Protocols of Zion (2005) User Reviews

A promising, yet disappointing film

[jtolleson · 5/10 · 16 July 2006]

This documentary has a promising start: a report on the current day use of the discredited anti-Semitic fraud, "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion." Levin is at his best when he's covering how this silly false text is still being cited by anti-Semitic political activists, white supremacists, and the like. Actually, he could have spent even more time describing the theories regarding the document's source and history.

Unfortunately, he loses focus. After giving his main topic too abbreviated a treatment, he takes a scattershot approach which is ultimately a superficial analysis of 20th and 21st century anti-Semitism and the politics of Israel. Covering the issues of anti-Semitism and Roman Catholicism (and more pointedly, anti-Semiticism in the "Passion of the Christ") for example, could have been its own documentary. Instead, it is just a misplaced digression in this movie. Next, a presentation of anti-Semitism among Arab-Americans and Palestian-Americans, their motives and their views, takes up about 30 minutes of film.

In reality, each of these major themes: the current role of the Protocols in anti-Semitics politics, the tension between the Christian church and Judaism dating back to the Crucifixion, and the Arab-Israali conflict could take up its own proper treatment via documentary. Levin does each a disservice by trying to cover all in one modest film.

starts with a central point, but loses it somewhere

[selfishbastid · 7/10 · 17 July 2006]

First of all, it's a very interesting theory. Jews being warned about 9/11, a plan for global domination, etc. However, it doesn't stay focused on the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, it becomes a window into anti-Semetic sentiments in the U.S. on a whole. For this reason I think it should have a different title, because it's misleading. A loose theme pervades the film by stretching out the different protocols as the filmmaker encounters different opinions on Jews in general. There are very passionate views expressed throughout, some pro-Jew and some not. What makes it compelling viewing is that so many people want to believe that Jews are responsible for the evil in the world, when in fact they have been on both sides of the equation from the beginning of time. Yes, there are many Jews who have prospered in America and throughout Europe, but at what cost? Why are the perceptions of Jews so extreme? Why do all the Palestinians in the movie come across so angry and full of venom towards Jews? Why do so many Jews hate the government, or current administration, if in fact they are so powerful within it? These are all topics I wanted to see more of. So, to summarize, Protocols isn't a bad film by any means, however I found the title to be misleading.

Could have been much better.

[DhavalVyas · 6/10 · 25 December 2006]

'The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion' is one of the most famous underground books available all across the world. Although the book has been proved to be a forgery many times, there are still a considerable amount of people who believe what is written in the book. In brief, the book tells of a secret meeting between a group of Jews who plan to take over the world by controlling the banks and media. I have not read the book, but this is what I've heard what the book is about. This documentary is about a Jewish filmmaker who goes all around New York City and the United States and asks all kind of people about their thoughts about Jews and the book.

This film had the potential to be a really great documentary, but Marc Levin does not go deep enough. Although certain moments of the film are really funny, Levin is too brief or sloppy. He is open-minded and fair though. He interviews all kinds of people; white supremacists, African-Americans, American Palestinians, Jews, and many others. He does shatter some myths about the Jews and the book, but other parts are just brushed over without any kind of clarity. I must commend him, though, for tackling some controversial issues and talking to people who are not afraid to express their extremist views.

Zionists! Yikes!

[Spuzzlightyear · 7/10 · 8 October 2005]

Protocols Of Zion is a bit of a fun documentary that sort of dives into the subject of anti-semitism, by covering the strange popularity of The Protocols of Elders Of Zion and how people took what was in that book as complete fact. The filmmaker, Marc Levin, takes us on a trip around North America (but mostly around New York) and talks to a wide range of folk, from Skinheads to Sikh leaders to yes, Rob Reiner, to try to get down to the Zion mystery, on the way he finds out that people make up the weirdest things about the Jews. Did you know they were pre-warned about September 11th? That they run Hollywood? These and other fallacies are explored, but rather lightly I found, nothing really extreme here.

