The Quarrel

The Quarrel is a 1991 Canadian film directed by Eli Cohen, Saul Rubinek and R. H. Thomson. The film was written by David Brandes and Joseph Telushkin.

Summary

Two estranged friends – one a rabbi, and the other, an agnostic writer— are compelled to resume an argument that caused a separation between the pair many years earlier, after a chance meeting pushes the duo together once more. The Quarrel is a touching film that trails writer Chaim and his friend from youth, Rabbi Hersh, during their journey in a scenic park in Montreal as they return to an old argument regarding God and ethics; one that has newfound importance following the Holocaust that occurred since their last contact.

A chance encounter on the Jewish New Year offers Chaim and Hersh a final opportunity to face the past, clarify their conduct, and attempt to understand the vastly dissimilar lives they’ve led. On the forenoon of Rosh Hashana, Chaim gets bacon and eggs for his first meal of the day and receives a telephone call from the lady he casually slept with the previous night, whereas Hersh is down by the lakefront guiding his yeshiva scholars in prayer. Their way of life and beliefs could not differ any further, however boyhood friendships many times will develop beyond rationality. While the two gentlemen reveal their Holocaust incidents and describe how the lives they lead have strengthened their viewpoints, ‘the quarrel’ that develops turns into a battle to determine whether they are best friends or angry foes. But rather than boiling things down to a straightforward right-or-wrong reality, The Quarrel fleshes out their opposing perspectives and then lets them stew unsettled, acknowledging life’s complexities.