Fauda

I caught up with this praised Israeli action-spy series in one week, and it’s definitely worth it. The story focuses on the Israeli special unit Shin Bet, which infiltrates and eliminates terrorists from Palestine. The unit is very well done and it's interesting that real soldiers, who have experienced war, play instead of actors, so professionalism and authenticity can be felt in every aspect. The series has a very good pace, it can be very suspenseful, dramatic, and emotional. The characters are likeable and the more time I spent with them, the more it hurt when someone fell. Each season has a different antagonist, which is a nice change of pace and, even though the first two seasons didn't offer as much action as I would have liked, the third season makes up for it easily. Most of the time, it takes place in the terrifying world of Gaza, where the Israeli unit faces Palestinian special commando of terrorists and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you're interested in Muslim culture, terrorists and its unpleasant world, I definitely recommend this series because nothing better has been done on a similar topic. Story*****, Action****, Humor**, Violence****, Entertainment*****, Music****, Visuals****, Atmosphere****, Tension****. (26.11.2020)

Fauda has achieved what only a handful of television shows can - it has become a unique cultural phenomenon in its country of origin. It unifies a deeply divided country, where partial apartheid exists, at least in the sense that all hostile communities regularly sit in front of their televisions, comment on the events, and find their own place therein. Fauda is not impartial; it is told from the perspective of members of an Israeli undercover commando operating in the Palestinian territories against Hamas-affiliated terrorists. However, it is not a purely biased view, as the creators clearly understand Palestinian realities and are able to provide Israelis with a different perspective and show the motives that lead to the attacks. The series allegedly has decent viewership even in several Arab countries that have no reason to support Israel. Fauda has managed to create a successful action-adventure product, with significantly less money, that also touches on the genre of political thriller and can compete confidently with popular action series from abroad. It is not flawless; for example, the combat deployment of the charming character Nurit is naturally attractive to the male part of the audience, but it contradicts the practice of not exposing women in the Israeli armed forces to the risk of capture. The foundation of Fauda's success lies in well-written characters on both sides of the barricade and a screenplay that does not pamper them, relentlessly crushing them, sliding them from one side to the other, and leaving them with bloody scars. The chosen format naturally does not allow for a deep psychological exploration of the thoughts of the inhabitants of Israel and Palestine, but as a portrayal of the hopeless state of society, where two nations and two cultures compete for the same territory, it works damn well. Overall impression: 90%. (04.10.2018)

Beautiful and confident women, masculine men, exotic landscapes, ancient monuments, guns and gunfights, espionage and explosions, betrayals and love entanglements. You'll see it all here. But this is not a soap opera, but a fact-based account of the work of the Israeli secret services. Sometimes it's clichéd, the emphasis on relationships is too heavy (there's always somebody sleeping with someone else's wife), the acting is sometimes rather hammy (in almost every episode Gabi overcomes tears or stares into the distance in anguish). The protagonist is clearly immortal and his mental breakdowns are more frequent than roller coaster rides. Members of the anti-terrorist squad seem to manage their raids as they wish, without consulting anyone or even announcing them. ____ But the raids tend to be great viewing. The psychological portrayal of the characters - especially the Palestinians, who are not always murderers and rapists - is also good here and there. But what made the greatest impression on me is the depiction of the desperate situation of the generations-old blood feud between Palestinians and Israelis without any chance of reconciliation or at least a cease-fire. Season 4 (27.03.2023)

The Israelis have done a fantastic job. Unlike Americans, they didn’t need to be overly patriotic. They let those tank trucks full of pathos get lost in the desert and filmed a series full of elaborate action, escalating suspense and perfect atmosphere. It instantly drew me into the action and didn’t let go. What really surprised me was that they did not necessarily put themselves into the role of the righteous ones. The series lacked any strictly positive characters, everyone had something on their conscience, and if someone is not yet clear why the two sides of the conflict are unable to reach a compromise, the series might give them some valuable insight. I really enjoyed it. (29.03.2019)