Go Do Good

[oneloveall · 7/10 · 2 July 2006]

This edgy doc hopefully will engage viewers in the politics and psychology of hate better then it's countless counterparts, no doubt due to Marc Levin's dedication to actual documentation rather then agenda pushing. While this Jewish director obviously believes in his cause, his unabashed objectivity in showing his detractors method's does not necessarily nullify some of their villainous claims. This makes for a more interesting, more accessible anti-violence work, rather then the strict anti-Semitic angle some will only be willing to see. The production and technical limitations are there, but this heated film should not have you worried about it's occasional visual setbacks. Despite it's scattered nature, what helps separate this discussion on hate, and so much more crucially-ignorance, from many countless other similar fare is the many less polished voices displaying the hungry undertones that haunt our less fortunate people spiritually caught up in the Isreali/Palistinian or America/Iraq debate. Levin is humble enough to hear the knowledge anyone has, not just "officials" mired in their own rhetoric. Instead we get the views of all different collective rhetoric's and it is only in that detached vantage point does one hopefully realize the futile and destructive nature of doing nothing more then misreading our own internal hatred for any miserable excuse of a life, and projecting it outward to the unknown in order to deny it's origin. Complete cycles of utterly mind blowing movements of human stupidity may be averted once simple psychological truths like the analysis of blind hatred can be understood by any average joe. All righteous filmmakers: may you continue to articulate these sentiments in these increasingly tense times.

One man's journey for some truth

[lastliberal · 6/10 · 3 September 2007]

I am sure that most people have heard that Jews were warned before the planes hit the towers on September 11th, and they stayed home to be safe. Producer/Director Marc Levin went out in a search for the truth about feeling towards Jews using the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, an anti-semitic book, as a springboard.

His interviews with skinheads, and Arabs and Nazi's and his use of historical footage of notable anti-Semites like Henry Ford and Father Coughlin and George Lincoln Rockwell really made this film interesting.

I have to admit that there were some very funny parts where he showed the belief about Jews, but I also have to be cognizant of the fact that these parts are not funny to Jews.

The only criticism I had of the documentary was the way it rambled. It just seemed to go all over the place. As it lost focus at times. I lost interest, but Levin always managed to get me back.

Well worth watching for personal knowledge.

not a documentary or debunking of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion

[FieCrier · 3/10 · 13 March 2008]

Disappointing documentary, totally misnamed, and even if retitled, still pretty scattershot.

The filmmaker starts with the question of why Jews were blamed for 9/11 and returns to that in the end, but he doesn't really even explore that issue. He also digs out an old box of JFK conspiracy material he collected as a kid, to serve no particular point. Perhaps he means to show how conspiracies can be appealing, though he doesn't say so.

There's random footage of various anti-Semitic historical figures, and ignorant people on the street. There's some, but not much, by way of balance - gentiles who don't believe the Protocols or who don't harbor prejudice against the Jews. As others have noted, he seems bigoted against Arabs, and is rather confrontational and didactic.

A shame, really.

Interesting and entertaining, if a bit rambling

[ink-stained · 8/10 · 12 November 2005]

The Protocols was obviously a very personal project for Levin, his chance to get at the eternal question: why always the Jews? It was inspired by a single conversation the filmmaker had with an Arab cabdriver who was convinced that Israel was behind the 9-11 attacks. How did the cab driver know this? Because he had read it in the book "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion."

The century-old book purports to be the minutes of a secret meeting of Jewish leaders in which they lay out their plans for world domination. In fact, it's a fraud; most of the book was plagiarized from earlier works of fiction. Mainstream western society declared it out-of-bounds over 80 years ago. Yet as Levin documents the book remains remarkably popular both on the fringes of American society and throughout the Arab and Muslim worlds.

Levin tries to get to the bottom of this by interviewing neo-Nazis, Palestinians, radical black activists, conspiracy theorists, Christian evangelical leaders and various Jews. The most fascinating and disturbing bits are clips from Arab TV shows which dramatize the Protocols as if they were historical fact.

