The Gatekeepers
The Gatekeepers
PG-13 | 01 February 2013 (USA)
The Gatekeepers Trailers

In an unprecedented and candid series of interviews, six former heads of the Shin Bet — Israel's intelligence and security agency — speak about their role in Israel's decades-long counterterrorism campaign, discussing their controversial methods and whether the ends ultimately justify the means.

Reviews
SparkMore

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

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Gurlyndrobb

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

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Clarissa Mora

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

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Beulah Bram

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

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thunderbold_93

As outlined in other reviews, the movie is a must-watch for anyone who cares about Israel. These people are not doves, nor any kind of ideologically motivated pacifists/lefties, they all come from different backgrounds and yet they all have the same message : Israel must separate from the Palestinians or it's the end of Zionism.However, one important fact I must stress out is that the movie assumes knowledge about the conflict, without it - I imagine - the movie, that doesn't follow a strictly chronological sequence of events will either not make much sense or paint a slightly distorted image.One important inaccuracy (in my opinion) is the statement by one of the heads about how Rabin's "killed hope". That is not true, after the assassination, the Israelis reacted as you'd expect any people to react: with massive support for the legacy of the dead prime minister and endorsement of his successor. Before the 1996 election, Peres seemed poised to win by a significant margin. However, four Hamas terror attacks between February and March gave the win to Netanyahu.That being said, I do agree that his assassination did incalculable damage to the Israeli peace camp. Most importantly, because of his past as a war hero, he was the only one who could successfully sell the "Make peace as if there was no terror" policy.

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petarmatic

I always wondered why did Israel decided to create a state surrounded by the Arabs? It just does not compute. It would of been better that they all went to the USA. We would of been all much happier, and Islamic terrorism probably would of not started. If we only could separate all the different religious groups from each other so they would not make war. Impossible task! Commerce would cease to exist and there would be no global economy which we are enjoying today.I am sorry for the Palestinians and Israelis alike. If they only could separate like Czech Republic and Slovakia did. But that will not happen. It simply it is not possible. Geopolitical problem.Nice documentary. Watch it.

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cinematic_aficionado

A documentary about the Israeli secret service was bound to be interesting, but nothing cold prepare me of the experience I had.It would make sense to clarify that I am not Jewish, nor do I have an informed opinion of the Palestinian issue, much as I know people who support either side and with passion too.As a viewing experience, it was a brutal one. This is said because the Respective heads of the security service were very blunt about their aims, mission, enemies, etc. It was so to the extent that I remain conspicuous of the aim of this documentary even now. People like that are no supposed to be honest and direct, revealing it all in a documentary. What is it I am missing, or what is it that they are really saying?An undoubtedly provocative viewing, and worthwhile at that.

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Nolan Dalla

Bring up the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and reactions typically vary from indifference to fanaticism -- with little territory in between. Indeed, the chasm of constructive dialog is currently so narrow, that merely reducing tension in this long-troubled region would be considered a historic success.  That's how low the bar has been set.  Stopping all violence is probably next to impossible.  Achieving an everlasting peace between Jews and Arabs seems like a starry-eyed fantasy. Six reprehensible decades of hate have produced way too much blood, far too many deaths, too many cries for revenge, too many walls and checkpoints, too many suicide bombers, too many senseless attacks on innocents, too much pain, and far too few heroes willing to put an end to all the madness and misery. Amidst this backdrop of bleakness, there's a flicker of light.  A documentary has come out which stands as the most unbiased overview of this terrible conflict in recent memory. The film seeks to accomplish what may be impossible -- establishing a consensus that the best way to achieve peace is adapting a two-state solution, which means creating an independent Palestinian nation.  This declaration comes not necessarily from Palestinians, but from very knowledgeable Israelis, which makes the case for a two-state solution all the more convincing.  The exclamation point on this manifesto comes when taking into account the backgrounds and allegiances of these Israelis now trumpeting the loudest for a Palestinian homeland -- who feature prominently in the film.  "The Gatekeepers," released in late 2012 but is just now making its way to theaters in several American cities.  This groundbreaking Israeli film, nominated for a "Best Documentary" Oscar, is a serious-minded look at the history of violence in Israel and the occupied territories since the end of the 1967 Six-Day War.  It's an indisputable historical record of the conflict which unintentionally created what now seems to be irreparable divisions between nations, religions, and cultures. Indeed, if the West's troubles with international terrorism and our burdens in the Middle East have an epicenter, it's neither in Iran, Iraq, or Afghanistan.  Long before 9-11 and its two-war aftermath, tempers reached the boiling point a very long time ago over the land once called Palestine. "The Gatekeepers" is almost entirely in Hebrew, with English-language subtitles.  That's because the six key personalities interviewed in the film are all Israelis.  Remarkably, all six of the "stars" of this film are the former heads of Shin Bet, Israel's domestic security agency.  To make things clearer, Shin Bet handles Israel's domestic conflicts, which includes the occupied territories -- comprised largely of Palestinians.  This is a dark (and at times, depressing) movie.  There's not much here to rejoice about.  The substance and style of the film is something you'd expect to see on The Military Channel.  Intelligence gathering, counter-terrorism measures, political considerations, and the day-to-day business of Shin Bet is portrayed here as never shown before.  Alas, other than these six heads of the agency, virtually all Shin Bet operatives remain anonymous. Grainy black and white images from actual targeted assassinations are shown.  One sees precisely how and why specific "terrorist" targets are chosen and the reasons certain enemies are eliminated.  We also see what happens when things go terribly wrong, which does occur with greater frequency than many may realize.  Regardless of one's personal opinion in the conflict, you can't help but be dazzled by the organization and capabilities of this extraordinary organization. But what truly makes "The Gatekeepers" a landmark achievement is the unmasking of former Shin Bet heads who all speak with remarkable candor about what they've done in the past and what they now believe about the best prospects for peace in the future.  The intelligence commandos agreed to be interviewed -- each one independently -- for the first time ever on camera.  What they say needs to be heard, and heralded. "The Gatekeepers" surpasses what's typically expected from this method of storytelling because it ends up challenging so many conventional assumptions.  For instance, I didn't expect to by sympathetic towards Shin Bet or it's former leaders.  I just assumed these intelligence/military operatives would share the dangerous hard-line fanaticism of Benjamin Netanyahu and his Right-Wing followers, who are willing to justify any action necessary for the defense of Israel no matter how much collateral damage is done.  But these assumptions aren't at all reflective of these men or what they now believe.  Indeed, the 90-minute film builds slowly towards that gradual transformation of opinion among all six agency heads -- each independently reaching an identical conclusion.  That each of these men -- of different ages and having served at different periods --  finally came to realize that the Palestinians might actually have a legitimate case for their fury wasn't just surprising, but shocking. This is ultimately why "The Gatekeepers" soars.  It defies expectations.  It reveals things aren't what they seem and most certainly aren't black and white.  They are increasingly gray.  Assuming you care about the future and what is perhaps the most important area of dispute in the world, this is a movie that you'll be thinking about long after you've departed the theater. Unfortunately, few people will get that chance. Few Americans care enough to go see a documentary about some war being fought in a faraway place.  Why try and learn about history and current events when instead you can pay $10 to shut off your mind and become a vegetable for 95 minutes? But this is a movie made for everyone else.  "The Gatekeepers" pulls no punches and gets few style points.  But it sure is thought-provoking.  One can only wish the right people will see it and take note of what these remarkable experts in their field are saying, and then listen.  It might be the only hope we have extinguish the fires of conflict while fanatics on both sides ceaselessly continue to pour gasoline on the flames.www.nolandalla.com

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