The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem (2021– ) User Reviews

Good atmosphere

[jtamar · 7/10 · 20 June 2022]

While the family drama is plodding, the backdrop of Palestine during the years leading up to the birth of the state of Israel has a beautiful feel, and, from what I've studied, an authenticity to it. Not everyone understands the nuances -- the wealthy Armozas have quite possibly been in Jerusalem since their family was expelled from Spain in 1492, so they look down on the Ashkenazim, the recent arrivals from eastern Europe, with their payos, their Yiddish and their shtetl ways. These divisions persisted. Also, it's very true that the birth of the state was accompanied by two wars, not one. By the late 1920s Jews in Palestine were being attacked by their Arab neighbors as a response to increased Jewish immigration, and the attackers didn't always distinguish between recent arrivals and Jews who had lived there for centuries. This war is not as well known as the War of Independence of 1948, but in Israel they have not forgotten it and these incidents are dramatized.

Admittedly, several of the key characters are not all that likeable so it's harder to care about what happens to them. Still, if you enjoy a production with a real sense of time and place, give it a try.

Beautifully written, enjoyably slow

[Bobalopacus · 8/10 · 28 October 2022]

Let's get the possible negatives out of the way first: it's quite low budget - anyone hoping for expensive set-pieces or grand sweeping shots of historic Jerusalem will be disappointed (the show, in fact, makes good use of a quaint handmade model of the city for panoramic shots); the 'English' accents of the British are abysmal, and the English dubbed version should be avoided (due to incongruous American accents).

Now the positives. Despite following two parallel timelines and spanning decades the show is easy to follow. The characters are mostly, if not all, multi-dimensional and the story manages to be both surprising and shocking at times whilst also a decent 'comfort' watch.

Most of all, it is the sheer range of human emotions this series manages to encapsulate that is impressive. Love, lust, anger, betrayal, redemption, jealousy, revenge, the list goes on - all captured amidst authentic portrayals and believable development.

Billed as a 'melodrama' and occasionally feeling like the classiest soap opera - it is best seen as a visualised novel. The acting is decent, for the most part, but it is primarily the writing that shines through here.

life in Mandatory Palestine

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 20 October 2023]

It was probably timely that I started watching "The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem" right before the latest war between Israel and Hamas. This series looks at life in Israel while it was still the British colony known as Mandatory Palestine. The main focus is a Sephardic family living there starting in the 1920s, going up through the '40s. Among the issues covered are the tensions between the Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews, clashes with the Arabs, and the question of retaining one's cultural practices.

All in all a fine show. If nothing else, it should remind us that many of the problems in the region stem from the British occupation, with London drawing up the borders to benefit itself; the British authorities later acknowledged that they made a mistake by not asking the Palestinians their opinion on creating a Jewish homeland in the region.

Worth seeing.

The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem is a Masterpiece!

[marcl97 · 10/10 · 31 May 2022]

I just finished watching Season 1, all 10 Episodes, on Netflix. This TV series is amazing.

In part, this series is great because of all of the great acting. It features a wonderful ensemble cast. The way the show is filmed is also key to its success.

It's a very complicated show and some degree of concentration and patience is needed to fully appreciate it. By going back and forth in time, it can be confusing but it really does make a lot of sense.

Exploration of family dynamics against the backdrop of critical historical events is the true beauty of this show.

Would recommend this to anyone who's up for something on the heavy side. There are some truly shocking moments. For those who just want a "guilty pleasure," this is not for you.

Inspiring, challenging, fascinating

[wpcghys · 10/10 · 20 May 2022]

Set in old Jerusalem under Ottoman and British rule this complex life drama gives a fascinating taste of the social, political and human context of the time through a beautifully written drama of love, death, family, sex and revolution. Also quite compelling to taste the Middle East of the past with glorious costumes and cinematography.

Not sure why there are bad reviews

[sephraims · 10/10 · 4 June 2022]

I love this and I'm only on episode 9. Great acting, great storyline. The dubbing is immaculate. I'm hooked! I can't wait to see where these characters take me?

Impressive... but could be better

[aldebaran68 · 7/10 · 21 May 2022]

Nice period piece from Israel. From the Ottoman Period through the British Mandate to... I like the period recreation. It has a good feel to it. Can't assess the 'accuracy' of the Jewish cultural, as I'm not an expert on those aspects.

I always like Michael Aloni performances. He was excellent on 'When Heroes fly' and of course 'Shtisel'. Then there is Itzhik Cohen from Fauda (Captain Ayub). The performances are uniformly top-notch.