He never quite gets to the bottom of it -- he's not exactly the most probing of interviewers -- but the results are never less than fascinating. He deserves enormous credit for his bravery in talking to many of these people as well as his willingness to explore the "don't go there" areas of Jewish conspiracy myths. Watch it with some friends then go to a coffee shop and have a good discussion.

Levin wants more than he's giving his audience

[Ryu_Darkwood · 7/10 · 14 September 2007]

I had mixed feelings after watching this movie. It is a good thing to smash the '' protocols of Zion '' to smithereens by showing the ridiculous side of it. The protocols are just a bunch of lies written by the soviet propaganda machine to blacken the Jewish population in that period of time. There's nothing more to it. But that doesn't mean that it's not true that the Jewish community has a fair amount of influence in western politics. In the conflict between Israel and Palestina it is quite obvious that there is more political aid to the Israelian side than to that of the Palestinians. The rise of antisemitism in the Arabic world is therefore far more difficult to comprehend than the way Levin portrays it in his movie.

I'm not a fan of using false sentimentality to show your point. And that's exactly what Levin is doing by ending the story with a holocaust survivor and a widow that lost her Jewish partner. By implementing these scenes, it's quite obvious that Levin lost all criticism. He doesn't want us to show the real story behind the rising hatred towards Jews, he wants to make a statement against racism in general. I can feel sympathy for his cause - antisemitism is wrong, just as any racism towards a minority - but that doesn't justify this superficial approach. There's so much more to the antisemitism than he is showing us. Maybe he should've stick to the protocols and unnerve them, instead of making it a grand message to racism against Jews.

More a polemic than a documentary

[ChrisBagley · 5/10 · 30 November 2013]

This was too preachy for me. There were actually several scenes where the filmmaker was on camera preaching to the people he was supposed to be interviewing.

In general, it focused too heavily on pointing out the logical fallacies in "The Protcols of the Elders of Zion." That was unnecessary, in my opinion, because most people watching this movie already understand that "The Protcols" are nonsense.

It would've been more interesting if Levin had included a bit more information about the earlier history of "The Protocols," including their original concoction by the czarists and how they were used before and during the Nazi era, maybe with some documents describing how the Nazis got "The Protocols" into Germans' and other Europeans' hands.

Interesting Topic, Interesting Film

[selectorshalom · 10/10 · 3 October 2005]

This film does a pretty good job dealing with the age old conspiracy theory of "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion". The film does a good job of showing how, once again, in times of trouble the Jews are blamed as the masterminds of some evil plot to control the world. "The Protocols" were originally used by the Czars of Russia to incite violence against Jews, then of course Hitler used them, and today once again they are being used by Terrorists to spread lies against the Jews. A very heavy moment in the film is when the white power skinhead shows the empty shelf where he can not keep the protocols in stock because they are selling so fast. My favorite part of the film, however, was the music . . . original soundtrack by John Zorn in the vein of "Massada" and special appearance by Chasidic Rapper Matisyahu!

Fills a growing need for more films of this nature, but is itself mostly unfulfilling (it underachieves)

[take2docs · 7/10 · 6 November 2022]

How stupid would a secret society or cabal bent on global domination have to be to, a) put down in writing their nefarious plans and, b) do so non-anonymously and so irresponsibly that their writings are easily discovered, and the conspiracy made known to the world? And yet, fantastically, there are those who think this with regard to the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion," in their believing this to be an authentic find penned by prominent Jews outlining a covert plot, a piece of writing that just so happened to be uncovered and mass publicized. The thought that it might be a forgery authored by some other party so as to steer readers in the wrong direction never enters the minds of these oblivious dupes, or if it does is immediately dismissed. Oh, but when a paper passport belonging to one of the alleged 9/11 hijackers was conveniently discovered near Ground Zero following the attack on the World Trade Center, interesting it was to observe how many of these "Protocol" buffs came out and exclaimed this reported piece of evidence as false, so obviously planted, a red herring.

