NEWROZ FILMS

Nietzsche & Chaplin vs. DAVID & LAYLA

David & Layla opens with this quotation from French film director René Clair (1898-1981):

“To laugh is to dream

To dream is to be free

To laugh is to take revenge

To laugh is to possess everything we lack in reality!”

There are 30+ reviews posted at InternetMovieDataBase IMDB IMDB User Comments out of American, Jewish & Muslim mixed audience screenings of DAVID & LAYLA. Some comments below infer Chaplin & Nietzsche!

Timely, thoughtful, unafraid to make social & political comments.
Author: elainevk from Australia

David and Layla is a very timely film, not only in USA but in many countries in the world where refugees who seek asylum are faced with the inevitable difficulties of integrating not only into established societies but with other refugees of different ethnicities and religious beliefs.

Humour leavens and yet underscores the serious difficulties encountered by the young couple although at times it is used a little too heavily and borders on slapstick.

The film makes strong political comment through simple statement of fact - who were Saddam's major supporters anyway? There is valuable use of archival footage: stark, black and white sequences that contrast sharply with the colourful and sometime flamboyant costumes and decor in David and Layla's story. We wonder if the colour and the flamboyance may be transient - will they disappear in a return to suffering?

The best of human nature prevails when the very differences are recognised as similarities, surprising even the protagonists. That David and Layla are real people and this is based on their true story makes the film even more poignant.

The acting is routinely strong with the roles of Layla and David's Jewish father superbly played. I hope David and Layla gets major distribution that takes it to other countries such as England and Australia where it would resonate equally.

Response by the film's director:

Thanks. The remark "at times...borders on slap stick" is fair. In fairness, other mixed genres films also feature scenes "bordering on slap stick" from Charlie Chaplin's films to Preston Sturges’ 1941 classic three-genres (comedy, romance, drama) 'Sullivan's Travels' to 'La Cage aux folles', to one-genre romantic comedies such as 'Bend It Like Beckham.’ Look up IMDB Plot keywords for Chaplin’s masterpiece 1931 ‘City Lights’- a funny, sad, and tender love story. You might be as surprised as I was at some plot keywords seemingly common to these two dissimilar films: ‘Rose’, ‘Flower’, ‘Bumbling Hero’, ‘Love Story’, ‘Mistaken Identity’, ‘Melodrama’, ‘Bittersweet’, 'Pathos', ‘Romantic Comedy’ and ‘Slapstick’!

IMDB: Charles Chaplin’s CITY LIGHTS (1931): A Comedy Romance. Plot keywords:

... Little Tramp / Friendship / Love / Flower/ Love Story / Romantic / Bittersweet / Blind Girl / Bumbling Hero / Flower Girl / Melodrama / Mistaken Identity / Pathos / Romantic Comedy / Rose / Silent Comedy / Slapstick... “

In David & Layla, the filmmakers felt the need – and took the risk - to carry 'the-at-times heavy, tragic and sensitive’ story with some satire, including a few touches that "border on slap stick." After all, in our mixture of three genres, Layla does slap David, literally! And, let’s not forget David’s and his Dad’s Chaplin-like duck walks after their separate mishaps. Regards, JJ.

One of the best.
Author: Deniz Ekici from United States

David and Layla is one of the best movies I have ever seen. The movie is an excellent harmony of both tragedy and comedy. As many viewers pointed out after the movie, I think the core issue here is that the movie targets to the most important part of us; our humanity; no matter whether we are Christian, Muslim, or Jewish or no matter what our political stand is... we are all human beings when it comes to love. It reminds me of Nietzsche’s philosophy and its Dionysian instinct; the battle between being Apollonian (rational) or being Dionysian (irrational). If you are Apollonian you care much about the artificial side of life or of yourself; your religion, your race, your political stand, your party and so on. However if you are Dionysian, you do not care much about these things. You can sacrifice them for the sake of love, for example. You can disregard this artificial side of the life or you can make compromise between the two sides (Apollonian and Dionysian) as David and Layla do. I think this is what we badly need nowadays.

Truly magnificent.
Author: S. Tabatabai from United States

The story itself is inspirational, the acting is heart warming, and the music truly uplifts you. The movie inspires you to connect with others no matter what nationality, religion or culture. The joy, the laughter, and the tears that it brought me were felt by almost everyone in the audience. It definitely unites us and helps us to see our oneness. I believe Mr. Jonroy has done a wonderful job of sparking love in every human heart. Layla presents the beauty of a Persian (or Kurdish) woman, unconscious of her sensuality, who strives to stick to her culture/tradition with grace & integrity. The food represents warmth, and the spice in it sparks love and passion; somehow the importance of food and spice reminded me of 'Like Water for Chocolate.' Layla's costumes were of the brilliant colors of the East – Persia and Kurdistan – where colors are signs of life and passion. Oh, and the music is what completed the picture.

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Visit DAVID & LAYLA’s IMDB User Comments to see some 30+ diverse feedbacks from American, Jewish, Muslim, and other individuals. There you can agree or disagree and/or add your own Comment.

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