Everything Is Illuminated
Discrimination is Alive and Well-Unfortunately “This monument stands in memory of the Trachimbroders….killed at the hands of German fascism in World War II. This is all that is Left. They destroyed everything.” This quote came from the film, Everything is Illuminated (2005), directed by Leiv Scheiber which contains various types of discrimination during World War II. Discrimination took place in Alex’s home, when getting directions from the country workers, and at the Trachimbrod.
At The beginning of the film, Alex talks about how his Grandfather started a business for aiding rich Jewish people to search for their dead families after World War II. It is a strange job because Grandfather hates rich Jewish people and their dead families and is discriminatory toward them. Alex’s father asks Grandfather to drive the car for a Jewish American who is searching for a woman in a village called Trachimbrod. Grandfather is refusing to drive, “Go to hell, I am retired, No more dead Jews,” he says. Father states, Alex will be going also to help. Grandfather says he will pick up the Jew and Sammy will go with them (his dog).
When arriving to pick up Jonathan at the train station Alex has mixed emotions upon seeing Jonathan a Jewish American for the first time. Alex claims Jonathan does not look like any of the Americans he has seen in magazines with yellow hair and muscles, also he does not look like any of the Jews he has seen in the history books with no hair and prominent bones. Grandfather tells Alex the Jew can sit in the backseat with the bitch (his dog) is one example of discrimination. While driving to their destination they become lost and stop to ask for directions from some country workers who are digging. Grandfather is very frustrated Jonathan does not know where they are. Grandfather tells Alex to go and ask the workers for directions to Trachmibrod and to leave the “Jid (Russian for Jew) here (in the car) which is another example of discrimination.
At The beginning of the film, Alex talks about how his Grandfather started a business for aiding rich Jewish people to search for their dead families after World War II. It is a strange job because Grandfather hates rich Jewish people and their dead families and is discriminatory toward them. Alex’s father asks Grandfather to drive the car for a Jewish American who is searching for a woman in a village called Trachimbrod. Grandfather is refusing to drive, “Go to hell, I am retired, No more dead Jews,” he says. Father states, Alex will be going also to help. Grandfather says he will pick up the Jew and Sammy will go with them (his dog).
When arriving to pick up Jonathan at the train station Alex has mixed emotions upon seeing Jonathan a Jewish American for the first time. Alex claims Jonathan does not look like any of the Americans he has seen in magazines with yellow hair and muscles, also he does not look like any of the Jews he has seen in the history books with no hair and prominent bones. Grandfather tells Alex the Jew can sit in the backseat with the bitch (his dog) is one example of discrimination. While driving to their destination they become lost and stop to ask for directions from some country workers who are digging. Grandfather is very frustrated Jonathan does not know where they are. Grandfather tells Alex to go and ask the workers for directions to Trachmibrod and to leave the “Jid (Russian for Jew) here (in the car) which is another example of discrimination.