The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob

1973 "THE WILD... THE HILARIOUS... THE SCREWBALL... THE RIOTOUS"
7.4| 1h40m| G| en| More Info
Released: 11 November 1973 Released
Producted By: Les Films Pomereu
Country: Italy
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

In this riot of frantic disguises and mistaken identities, Victor Pivert, a blustering, bigoted French factory owner, finds himself taken hostage by Slimane, an Arab rebel leader. The two dress up as rabbis as they try to elude not only assasins from Slimane's country, but also the police, who think Pivert is a murderer. Pivert ends up posing as Rabbi Jacob, a beloved figure who's returned to France for his first visit after 30 years in the United States. Adding to the confusion are Pivert's dentist-wife, who thinks her husband is leaving her for another woman, their daughter, who's about to get married, and a Parisian neighborhood filled with people eager to celebrate the return of Rabbi Jacob.

Genre

Comedy

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Director

Gérard Oury

Production Companies

Les Films Pomereu

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The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob Audience Reviews

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good
Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.
Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.
leplatypus This early 70s movie is about a white catholic french racist man compelled to live a crazy week-end filled with Arabs and Jews! For sure, the movie plays on the clichés about everyone (even the french!) and it's really funny! As i kept laughing, am i a racist? not at all! i just like to have fun! Those who feel prejudiced by such movie can't understand humor and it's impossible to teach them now! For sure today we will have complains from all the communities in spite the freedom of expression! It's a shame, all the more than all involved in the production said that this movie was like a magical cure and led them to think over their attitudes! So racism is erased by making people ask questions and a movie like this is the perfect tool! In addition, a bit like the Titanic sinking in 1912, the movie was done in 1973 so the last year of economic growth before a lot of crisis and also massive immigration! So you really see what was France and particularly Paris then and it's sure totally different of what it is today!
Ersbel Oraph When I was young I have seen this movie and I have found it very funny. The Jews were so silly with their backward tradition. The dark skinned people were so stupid in their mindless race to kill each other. The French were imperfect, yet lovable. Only the cop was plain idiotic.Now I have seen the movie again.The idiot cop is a Corsican. He is lazy and even slower than the stupid dark skinned killers.The strange dark skinned people putting their terrorist plans into action in the peaceful and beautiful France are thinly veiled Algerians moving their lawless regime outside their borders like with the Algerian Civil War. They are mean. They are corrupt. And their dream is to have a white girl, French if possible.Contact me with Questions, Comments or Suggestions ryitfork @ bitmail.chThe Jews are Medieval at best. Friendly, but they do not accept anybody within their communities. A reference to the antisemitic myth that Jews prefer ghettos to mix with the others.Salomon, the Jewish driver is quite French. Obviously, there were no Jewish actors in France at the time. And Slimane is another Frenchman playing black-faced in the '70s.Of course, some of the French can be bigots, but look at the Pivert character: it is because he was not exposed to something else. In the end he becomes a democrat, just like all French scarred by the ghettoized French nationals born and raised in France, yet with obvious racial differences.Harmless fun to teach children to be scared of the curly haired killer and feel saved by the tall and very white men in blue brought there to restore the peace for the light skinned citizens.
Elektrum Give Louis de Funes a good role and the freedom to go nuts, and you will have a good movie. In Rabbi Jacob, Funes is the owner of an industrial plant who "knows that the people like to be lied to" ("mais il AIME qu'on lui mente, le peuple!"). His character is intolerant of Arabs, Jews, Blacks, etc. At one point during the story, however, he must take on the identity of a Rabbi and try to pass himself off as Jewish in order to save his hide. With him is an Arab, who must do the same. If you've seen de Funes before, I'm sure you can imagine the hilarious scenes that arise out of this predicament.
mdibner This is one of the funniest films every made. Explores the differences among peoples. A very funny commentary on life. Has not been available on VHS with English subtitles until mid-2001. The acting is superb although the dialog somewhat slapstick.