The choreography was realized in 1973, before break dancing and rap.What do those men in black do in their spare time? Irony is De Funes , playing the role of Rabbi Jacob was a devout Roman Catholic in real life. Victor Pivert, a blustering, hate-mongering factory owner en route to his daughter’s wedding, unwittingly stumbles on a group of Arab terrorists. He hides himself by dressing up as a Rabbi.
The film ”Les Adventures de Rabbi Jacob” is a masterpiece of French comedy, though the topic of the film, racism, is cleverly underlined as the central narrative. The rhythmic flair of the dance scene and the intentional insertion of missteps is reminiscent of Chaplin. Credit to the choreography of Ilan Zaoui. The clip is a bit long, but was chosen for the quality. The crazy dance scene is at the four minute mark.
Rabbi Jacob was released on the eve of the Yom Kippur War in October, 1973 and Gerard Oury’s film found an audience for its message of tolerance, or the necessity to cohabit peacefully. The dance scene does shed some light on Jewish mysticism and other theological suggestions on the nature of man being an insubstantial and ephemeral presence in the world, in counterpoint to Pivert’s substantial ego.
The wife of one of the film’s publicists hijacked an Air France flight to protest the film and was shot by police.
”Au fond je suis un triste et je crois que si je resussis dans le comique, c’est justement parce que je fais tout pour me sortir de cette tristesse”…and if I’m aggressive, its solely due to timidity. Yes, I’m a monster of timidity”.( Louis de Funes, 1970)
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