The Believers 1987 Watch Online

The Believers Watch Online: A Deep Dive into Daniel Balint’s Journey

The film “The Believers” begins with a series of poignant flashbacks into the childhood of Daniel Balint, a young Jewish yeshiva student. Brilliant yet troubled, Daniel often challenged his teachers with unorthodox interpretations of scripture. During a heated debate about the Binding of Isaac, he argues that the story is not merely about Abraham’s faith but rather about God’s power. Daniel suggests that God’s purpose was not to have Abraham accomplish a specific task but to demand unquestioning obedience, harshly depicting God as a bully. These formative experiences lead Daniel to begin distancing himself from his Jewish identity.

From Faith to Fanaticism: Daniel’s Transformation

In the present day, Daniel has transformed into a fanatically violent neo-Nazi in New York, now in his early twenties. He and his group of skinhead friends discover a meeting of fascists run by Curtis Zampf and Lina Moebius, where he also forms a connection with Lina’s daughter, Carla. Daniel openly advocates for violence against Jews, particularly targeting a banker named Manzetti. However, Curtis and Lina oppose harming Jews, citing practical reasons rather than moral ones. Impressed by Daniel’s intelligence and oratory skills, Lina invites him to their camp retreat in the countryside.

After the retreat, Daniel and his neo-Nazi friends engage in a violent altercation with two African-American men, resulting in their arrest. They are bailed out by Carla, and Daniel spends the night with her. However, he returns to his ailing father’s home, where he faces criticism from his sister Linda for his Nazi beliefs. Despite their differences, she urges him to stay for Shabbat dinner. The men watch TV, which is forbidden on the Sabbath according to some Orthodox Jews, leading them to commiserate about the complexities of Jewish law.

Confrontation and Consequences: Daniel’s Encounter with a Journalist

Guy Danielsen, a journalist researching hate groups, meets Daniel for an interview. He listens to Daniel’s antisemitic rhetoric but reveals that he knows Daniel is Jewish, having tracked down his old rabbi and bar mitzvah record. Enraged, Daniel pulls out a pistol and threatens suicide if Guy publishes the truth about his identity.

Daniel attends the fascist camp retreat, where he meets Drake, a skilled marksman, and an explosives expert. Six participants, including Daniel, visit a Jewish deli, where they harass the owner about Jewish dietary laws until a fight ensues. Following this, they are mandated by the court to undergo sensitivity training, where they listen to the harrowing experiences of Holocaust survivors. One survivor recounts how his infant son was murdered by a Nazi, igniting Daniel’s anger as he believes the man did nothing to save his child. The survivors assert that Daniel would have acted similarly, prompting him to storm out in fury.

Descent into Darkness: Vandalism and Violence

The haunting story of the survivor lingers in Daniel’s mind, leading him to imagine himself as the Nazi. Later that night, he and his gang break into a synagogue, vandalizing it and planting a time bomb under the pulpit. They also desecrate a Torah scroll, although Daniel protests against this act. After their departure, he takes the scroll and a tallit katan with him. The next morning, the neo-Nazis learn that the bomb failed to detonate. Back in his cabin, Daniel puts on the tallit under his shirt, performing a disturbing combination of the Nazi salute and a Hagbaha.

Plans of Assassination: The Turning Point

Drake approaches Daniel with a plan to assassinate Manzetti. Outside a temple, Daniel attempts to shoot him but misses. When Drake discovers the tallit, he realizes Daniel’s Jewish heritage, leading Daniel to shoot him in a panic before escaping. He continues to meet with Lina and Curtis, who aim to create an above-ground movement to mainstream fascism, inviting Jews, blacks, and liberals to join. Reluctantly, Daniel agrees to help them raise funds. However, his charm quickly turns to rage, leading to his expulsion from the meetings.

When news breaks that Manzetti has been killed, Lina suspects Daniel due to his earlier proposal for the assassination, but the real killer is Drake.

Conflicted Loyalties: A Glimpse of Redemption

Carla comforts Daniel, and they share an intimate moment at his home. When she discovers the stolen Torah, she asks him to teach her Hebrew. Soon after, Daniel encounters an old friend, Stuart, and his fiancée, Miriam, who invite him to a Rosh Hashanah service, mistakenly believing he is an anti-racist skinhead