I would imagine the period is historically accurately portrayed in general. Life in Jewish Palestine, the Yishuv under the Mandate was well-documented. The paradox and underlying 'dislike' between Sephardi Ladino-speaking Jews and Ashkenazi European Yiddish-speaking Jews esp. The Hassidim, is the underlying context of the story of the forbidden love between Gavriel and Rochel. Esp. Before the State of Israel, in the Mandate Palestine Yishuv, Ashkenazim and Sephardim did not mix. The Sephardim spoke Ladino, a sort of Judeo-Spanish, while the Ashkenazim spoke Yiddish which was a sort of Judeo-German (Jude-Deutsch > Yud-Disch>Yiddish). The Ashkenazim were Jews from Germany to Poland/Russia while the Sephardim originated in Spain from the Middle Ages. Mandate Palestine, the Yishuv, was the setting for both extreme intra-Jewish culture clashes...and some remarkable intra-Jewish combinations... These aspects all come out in this series.

For this then, 7 out of 10.

However, there are two aspects that are bothersome.

Firstly the series flits back and forth between 1922 and 1937. I find this quite confusing as I frequently forget which era we are watching. The confusion inhibits proper appreciation of the story and the context.

Secondly, and this is probably only noticeable to history buffs... the British Army in Mandate Palestine is very badly portrayed. The scene where Luna goes to the British Officers Club... Emphasis on 'Officers'.

In the British Army, then as now, there is the Officers' Mess, and the Sergeants' Mess, and the two simply did not and do not mix...EVER! Esp. Not in that period.

The first soldier who speaks to Luna in that scene, in this Officers' Club...is a Sergeant, with 3 stripes very prominently displayed on his rolled up sleeve. It just hit me as so wrong, that they couldn't get something as basic as that right in a period piece. It kind of ruined the whole effect for me.

So only a 7 for a series that probably otherwise deserves a10! Apologies, but producers...Get Your Facts Right!

Hooked

[seesophie-96747 · 10/10 · 4 August 2023]

This drama series got me hooked on the first episode! I couldn't help but binge 3-4 episodes a night. I love the actors, the story line is captivating and left me looking forward to watching what would happen next! I really do hope they air season 3 and don't leave us hanging the way they ended season 2. It's a beautiful historical drama with several love stories entwined set in a time of war and religious conflict. The actors are fantastic and I'm so rooting for Luana. I really hope there will be a season 3 and that we don't have to wait a whole year for it to air either! I'm considering rewatching it already.

Quite entertaining but for me far too soapy-ish

[avaluna-97992 · 7/10 · 16 February 2023]

Quite entertaining but for me far too soapy-ish, I definitely miss the subtlety, the more intelligent stuff.

I don't like the violent scenes in the series. It is apparently meant to make it exciting to satisfy those who need it, but this kind of tension is not for me.

I find the constant switching in time unfortunate.

You are then just engaged in a story and then the series switches back to a moment in the past (or in the future). I am less happy about the faded colours applied to the scenes in the earlier time period.

Over all, I liked it well enough to continue watching the series. I especially liked the personnages and the story of Luna and her father.

Disappointing

[mike-4683 · 5/10 · 24 May 2022]

After Shtisel and Faudra a very disappointing first episode The period between the end of the Ottoman Empire and the birth of the State of Israel is very significant in the history of the Middle East. This programme even with its Rom-com.connections has an opportunity of explaining how the apparent insoluble problems between Jews and Arabs came about. Instead we are given a poorly written poorly produced series which seems to be made on a very low budget . What an opportunity lost.

great productions, too much of a soap opera

[patagonik8 · 9/10 · 24 May 2022]

Among the best Israeli productions. The historical context is an excellent recount of Israeli history and its relationship among its communities. The storyline is a little confusing with its backlashes and jumping back and forwards and it feels too much like a soap opera, including all the ingredients of love, drama, action, and suspense.

Entertaining historical soap opera

[steiner-sam · 7/10 · 17 August 2023]

"The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem" has now completed two seasons. It follows, thus far, three generations of a middle-class Sephardic Jewish family living through British rule and thus far extended into World War II. The individual members of the Armoza family have distinct personalities which allows a variety of storylines. Grandma Mercada (Irit Kaplan) is strong-willed and traditional. Her son, Gabriel (Michael Aloni), is weak-willed and deceptive. He's forced to marry Rosa (Hila Saada), a woman he doesn't love. Rosa has a younger brother, Ephraim (Tom Hagi) who is part of the resistance to British rule. Gabriel's first love is an Ashkenazi Jewish woman, Rochel (Yuval Scharf). Gabriel and Rosa have three daughters--Luna (Swell Ariel Or) is the beauty queen and Gabriel's favorite. Rochelita (Eli Steen) is the brainy one in the family. The Franco family is the near neighbors to the Armozas.

