
TheissueofWarwidowrepresentationinIsraelicinemaisoneofthemostcomplexforthelocalindustryforitseemstobeuniqueandwithaverylocalandspecificiconography.<br/> ThewarWidowisadifficultcharactertodigest.BecausethisisanespeciallypainfultopicinIsrael,itsmodeofrepresentationisalmostalwaysproblematic.<br/> GilaAlmagorinTofano's"siege"isoneofthefirstcharactersofthe"modern"warwidowstoappearonIsraelicinemascreens.<br/> Thehumanandsocialcomplexityofthestatusofwidowswasnotrepresentedadequatelyandpersonallyuntilhercomplexandfineappearanceinthisfilm.<br/> ItwasmostlyPrecededbyclichesofheroicwomenwhohavesacrificedforthenationwithcharacterstowhichitwasverydifficulttogetattached,nortotheirpersonalgrief.<br/> "Siege"wasdirectedbyanunknownItaliandirectorofthatperiod.AlthoughGilbertoTofanowasbroughtasaprofessionaldirectoronthewingsofinspirationmadebytheFrenchNewWaveofthoseyears,hemanagedtoturnoutaveryexcitingworkwhichhascaughttheIsraeliwarmthandsenseofsocialsiegewhichsurroundstheIsraeliwidows,includingthegreatexpectationsfromthemandthesocialstigmas.<br/> TofanowrappedhisleadingladywithlotsofwarmthandgaveaplaceofhonortoAlmagor'simpressivepresenceinthefilm.<br/> ThisiswithoutadoubtoneofAlmagor'sbestandmostaccurateperformances.TherestraintinherperformanceplustheshootingandexpressiveuseofanglesbyTofanoandhissoftEuropeantouchwhichwasfarofffromtheaggressivelocalproductmanagedtoproduceasenseofdocumentinganauthentictragedywithatangiblepersonaltouchthatminimizedthenationaldimension.Theresultstandsthetestoftimeproudlyseveraldecadesafteritscreation.