The title of this documentary is PROTOCOLS OF ZION and although it's not as hard-hitting and focused as one would've liked it to have been (it's a bit too loosely and informally put together), it nevertheless exists and is moderately appreciated for its unambitious effort in attempting to raise awareness of widespread anti-Semitism in modern society.

The director traces the roots of present-day Jewish stereotypes not just to the "Protocols" (a forgery originally perpetuated by the secret police of the Russian Czar in the late 1800s) but all the way back to the time of Christ.

Regarding the latter, a parenthetical aside: Despite the Roman authorities ordering Yeshua's execution, so there was a handful of Jews who were indirectly, partly responsible for the death of Christ: Quite unexplainable is how it is that an entire race is to be blamed for the actions of a dozen or so first-century men. Besides, was not the Crucifixion a necessity in order that the divine plan of redeeming mankind be accomplished? Looked at it this way, what those Jewish leaders did in turning Jesus over to the Romans was, it could be argued, a good thing, in that it set in motion the very event so that every man might be saved.

Among the various people filmmaker Marc Levin encounters and chats with is the admirable Abraham Foxman (whose books are a boon to humanity) and Frank Weltner, founder/operator of a website called "Jew Watch." That Levin is willing to talk with those who're not particularly fond of Jews and to hear them out is, from the perspective of a free-speech advocate and Gentile such as myself, quite commendable, even if what they have to say is the unlearned, unthinking and programmed drivel of idiots or narrow-minded supremacists.

There's one moment that has Levin speaking on the phone with Larry David of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" fame. We neither see nor hear Mr. David but as a fan of his I was so wanting the comedian to agree to an on-camera interview, but alas LD declines, if not in cowardly and snobbish fashion and in keeping with Hollywood elitism.

A significant portion of the documentary focuses on 9/11 and the pseudo-history and cyberlore surrounding it. Truly, this theory that for years has been circulating on the internet of Israel/Zionists being partly or entirely responsible for 9/11 is downright absurd, illogical, and unfounded and, outside of Mideast media propaganda, nothing more than the fatuous ravings of online cranks known to the lunatic fringe (home mostly to far-left and far-right extremists).

Incidentally, one of the reasons why I would never buy a Ford automobile is based on information brought out in the film (info which I'd already known), with regard to Henry Ford -- this, a sad fact demonstrating the extent to which suspicion of Jews runs and how this warped mentality isn't just restricted to undereducated, lower-income rhetoricians.

That anti-Semitism extends far back in history, long before Christ is said to have walked the earth, bespeaks of a level and scope of scapegoating unprecedented and (as one lady in this also feels) diabolical -- that is to suggest, nonhuman, like how the eyes of Hitler appeared during some of his more fervid orations. Which is to say, the speculated superhuman force at the heart of anti-Semitism would naturally be so potent and pervasive as to make the efforts of men like Foxman and Levin seem a futile, lost cause. Other upstanding men in the past have tried wrestling with this spiritual Goliath as well, such as Martin Luther King Jr, who equated anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism and who was able to see through the veiled bigotry of many a pathological and biased critic of Israel. Levin's documentary certainly does its own small share in bringing this ideological disease to light, yet it's safe to say there will always be those who quite frankly are so far gone in their thinking that no book or film or speech or any amount of solid evidence to the contrary will ever have any positive and lasting effect on them. It would be like someone trying to get through to and de-program an incorrigible cult devotee -- sadly, frustratingly, it ain't gonna happen.

Neatly wrapped propaganda

[antiprice · 3/10 · 24 January 2006]

Mark Levin does a wonderful job trying to gain sympathy from the audience. It would be a rational approach to something this accusatory. After all, any junior trial lawyer know the best way to win over the jury is to placate them through empathy.

Levin attacks the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion. A book that has been debunked numerous times simply based on evidence of its appearance in France years before Russia. Some names were changed and the book basically boils down to an elaborate rehashing of Dialogues in Hell Between Machiavelli and Montesquieu. That's all that there really has to be said about the book.

