating: 3/5
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
It makes for an intriguing example of how to use art, rather than bombs, to make a sustained political point.
May 8, 2003 | Rating: B
Chris Vognar
Dallas Morning News
TOP CRITIC
Simmering, sharply observed work.
April 25, 2003 | Rating: 3/4
Ty Burr
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
Suleiman’s argument seems to be that the situation between Palestinians and Israelis has settled into an hopeless stalemate, in which everyday life incorporates elements of paranoia, resentment and craziness.
April 25, 2003 | Rating: 3/4
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
A film whose eerie blend of deadpan wit and inner angst upset all your expectations.
April 24, 2003 | Rating: 3.5/4
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
August 7, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Mark Halverson
Sacramento News & Review
Elia Suleiman is a talented man who made a striking film to voice the sorrows of his people and there are sorrows to be lamented, but his film is drawn from an ugliness and intellectual dishonesty that besmirches any lesson that could possibly be extracte
August 17, 2006 | Rating: 2/4
Jordan Hiller
Bangitout.com
A mordantly amusing black comedy about life among the Arab citizens of Israel.
September 8, 2005 | Rating: 6/10
Josh Ralske
All Movie Guide
Life in the Arab-Israeli region has a random and arbitrary unintelligibility, if this surreal stylization validly reflects it. But, validity comes into question.
August 7, 2005 | Rating: 2.5/5
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals
…a non-narrative film that mixes agitprop with Pythonesque silliness and an almost stately, rueful kind of slapstick that recalls Buster Keaton in tone if not physicality.
January 17, 2005 | Rating: B+
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
August 7, 2004 | Rating: B+
Daniel Kasman
d+kaz. intelligent movie reviews…
Plot
In Divine Intervention, lovers from different cities meet at an Israeli checkpoint and observe the unfolding events, using absurdist humor to craft a provocative and original film.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Divine Intervention on Fresh Kernels.
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