Watch Enemies, a Love Story
- R
- 1989
- 1 hr 59 min
-
6.6 (2,614)
Enemies, a Love Story is a 1989 drama film, directed by Paul Mazursky and based on a novel by Isaac Bashevis Singer. The movie follows the story of Holocaust survivor, Herman Broder, played by Ron Silver, who is torn between his three wives. The film is set in New York City in the late 1940s, where Herman is a ghostwriter for Rabbi Lembeck, a popular religious figure. He is living with his second wife, Yadwiga, who is a Polish Catholic he met in a displaced person's camp. To Yadwiga's knowledge, Herman is a widower, and she is deeply devoted to him. However, Herman is secretly seeing and sleeping with his first wife, Tamara, played by Anjelica Huston, who he thought was killed in the Holocaust. Tamara is now a wealthy Holocaust survivor living in Brooklyn, and her sudden appearance and desire to rekindle their love threaten Herman's stable life with Yadwiga.
On top of that, Herman also meets and becomes infatuated with a beautiful free-spirited Holocaust survivor, Masha, played by Lena Olin. Masha is running from the trauma of the war and the guilt of betraying her fellow Jews during the Nazi occupation. As Herman's relationships with his three wives intertwine, he tries to keep them separate and maintain his already fragile mental stability.
Throughout the film, Herman struggles to come to terms with his past and his Jewish identity. He has lost his faith in God and feels guilty for surviving the Holocaust when so many others didn't. His fear of losing his wives and his own sanity cause him to make questionable decisions that ultimately bring him closer to his breaking point.
Enemies, a Love Story is an intense tale of love, guilt, and survival. The film explores the complexities of relationships, religion, and identity, all set against the backdrop of post-World War II New York City. It is a poignant and ultimately tragic story of one man's struggle to overcome his past and find purpose in his present.
The acting in the film is superb, with Ron Silver delivering a powerful performance as Herman, capturing his anxiety and inner turmoil flawlessly. Anjelica Huston and Lena Olin shine in their roles as Tamara and Masha, respectively, playing their characters with subtlety and depth.
The film's direction by Paul Mazursky is masterful, capturing the mood and setting of the time period perfectly. The cinematography is well-done, with the use of dark, cool tones to create a somber and melancholic atmosphere.
Overall, Enemies, a Love Story is a captivating and thought-provoking film that is both heartbreaking and haunting. Its exploration of love and guilt is both timely and timeless, making it a classic film for generations to come.
Enemies, a Love Story is a 1989 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 59 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.6.