At the Suicide of the Last Jew in the World in the Last Cinema in the World
Encyclopedia
At the Suicide of the Last Jew in the World in the Last Cinema in the World is a short film by David Cronenberg
and part of the To Each His Own Cinema
anthology film.
commissioned for its 60th anniversary. Cronenberg plays the title character, an old man holding a gun to his head, which Macleans Brian D. Johnson described as "Cronenberg shoots himself shooting himself." He prepares to commit suicide on television while commentators discuss Jews and cinema.
whose subject was his Jewishness, but I've never denied it." He decided to finally deal with issues involving his Jewish identity because of Hezbollah's mission statement. He said, "It's pretty interesting to hear someone say our goal is to kill every Jew in the world wherever they are. That means me and my children. It does evoke a reaction."
said that "It is, on its face, the very opposite of a Purim
story, not only because the last Jew will die but because no determined enemy does him in." Scott Foundas said that Cronenberg's piece "goes so far as to presage not just the end of movies as we know them but of the people frequently credited with popularizing them."
Petter Brunette in Cannes said that it was "weirdly droll yet chilling." Todd McCarthy said that Cronenberg's short film was "Occupying a provocative, confrontational zone all its own" amongst the others in the compilation..
Cronenberg aired many opinions about the future of cinema in interviews and press conferences following his short's viewing. He said at a press session with several other directors that, "The form of cinema as we know it already is a thing of the past."
David Cronenberg
David Paul Cronenberg, OC, FRSC is a Canadian filmmaker, screenwriter and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror or venereal horror genre. This style of filmmaking explores people's fears of bodily transformation and infection. In his films, the...
and part of the To Each His Own Cinema
To Each His Own Cinema
To Each His Own Cinema is a 2007 French anthology film commissioned for the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival. The film is a collection of 34 short films, each 3 minutes in length, by 36 acclaimed directors...
anthology film.
Plot
In the film Cronenberg explores for the first time on film his Jewish identity. The short film is part of a compilation of other short films from 35 auteurs that the Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
commissioned for its 60th anniversary. Cronenberg plays the title character, an old man holding a gun to his head, which Macleans Brian D. Johnson described as "Cronenberg shoots himself shooting himself." He prepares to commit suicide on television while commentators discuss Jews and cinema.
Production
Cronenberg said, "I've never thought of myself as a Philip RothPhilip Roth
Philip Milton Roth is an American novelist. He gained fame with the 1959 novella Goodbye, Columbus, an irreverent and humorous portrait of Jewish-American life that earned him a National Book Award...
whose subject was his Jewishness, but I've never denied it." He decided to finally deal with issues involving his Jewish identity because of Hezbollah's mission statement. He said, "It's pretty interesting to hear someone say our goal is to kill every Jew in the world wherever they are. That means me and my children. It does evoke a reaction."
Reception
Stuart KlawansStuart Klawans
Stuart Klawans has been the film critic for The Nation since 1988. He won the 2007 National Magazine Award for Reviews and Criticism and he received a 2003 Guggenheim Fellowship to work on a critical study of Preston Sturges...
said that "It is, on its face, the very opposite of a Purim
Purim
Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire from destruction in the wake of a plot by Haman, a story recorded in the Biblical Book of Esther .Purim is celebrated annually according to the Hebrew calendar on the 14th...
story, not only because the last Jew will die but because no determined enemy does him in." Scott Foundas said that Cronenberg's piece "goes so far as to presage not just the end of movies as we know them but of the people frequently credited with popularizing them."
Petter Brunette in Cannes said that it was "weirdly droll yet chilling." Todd McCarthy said that Cronenberg's short film was "Occupying a provocative, confrontational zone all its own" amongst the others in the compilation..
Cronenberg aired many opinions about the future of cinema in interviews and press conferences following his short's viewing. He said at a press session with several other directors that, "The form of cinema as we know it already is a thing of the past."