Clearly weighted towards Gitai's own liberal political stance, but incorporating a range of other views too, West of the Jordan River is a dry and sometimes depressing film, but informative and humane too.
Through interviews with Israeli politicians, and Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank, West of the Jordan River gives voice to peace-seeking residents on both sides of the conflict.
60
Wall Street JournalJohn Anderson
Wall Street JournalJohn Anderson
There’s a weariness to West of the Jordan River, both in the storytelling and the face of Amos Gitai.
50
Slant MagazineOleg Ivanov
Slant MagazineOleg Ivanov
Amos Gitai regularly takes incidents and anecdotes out of context, making it difficult for viewers who lack intimate knowledge of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to follow the proceedings.
50
RogerEbert.comVikram Murthi
RogerEbert.comVikram Murthi
West of the Jordan River works best when Gitai involves himself in the interviews. Gitai is a compelling screen presence—empathetic and patient, but also skeptical and necessarily forceful.
40
Village VoiceSimon Abrams
Village VoiceSimon Abrams
The maddeningly unfocused Israeli documentary West of the Jordan River doesn’t reveal anything insightful about Gaza settlers’ reasons for either supporting or rejecting a two-state solution.