The Promise (2011)

This mini series has a great plot. The parallel stories of Erin and Len Matthews are told in a really convincing way, with enlightening comparisons between the situation of Israel in 1946-1948 and today. I personally did not know much about the role of the British army in the couple of years prior to the creation of the State of Israel, and so I found Len's journey particularly interesting. The film is very didactic and is thus accessible to people who are not too familiar with the roots of the Israel-Palestine conflict. My only disappointment was the way Erin's character turns into a caricature in episodes 3 to 4. Her stubbornness and lack of respect for the lives of others make her really irritating. She puts other peoples' lives at risk multiple times and her behaviour is so reckless, despite her rather hazy motives, that it becomes unbelievable at times. Other than that, a very enjoyable series.

Very good, finally a fairly balanced attempt at depicting the middle- eastern problem. I very much appreciated the fact that the movie tried to remain rather unbiased (except toward the end, where it went a little over the top with showing the brutality of the IDF and excessively victimizing the Palestinians). The two story lines make it possible to show at the same time both the current situation as well as the original creation of the problem, its roots. Great idea!All in all, some good acting, good cinematography and decent, clear dialog (especially for a made-for-TV flick). If anything is lacking its a good musical score, but it doesn't take away much from the movie. I can only recommend this movie to all. Most will learn a lot by watching it, and it will make many think again about the preconceptions they have about this issue, mostly due to ignorance and misinformation in the media.

I have never seen such an inaccurate and ridiculous portrayal of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I was really disgusted by most of the scenes involving the Israeli army. The IDF has never used Palestinian children as "human shields", no alcohol can be found on an IDF bases as is shown in one scene, and IDF soldiers do not open fire without direct orders from their superiors. These are all well known facts. Obviously this mini-series sought only to smear the IDF, which it effectively does. I was also disgusted with the analogies made between the Holocaust and the Occupation. I don't think there is any reason for further explanation on that subject. It seems that the 11 months it took the director to research was in vain, he obviously had an agenda from the beginning. I urge those watching this mini-series to pick up a history book. There are many ways to tell a story and this one was clearly biased.

This is the most biased and hate filled series that has ever disgraced televisions and computers.The series' thin attempt at remaining impartial in a complicated conflict only demonizes Israelis. I believe it to be the worst example of anti-Israel propaganda that's ever seen on television.Every Palestinian is portrayed as a victim, ever Israeli as their callous oppressors. I understand that this is a mini-series not a documentary, but depicting a situation the way the director and production staff has done only adds fuel to an already warm fire. If you have had the misfortune of watching this film, please research your facts properly.