Shtisel is a par above the best television and most cinema produced in Israel. My copious consumption of TV and film notwithstanding, I have never reviewed, but was compelled to when discovering the stunning absence of commentary for this stunning work of art.
In a hyper digitized culture this show is reactionary to say the least. It returns to the origin of the medium of moving pictures, storytelling. Beautiful, delicate, morally challenging and consistently human stories.
Technically the show is artful and precise, with a seemingly authentic, almost anthropological portrayal of a society that is generally inaccessible. Drama seems to arise slowly, patiently, through competent composition of scenes, performances that posses each character flawlessly, and again, stories that speak to the heart of who we are and how we relate to each other. Perhaps it takes a society that has not been swept by time as much as most, to demonstrate a few timeless truths that we can all relate to.
We live in the golden age of quality television, no doubt. But I can count on one hand the number of shows that humbly rely on the basics: acting and story. No FX, no cynicism, no melodrama. If you enjoy Detectorists, this'll probably be up your alley.
