PROTOCOLS OF ZION — *** — Documentary feature about the rise in anti-Semitism following 9/11; not rated, probable R (profanity, ethnic slurs, violence, brief gore, vulgarity, nude photos).
At times, "Protocols of Zion" is every bit as infuriating as it is thought-provoking. It's certainly not a perfect documentary — in fact, there are times where director/narrator Marc Levin (1998's "Slam") comes off as being pretty full of himself.
But it is an important film, especially given the racial and ethnic strife that's only worsened around the world as a result of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Levin's film tries to find the reasons, spinning out of his discovery of a book titled "The Protocols of the Meetings of the Learned Elders of Zion," which is supposedly the minutes of a grand Jewish conspiratorial meeting that was held near the end of the 19th century.
The book gained popularity thanks to the efforts of auto magnate Henry Ford, who gave it away with each car sold by his company at the time. But the book has seen a recent resurgence in popularity in the 21st century (as the film notes, the book is even being sold at a few mega-market chains).
Levin also confronts neo-Nazis and conspiracy theorists who believe there were no Jews killed in the 9/11 attacks, and he has a series of spirited debates with Muslims and his fellow Jews. (One of the film's best moments comes when Levin attends a screening of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" and then has a post-screening discussion about some of the film's content.)
Joining Levin for his journey is his father, Al, who takes his son around the neighborhood where he grew up and shares stories about some of the harsh treatment he received from his Christian neighbors.
There's no question that Levin is trying to push a few buttons and goes a little overboard in doing so at times. But he and the film are able to open a dialogue about the subject.
"Protocols of Zion" is not rated but would probably receive an R for occasional use of strong sexual profanity, ethnic slurs and vulgar slang terms, acts of violence and gory images (seen in newsreel footage), and glimpses of nude magazine photos. Running time: 92 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com