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Solomon & Gaenor | Year: 1999 Classification: Drama Directed: - Paul Morrison (III) Beautiful and poignant Absolutely lovely film reminiscent, as some others here havementioned, of "Romeo and Juliet". Set against the scenicbackdrop of the South Wales coal mining valleys in 1911, "Solomonand Gaenor" tells the tragic yet heartwarming story of a Jewishboy and miner's daughter. Wonderful acting with fantasticperformances turned in by Ioan Gruffudd and Nia Roberts. For lack of abetter way to phrase it, this is a movie that gets you right in thegut. It had me in tears. I highly recommend running out and seeing"Solomon and Gaenor" right now, but don't forget thetissues! Solomon & Gaenor Set amidst mining strikes and anti-Jewish riots, Solomon & Gaenor paints a haunting picture of forbidden love against the harsh background of rural 1911 Wales Newcomer Ioan Gruffudd (Horatio Hornblower) is Solomon, a Jewish pacman (peddler) and Nia Roberts is Gaenor, a young Welsh chapel-going woman. Racial tensions divide this bleak coal-mining community, but for Solomon and Gaenor it's love at first sight. They meet while Solomon is making weekly door-to-door rounds selling fabric; Solomon, conscious of being a "Jew-boy" introduces himself to Gaenor as 'Sam Livingstone'. Writer-director Paul Morrison unearthed a history of Jews in the Welsh valleys while researching a television documentary about Jews in Britain entitled A Sense of Belonging. Morrison says he wanted to tell the story of Jews in Wales, saying nobody even knew they were there; that most Britons are unaware of it. Gaenor herself is completely unaware of Solomon's true identity, but she isn't completely blind. "You're different," she tells him after their lovemaking in a hayloft. "You're even different down *there*." Solomon is careful to hide his tallit (prayer shawl) from Gaenor, and later, when she wants to meet his family, he makes lame excuses about them being out of town or unwell. The film presents the period of the Great Unrest before the First World War harshly, depicting everyday life amongst rows of slate-roofed houses as one long grind of drudgery. The only colour to be found among the bleak landscape of grey houses, mud roads and miners grimed with coal dust is the swatch of red cotton Solomon leaves with Gaenor, saying, "It'd look lovely on you." She nervously declines; there is no extra money and a red dress is no good for chapel. "You wouldn't have the use of it," her mother says decisively. Without even knowing her name, Solomon works through the night to make Gaenor a dress of the same fabric. "Look at me," she says, shy and pleased. "What'll people think?" "They are not our people, is all. They are different," is the verdict of Solomon's grandfather. The film's real tragedy lies in the inability of both cultures to accept such a union, despite their common ground including the ability to recite the Old Testament verbatim. While the theme of the film is cultural coexistence, or lack thereof, much of Solomon & Gaenor is taken up with the story of young love. The lovers manage to meet secretly for a short while, but it isn't long before they're found out and Gaenor is denounced from the pulpit, charged with "fornicating with an outsider" by a jealous former suitor. Solomon's father tells him, "If you go with this girl, you are dead to us. We will say Kaddish over you," effectively disowning Solomon and grieving for him as if dead. Things could get worse, and they do: Gaenor is pregnant and anti-Jewish riots have spread from neighbouring towns to this one. Solomon keeps protesting "This isn't Russia," even as his family prepares to bo Buy Solomon And Gaenor at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Solomon And Gaenor Search with the Priority Search Engine on Solomon And Gaenor This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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