Instead, Levin avoids simple facts like the ones above in order to beg for tears about the suffering of his people. He assumes that every single person can be summed up by labels and groups. As if every Muslim can be represented by Kalid Muhammed or every Israeli can be represented by Sharone. Levin chooses the Disney principle in presenting his defense of his people.

Why he tries to connect Muslim hatred and Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ is beyond me. The film reaches far for the most subtle of messages: Support the war. Levin even has the audacity to present man-on-the-street interviews as fact. Uneducated minority populations in urban landscapes hardly count as the pulse of America, Mr. Levin.

Does Levin even ask why this one book manages to "get around?" Never. That seems like a larger conspiracy than its authenticity. Anybody should check out the protocols just for some disturbing reading. Even if there isn't any fleet of boogie men planning the "goim's" demise, there is certainly a lot happening today that was written in the book. Are we then supposed to ignore everything because the book's origins are in question, Mr. Levin?

Keep in mind that there is a growing contingent of historians putting two and two together. A lot of folks are realizing that 911 was an inside job perpetrated by our own government. They had the means, plans, and most importantly the motive. This trumps any ideology. You see, those in power only use race and religion to divide us. 911 now represents a meme. That one phrase means so much to every American. Our own government created that meme. It siphons off of our fear and need for comfort. Think about the next time some clown dares to say that terrorists hate us because of our freedom. What BS! First tell me which freedoms that they hate. Funny, every freedom that I can think of is under attack, but not from terrorists. What moron would train hundreds of men, bankroll a huge web of supplies, engineer intricate attacks, and provoke the wrath of the mightiest nation on the planet--just because they hate our freedom? Doesn't make sense.

Mr. Levin, this is far more compelling than whatever you tried to pass off as a documentary. My guess is that you were trying to connect a distant memory with current events.

Well-intentioned, but missed the mark

[JackSparrow92 · 5/10 · 25 July 2006]

An interesting and engaging subject matter, and one that deserves discussion and attention. However, I found Levin's presentation to be meandering and unfocused. The film was entitled "The Protocols of Zion" but devoted relatively little time to the eponymous text -- more of a survey of anti-Semitic attitudes in contemporary America. Which is itself a worthwhile subject of course, but it seemed that Levin started off trying to make a documentary on one subject, and instead ended up with a documentary on a related, but different, subject. It seemed as though he would occasionally remember what the title of the film was and throw in another of the "Protocols".

A well-intentioned film on an important subject, which unfortunately missed the mark. I'd be very interested to see a documentary that actually discussed the Protocols of Zion in depth.

Great documentary, a bit scattered.

[egarner-1 · 8/10 · 22 October 2005]

I felt like the movie was not so specifically about the Protocols, or about anti-Semitism specifically after 9/11. It was, in my opinion, a brief overview of the history of anti-semitism, and a defense of the 'other side.' He touched upon Arab anti-semitism, the whole white power movement, and African-American anti-semitism (albeit briefly). There were two things that struck me - one was that this man interviewed dozens of people who he knew hated him simply because of who he was - and he kept going back for more. The other was a memory - a year and a half ago I walked through Majdanek and Auschwitz, and was overwhelmed by the feeling of death and the pile of ashes. I am continually amazed by the ease with which seemingly decent people become full of such illogical, passionate hate for something they do not know or understand.

Important Topic, thin development

[alexandra_lomakin · 5/10 · 9 November 2006]

It is important, necessary to report on the recent anti-Semitic trend. Most of the arguments I have heard before, but I believe it is important to hear them again, because they go on, the same as 200 years ago. We see how constant our efforts have to be and how much patience is needed to counter such influences. Unfortunately, the documentary lacks the calm and dedication to transcend beyond the anger the anti-Semitic comments provoke. Yet transcending the anger is key - if we get stuck in the anger, we are distracted from the deeper harm the words (and action) cause. Then we only react to the words, being victims, being on the defense, we validate the words, although we know they are false. That is the weakness of the documentary. It jumps from one place to another, as it attempts to refute the outrageous claims. It loses focus, it loses strength. At the end, it interviewed person states that hundreds of Jews died in 9/11. If you make a reference to how many Jews died at the World Trade Center, why not give the number, show the list of the names? In the holocaust museum in Jerusalem I visited on of the most touching exhibits I have ever been. It was a memorial for the children killed in the concentration camps. There were the photos and candles. It had a very serene atmosphere, all you heard was a woman's voices calling the names of the children. It is something I will never forget. I remember staying there for the longest time, unable to leave, not wanting to miss any name. Wanting to honor and be with them in my thoughts and heart. I had no doubt they were real.

