AllMovie

Exploring an often hidden segment of the population, Trembling Before G-d is an accessible documentary told with compassion and featuring and excellent score by John Zorn. The highly personal nature of the interviews resonates well with the frequent use of Yiddish and Hebrew words used to express religious sentiments that are almost untranslatable. The serious conflict between sexuality and religion is an age-old problem, but the focus here remains interesting and urgent to the subjects' lives. David is an upper-middle-class Orthodox Jew living in L.A. who appears completely composed and calm despite his long struggles with accepting his sexuality. On the other hand, Israel is a Hasidic gay man from Brooklyn who gives a public tirade in the street about the power of his faith. Many of the subjects appear in obscure framing devices where only their mouths, hands, or silhouettes can be seen. Not wanting to risk exposure but still wanting to participate, members from Jewish homosexual support groups perform traditional rituals that appear in high contrast silhouettes throughout the film. The implied community is a touching conclusion after the various stories of isolation and alienation. The only weak parts are the pastoral scenes involving clouds and landscapes following the more inspirational commentary, which are tedious and give extraneous pondering time. While duly serving its niche audience, Trembling Before G-d is also a moving learning experience for Gentiles with little exposure to the intricacies of Orthodox life.