Osa Archivum Catalog

The Dybbuk

Summary: Boundaries separating the natural from the supernatural dissolve as ill-fated pledges, unfulfilled passions and untimely deaths ensnare two families in a tragic labyrinth of spiritual possession. Inspired by S. Ansky's ethnographic research of Jews living in the Polish-Russian countryside just before the first World War, The Dybbuk reflects Ansky's deep perception of the shtetl's religious and cultural mores, as well as his insightful appreciation of its hidden spiritual resources. The film's exquisite musical and dance interludes evoke the cultural richness of both pre-WWI shtetl communities and Polish Jewry on the eve of WWII. This movie is, in a loose sense, a ghost story with a familiar theme: malevolent fate works through human passions, destroying our protagonists, who do not realize until too late what lies ahead. A young man and young woman, promised in marriage before they are even born, fall in love with one another on their own volition. The girl's father, seeking out a wealthier son-in-law, tries to wriggle out of the deal. In desperation, the boy kills himself--whereupon his soul is transferred to the girl during the wedding ceremony. It is up to the Wonder Rabbi (A. Morewski) to sort things out.

Item Type	Current Location	Call Number	Status	Shelving Location	Public Note
VHS	OSA Film Library	FL Record 0880	Available	-	-