The series begins in the 1920s and ends with 1941. The second season continues the war years, ending around 1944. "The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem" is entertaining soap opera. It relies greatly on family members keeping secrets from another, especially Gabriel. Breakthroughs come only in unavoidable crises. Even the storyline is somewhat predictable, it does weave historical threads together in an interesting fashion. And the writing is good enough so that the characters develop clear personalities even though they don't seem to learn any life lessons along way.

Good acting, adequate writing, non-existent art direction

[ilcorago-97740 · 4/10 · 29 July 2022]

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this, but it's basically an Israeli soap opera. The story barely touches on the incredibly complex political turmoil that Israel went through in the early 20th century. The most impressive component of the series is the deft switching between Hebrew, Ladino, Arabic and English, which, unfortunately, will be lost on most American viewer. The least impressive component is the art direction; hairstyles, costumes and furniture do absolutely nothing to distinguish between the 1910s, 1923 and 1937. 1950s typewriters miraculously show up in 1923, as do 1940s cocktail hats. I've just finished episode 5 and I realized they've managed to avoid showing any automobiles, since those pretty much would have had to have been authentic and I'm sure there was no budget for that. I'm hoping that the uniformly good acting and empathy for the characters will keep me watching.

After Shtsel...I'm hooked w/ the Queen!

[imchosen1 · 9/10 · 10 August 2022]

This is my second Israeli film/series. And so far I've enjoyed both Shtsel and now queen of Jerusalem. Some of these reviews complain about the soap opera feel, however, it is a well written soap opera with different twists and turns. Enjoyed the backdrop of the Israeli & Arab, WE II backdrop, which made it interesting. Some of the characters / protagonist are unlikable as someone else said , but that's what makes this interesting.

Also the back/forth time elements can be confusing., Otherwise I would've gave it at 10.

When is the next season?!

Generally pretty good - but some disappointing gaffs

[larry-butchins · 8/10 · 4 June 2022]

On the whole, an excellently produced and acted Israeli series. I love the intro design - very clever: ...BUT...there are some unforgivable gaffs. Just a few to get you started: I found Roy Miller as the British officer, James Brown, very unconvincing. He is German and although he tries hard, his German accent often slips through: e. G. he says "off" for "of" and his intonation is very much Germanic rather than public school British. I would have thought that the producers could have found a genuine mother-tongue English actor in Israel with a genuine British officer accent - there are DOZENS of them. Secondly, the British soldiers depicted look like remnants from a defeated rabble army: sloppy, unkempt, poor uniform replication, certainly not troops from His Majesty's army. Thirdly, the Ford truck used by the terror gang in 1938 is very definitely a 1952 model Ford , not a 1938 (or earlier) model. And finally, that stupid anachronistic hat they've given Gabriel to wear! He would have looked much better in a period-appropriate Fedora. However, suspension of disbelief rules and my wife and I are enjoying it.

A very moving drama!

[james_h_green · 10/10 · 16 August 2022]

At first hard to get into but stay the course and by the third episode season one you might be hooked. The backdrop and scenes are very moving as is the acting. The story is fabulous and I'm hoping for season 3 very soon.

Great show

[stephanie-pagnello · 7/10 · 5 May 2023]

Great characters played by amazing actors. I love the storylines and the jumping back and forth between different years. There's also interesting history to learn about and the work put into the miniature sets is amazing! Such a great show and can't wait for season 2! I definitely recommend this show if you're looking for some family drama mixed with historical moments. Michael Aloni is always a treat to watch and all the other actors are great too. It's also nice that the season has so many episodes as many shows these days don't have more than 10-15. Netflix has such a large selection of foreign language films/TV shows, which is amazing.

Fabulous!

[TPSButler · 10/10 · 18 July 2023]

The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem is an epic television series, spanning decades of duress for the Jewish people in Palestine. It is really about love through the ages, and the elation, the disappointment, the joy and the tragedy associated with it. Beyond the wonderful setting, the fabulous and entirely convincing directing and acting, and the beautiful and deeply moving storyline, The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem is helpful for everyone who would like a better understanding of what it was to live as the Jewish people before they were finally given their own state. I am not a Jew but even at the very young age of nine when I first heard adults speaking about the atrocities committed against the Jewish people during World War II, I was outraged. It is easy to be kind. We must learn from our history to be kind to each other. We must learn to understand that we are each of us equal to each other. Flesh, bone, the same hearts, the same minds, the same needs the same hopes. Stories such as The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem enable us to see with our own eyes the suffering caused by prejudice and bigotry. We care about the good characters in the story, and their pain becomes our own. I loved this television series, and really look forward to discovering more of the amazing director, Oded Davidoff's,work.

