Criticism

Re: Current Movies, Oct. 1.

I AM both appalled and disturbed at the choice of words your movie critic chose to use when reviewing the movie Jakob the Liar. The critic writes, "you will either find his character profoundly touching, or you will begin rooting for the Nazis." I find this phrase to be inappropriate and disturbing. As a Jewish person it makes me very angry that someone would use such poor judgment when writing such a harmful statement.

Marla Rattner, Toronto.

 

A THUMBNAIL sketch of Scott Feschuk's review of the latest Robin Williams flick which appeared in the Oct. 1 issue of National Post [p. B3]:

Jacob the Liar or That Other Holocaust Movie (the One Without the Italian Nut), is set in a Jewish ghetto in Nazi-occupied Poland during 1944. It features Robin Williams as a plucky fella who tries to boost morale by telling phony tales of Allied incursions. Williams does his Sappy Robin thing again, acting with his eyebrows and his sad smile, only this time with a Polish accent. Repeat, a Polish accent. You will either find his character profoundly touching, or you will begin rooting for the Nazis.

If the National Post is not more careful it will find itself arraigned before Canada's Human Rights Commission; that is what happened to Vancouver's North Shore News and Doug Collins when he referred to a well known movie as Swindler's List (a reference to the description of the movie's hero by his highly unimpressed widow as a cheat, rogue, and swindler).