Rating: 
Summary: Always relevant.
Review: This 40-year old film still seems timely today, with its depiction of the birth of the State of Israel and the ancient religious conflicts that still plague the Middle East. Although not one of Paul Newman's better performances (he seems wooden and distracted), the film shines in its emphasis on the waste that ideological war brings, and the common heritage that Jews and Arabs share. The film's length shows at times, but overall this is an excellent fictional portrayal of a part of the world and a people that have always had to fight for their very existence.
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Summary: Preminger strikes again...
Review: Otto Preminger is often maligned by film historians because he didn't have a stereotype. He made films as diverse as "Laura", "Carmen Jones", "Porgy & Bess" and "The Cardinal". He also made "Exodus". I first saw this film as an 11 year old kid. I grew up in the sheltered German-Polish southside of Milwaukee, and, apparently for obvious reasons, I knew very little of the plight of the Jews. The attention span of an 11 year old is often a subject of scorn, but I've never forgotten how powerful an effect this film had on me. The screenplay by Dalton Trumbo was concise, since Leon Uris' novel was quite explicit in detail. As I said, as a history lesson, your kids should see this, especially if you're a non-Jew. I was riveted. 42 years later, I'm seeing the same story but being a little more critical. It's still a wonderful piece of film-making, with brilliant photography of actual locations (a bit faded at times, even on MGM's DVD version); previous reviewers have already commented on the plot and other things so I'll not go on about the lack of chemistry between the leads. Sal Mineo is often joked about, but this is his second Oscar-nominated performance (after "Rebel W/O a Cause") and there is a true nuance about his character aside from the tirades in which he indulges. His eyes flash at moments when you don't expect it, leading to a "cute" romance with the beautiful and admirable Jill Haworth. Mineo WAS talented. Still, the film only garnered 3 Oscar nominations: Mineo (supporting), cinematography and a win for Ernest Gold's legendary score. This all said, the essence of the message can be interpreted as a history lesson. I was particularly moved by Newman's final speech: "(Someday) Arab & Jew will share a peaceful life in this land they have always shared in death" Maybe it's a little more relevant now than we thought.
Rating: 
Summary: Opportunity Wasted
Review: The film is excellent. However, MGM failed to give it a transfer worthy of the product. Technically, the film appears washed out with poor color. The sound is inferior. They used Dolby Surround when it should have 5.1 Dolby Digital. The intermission was cut out. There are no chapter lists or an insert. Kind of like a Goodtimes DVD.
If you want to see a fairly good rendition of this film, check out the laserdisc. It is complete with intermission. It was manufactured prior to DD 5.1. Hopefully, it will be reissued in a better edition.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating study of a Nations plight
Review: EXODUS has become one of those long forgotten epics and to finally see it on DVD brought back great memories. The journey from Cyprus to Palestine/The fight for independence are only two of the highlights of this wonderful movie. I only hope more epics are released soon on DVD. (What about EL CID IN Widescreen?)
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, but overlong, somewhat plodding, miscast
Review: During a preview screening of EXODUS, George S. Kaufman is reputed to have yelled, not quite near the end of the film, "Otto, Otto, let my people go!" (I have seen this attributed to others as well, but most frequently to Kaufman.) Long, long, long. Needlessly long. Just why this film is so long isn't quite clear. Perhaps it is because Preminger, with Alfred Hitchcock perhaps the most economical and efficient director in the history of Hollywood (though Robert Rodriguez is developing a similar reputation) prominent director in Hollywood history, couldn't bear to throw any film away. But if there is a consensus about this film, it is that there is just too much of it. Less would have been much more. The second major problem in the film is the casting of Paul Newman in the main role. Newman is one of my favorite actors, and he has been making good films even better for decades, but he is just entirely unbelievable as a Jewish freedom fighter. So many actors would have been better in the role. Moreover, Newman doesn't seem as at ease in this film as in others, as if he himself had a sense he didn't quite belong. Finally, for an event as seminal as the founding of modern Israel, you would think there would be more drama and action. Instead, most of the film's scenes are rather uneventful and unexciting. Instead of big things happening throughout, one gets a sense that people merely stand around talking to one another. Still, if there are few truly outstanding things about the film, apart from the length and the misfortune of Newman being in the lead role, there is nothing truly bad about the film. Solid, relatively enjoyable, but just not thrilling. Indeed, despite telling a truly epic story, it just wasn't very epic in effect. Not one of Preminger's best efforts. EXODUS contains one of the great goofs in film history, and one that illustrates perfectly Preminger's sense of economy. A scene was being filmed in which Newman kisses Eva Marie Saint just as the sun is going down. The lighting is key to the scene, and there was only a very brief window in which to film. They shot the scene and wrapped up, only to find upon viewing the rushes that right as Newman and Saint kissed, a mike boom cast a shadow directly on their faces! Everyone assumed they were going to reshoot, but Preminger, who never failed to bring a film in on time or under budget, calculated the cost, and deemed it not financially justifiable to reshoot. So, today we still see that mike boom interfering with their great romantic moment.