Chilling look at mankind at its worst

[FabD1 · 9/10 · 9 August 2006]

The movie uses the Protocolos of Zion as a pretext to take a 'fresh' look at current Jewish hatred and at its historical roots. The whole tone is not apologetic; I mean, the movie will probably fail to convince any antisemitic person that hating Jews is stupid and wrong. If the movie convinces of anything, it is that antisemitism is currently much more intense and widespread than most people who live in Western societies/countries would like to believe. Put simply, I feel that any decent and/or not too stupid nor brainwashed human being can only be shocked, first by the content of most of the interviews presented in the movie, second by the global world picture which emerges from the impeccable articulation of this material by the film makers.

If you take it seriously, this movie is about humanity at its very worst. In some sense, it reminded me of the visit I undertook to a concentration camp a few years ago. You get disturbed, not only because you see innocent people being accused, molested and sometimes even killed, but also because those who hate Jews are human, just like you, and this means that somehow, somewhere, you are also capable of the same sort of horrible feelings and actions.

I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone, with the possible exception of children. May we all one day understand that we are all the same.

P.S.: One caveat: The zone 1 American DVD is extremely poor: it is widescreen alright, but it is not anamorphic and the transfer is possibly the poorest I have seen in the five years. The supplements are quite interesting, though.

Eye-Opening and Shocking for Jews and Gentiles Alike

[Chiron1987 · 8/10 · 12 April 2006]

I think what surprises and sickens me most is that some of the user reviews for this documentary could be seen as Anti-Semitic, which is perhaps the most disturbing thing of all. This a very well-made film documenting the rise of Anti-Semitism in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, and does a fine job of that. The resurgence of popularity of a horrible hoax called The Protocols of the (Learned) Elders of Zion following those attacks and the preposterous idea of a Jewish conspiracy bent on conquering the world sit at the center of Marc Levin's film. I won't use this review as a soapbox and talk about how I find the concept of Anti-Semitism unpatriotic and blasphemous, and I won't expound on how it makes me angry and sad that people still embrace the ideals of Adolph Hitler whom we fought a war against sixty years ago, and cost the world twenty millions lives, including six million Jews. And I won't wonder out loud why people could actually think that Jews could be ruling the world when they've allowed themselves to be persecuted, prejudiced against, and systematically exterminated. If you ask me, that's not a great plan for world conquest. I won't get into any of that...wait a minute, I just did. Oh, well, I guess I was up on my soapbox after all. Besides that, I did enjoy the documentary, but its message continues to haunt me, and I hope it does the same for many, many others, especially those who have posted reviews of this film.

Testimony

[talltale-1 · 10/10 · 12 July 2006]

One of the great humanist documentaries, Marc Levin's PROTOCOLS OF ZION explores anti-Semitism today in a manner that is fresh, exhilarating, challenging, moving, funny and tragic. (The best thing about this film is that you could substitute anti-Arab, anti-gay, anti-any minority as its subject matter, and--handled in the way Levin does it--the film would be equally effective.) It is certainly the best--the absolute best--thing I have seen about 9/11, and it's up there with the best about the Holocaust, the Israeli/Palestine conflict, Muslims, family, Mel Gibson's The Passion of You-Know-Who and lots more.