Good show but I would like next season to be improved on the storyline of the girls becoming strong and successful.

[khivishtaboodhoo · 7/10 · 13 August 2023]

I would like Luna to become rich and successful. Her character is very intriguing to me. She is my favorite character after her father. I think we need more of this tv show to show that young girls can stand up by themselves and old narratives need to be destroyed. The tv show certainly portrays all the bad of a society but as it moves on the girls should be able to overcome the bad. I would expect the next seasons to be about the success of the girls. I hope it turns out like this as the world today needs inspiration and motivation from what they watch. Great tv show showing people lives but at the end I hope there is victory.

Disappointing production

[marybbloom-48338 · 5/10 · 23 May 2022]

Disappointing series. Production at the level of films illustrating the history of educational television. And the casting is so unbelievable f.e. Daughter (Matilda) looks older than the mother... and I checked and there is only 10 years difference between the actresses... Too bad 😠Also the time swaps dont work well. The same actor made old by some makeup... It looks very unprofessional. I am sorry I was expecting much more.

A game of two halves.

[J027 · 10/10 · 31 August 2023]

Series 1 can be annoying, infuriating even as it repeatedly flips between different decades. It's difficult to keep up and it's over long so you'll probably be tempted to give up on it, like I was. But my advice is stick with it because then you'll know the background to the main characters and you'll be rewarded by Series 2, which is quite simply one of the best programs shown on TV for a very long time. Thankfully there's no decade flipping, it's all sequential, so it is a lot more to my taste.

So could you skip S1 and go straight to S2? Yes possibly if you really can't endure S1, then it is an option.

High budget soap opera

[yaelie_s · 3/10 · 28 May 2022]

The set design and costumes are impressive, Cast lineup of some of the best Israeli actors and actresses - it's a shame they did not invest the same effort in the script and direction.

Excessive acting and sloppy texts with illogical and dead-end dialogues.

An insight into my own history.

[lounamalkoutzis · 10/10 · 7 September 2023]

Having read a few other reviews I must say here that I don't care if this film was a low budget production. It is an important historical film that touches on so much of Jewish life in Palestine at the time. My name is Luna and I am Sephardic. This series, aside from the awesome writing and amazing acting, also gave me insight into my roots and history in Palestine when the Sephardic Jews and the Eskenazi were very segregated and mixed marriages were looked down upon and/or ostracized. Also of the struggle for independence from the British was given a perspective I appreciate. A wonderful series well worth watching and learning from. My father rarely had the opportunity to speak Ladino in the USA so I especially appreciate listening to our ancient language of which I was so surprised I could actually glean the jist of when they spoke it. I love this series and seriously hope for one more season or until, at least, Israel becomes a state free from British influence and oppression.

Beauty Queen of Jerusalem, Great

[KATO-SUBZERO · 9/10 · 31 July 2022]

Sunday, 31 July 2022: I watch Israel films and t.v shows, "Fauda", "Asylum City", and "The New Black", I watched every episode of the first season.

They producers should have hired beautiful Israeli actresses, Moran Atias and Ilanit Levy, {Eyal Golan's} beautiful ex-wife to play roles in the entire series.

All of the Israeli actors/actresses were good, but. Actress, Irit Kaplan, as a bad mean and nasty Merkada deserve an Israeli version of Academy Award as best supporting actress. She is so mean to her unattractive daughter in law. Pretty Lead actress, Swell Ariel Or in the role of Luna also deserves an award as well as, actor Tom Hagi in the role of Ephraim.

This is only questions I have are: 1. Why is some of the dialogue in Spanish? This story takes place in God's country, Israel and all of the performers are Israeli.

2. I hope there will be a season, 3, 4,5 and so on. Will there be a 3rd season?

I liked it

[jannmi · 9/10 · 29 July 2023]

While I'm not sure about the criticisms of some of the other people, I have to say that I enjoyed this series. I thought the handmade mock-ups of Jerusalem were very effective, and I certainly was interested in the characters. I understand that there are even more episodes than what we have seen on Netflix, and I am looking forward to seeing those. In a way, this was an appropriate ending for many of the characters, and I'm not sure what they're going to do next, but I am looking forward to seeing the next episodes. Certainly it had me on the edge of my seat, and I really wanted to see what happened next. The flipping back and forth between time periods didn't bother me. I'm sorry there are no more episodes to see right now; certainly all the characters were unpleasant at times, but I really wanted to know what happened with them.