Rating:
Summary: Exodus is excellent! 5 stars PLUS 5!
Review: 1,000 words is NOT ENOUGH to describe this OUTSTANDING drama of the re-birth of Israel by Otto Preminger. Paul Neuman stars as "Ari", a revolutionist who is trying to regain his people's land. He is joined by the lovely Eva Marie Saint. Together, they strive to bring about liberty for the Jews. If you walk away without being moved by the passion of this story, you'd better check your pulse. Utterly fantastic! Compelling musical score! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Rating:
Summary: WHAT A POWER
Review: An outstanding book and an outstanding movie. Even I, a grown man, who has seen almost everything wanted to cry.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Movie About Founding of Israel!
Review: This movie is an outstanding presentation about the founding
of the State of Israel. Paul Newman is excellent in the role of
the resistance leader. Eva Marie Saint plays the role of his love interest very well. Sal Mineo also does quite well in his role.This movie tells the story of the Jewish people who are
coming to the Jewish state and the resistance that they recieve from the British and the Arabs.You are also able to see the role
of the Hagannah in this role. This is one of the better movies that you will ever see about the founding of Israel. Watch this movie. You will never forget it.
Rating:
Summary: great movie of their time
Review: The movie "Exodus" was a really good movie with a really good plot. I think the film makers made a good desicion by making the story pretty true to what really happend. Paul Newman and Eva Marie Saint did a fantastic job and pulled off a great performance. Otto Preminger did a wonderful job in the production of this movie. The story was very true to life and the film makers stayed pretty close to the facts and historcal accounts. But in the end they did leave the end open and some questions unanswerd. Also, they could have done more with what happend to the childrens work camp Gandgafna (excuse me about the spelling). I thiink many people could get something from this film like, they could get a sense of what these people went through. Overall I and some of my family and friends thought it was a really good movie. I hope if you read this review you can be convinnced to watch this movie because it very good.
Rating:
Summary: entertainment not truth
Review: As wonderful as the book and movie Exodus are, they are very biased and unfair, and written by Leon Uris, who has very skewed views about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Israelis when fighting for their heroic independence forcibly drove the Palestines then living in Israel out, primary source documentation shows specific examples of this, such as when 60,000 Palestinians were ordered out of Lydda and Ramleh by David Ben-Gurion's wave of a hand and "drive them out" (testified by Yitzak Rabin), the Irgun massacre at Deir Yassin with the cooperation of the Haganah, and numberous testemonies of soldiers and officers who admit to ordering, and being ordered to run the Palestinians out. In addition, the Israeli government has forbidden the return of these refugees, despite UN resolutions demanding it, and the millions of Palestinians suffering in the West Bank and Gaza, to say nothing of the millions of Palestinians forced to scatter all over the world. The entire case of the Palestinian plight can't be recorded in a movie review, so in conclusion while the movie is enjoyable it is first and foremost fiction. For a real, documented explaination of what happened supported by proof, I recommend reading books by Benny Morris, for a view of the life the Palestinians live, books by a well respected Israeli historian, Normal G. Finkelstein, a Jew who spent time in the occupied terrorities, and Thomas Freidman, the well respected journalist who wrote From Beirut to Jerusalem. Also of note is Gloria Emerson's book Gaza.
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