Levin leaps around like a Mexican jumping bean on a game board yet manages to keep hitting his nails on their head. He listens to people, rarely intervening, and eventually, what everyone says and believes and explains comes together into a crazy quilt of hatred and love and ideas both nonsensical and understandable. One minute you will find yourself despising all these stupid, crazy, hopeless people. But eventually and probably you will recognize them--and yourself--as part of that inexpressively sad species so loved, every last one, by all the great humanists (Jesus, for instance). Loved too, I believe, by Mr. Levin. (This review, by the way, is coming from a dyed-in-the-wool atheist.) See this wonderful film ASAP and then watch Levin's thoughtful and intelligent Q&A on the Special Features section of the DVD.

This Film is a Warning to Jews Worldwide

[artho-ortho · 8/10 · 18 December 2005]

Although the director is a little too interested in himself, this film is an important warning to Jews throughout the world. With the rise of Eurabia and its capital city, Londonistan, Jews have to get reacquainted with with European antisemitism. This time it is disguised as, so-called, "humanitarian" concern over Zionist oppression of the "people" (read: "Palestinians") of the world. Though this is a legitimate issue, as the film makes clear, the European obsession with it and their age-old "Jewish Question" is but a mask for ancient hatreds. Protocols of Zion poses a "European Question." This is: "How can the civilized world deal with a people, Europeans, who periodically insist on blaming all the world's problems on a tiny group, Jews, that consists of less than 1/4 of 1 percent of the world's population?" Thus, Protocols of Zion also suggests the "American Question": "How can America reconcile Europe's long-standing hatred of Jews within a context of peace, friendship, and prosperity for all the world's people?" This is the film's hopeful challenge to the world.

Excellent treatment of the social subject matter

[petrejo-2 · 10/10 · 23 December 2006]

Marc Levin's focus of the PROTOCOLS OF ZION wasn't merely the title or that famous publication in-itself, but gathered a wider social context -- the rise of anti-Semitism in the 21st century. As a superb interviewer, Levin was able to extract honesty from his participants so that the rest of us can see clearly the level of intellect that we deal with when we deal with anti-Semitism in the USA today. The widespread nature of this resurgent anti-Semitism was also well documented in his excellent video as Levin interviewed people on the street, people in local Arab media, people in Churches, in Synagogues, in White-supremacy organizations and in racist media. More documentary videos like this are needed and wanted.

Great documentary that I highly recommend

[inquiry1 · 10/10 · 10 January 2007]

Great documentary revealing much about human nature and religion. A must see for anyone trying to make sense of the world's political turmoil. The film is educational and promotes understanding between individuals and groups of different backgrounds, although those backgrounds may not be so different after all. Enjoyed the enlightening interviews from different perspectives. It gives everyone a chance to see others in a more human (in a good sense) light. I found it just the sort of documentary that is needed to promote education and understanding and hope to see more attempts to continue this genre. It's a great place to start or continue for studying current geopolitical issues.

Very interesting and thought-provoking though it does lose its focus at times

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 11 August 2008]

This is a very good documentary and I am glad I watched it. However, I tend to agree with some of the comments that they wish the film had maintained a tighter focus on the actual "Protocols of Zion"--especially since there is no way I would spend a nickel to buy this sick book and I wanted to know more about it. Instead, starting with the Protocols, the author then diverges to a wide variety of interesting but related subjects. Sometimes, though, the theme seemed to get a tiny bit lost--though it sure was interesting. His interviews with nice Christians who loved THE PASSION OF THE Christ, for example, was very interesting but also a bit off topic as was the interview with some seemingly reasonable Muslims at their temple later in the film. Perhaps instead of naming the film after the Protocols, the true theme was finding common ground among different faiths--which definitely was evident in the film.

What I really liked about the documentary was Mr. Levin's lovely style. He seemed like a really nice guy and talked with many nice as well as hateful people yet always came off as sincere and decent--which takes a lot of skill. It could have easily chosen ridicule or sarcasm to deal with some genuinely dumb or evil people but didn't take this easy way out in discussing the topic. This style was very similar to the great style of Louis Theroux in his documentary on the hateful Fred Phelps clan--showing concern and a desire to understand and inform--not attack or demean. This does NOT mean he didn't state his own views or go on the attack, but he did not attack the individuals he interviewed but instead stated his own strong feelings towards the end.