Disobedience (2017) Movie Review

『A Deep and Quiet Love Blossoming Between Oppression and Freedom』

🎥 Movie Overview

🎬 Title: Disobedience (2017)
🌍 Country: 🇬🇧 UK / 🇺🇸 USA
🎞️ Genre: Drama / Romance
🗓️ Production and Release: BBC Films and co-production partners
⏳ Runtime: 114 minutes
📢 Director: Sebastián Lelio
🖋️ Screenplay: Sebastián Lelio, Rebecca Lenkiewicz
📖 Based on the novel by: Naomi Alderman

👩‍💼 Cast: Rachel Weisz – Ronit Krushka
Rachel McAdams – Esti Kuperman

🧩 Story Deep Dive (Spoilers)

💔 The Collision of Past and Present

Ronit, a photographer living freely in New York, returns to her hometown in London’s Orthodox Jewish community after the sudden death of her father. It is the same place from which she was essentially banished years ago when her same-sex relationship was discovered — a space where emotions and freedom are tightly repressed. Confronting her old wounds, Ronit reunites with Esti — her childhood friend, former lover, and now the wife of the community’s rabbi — and old emotions begin to resurface.

🔥 Reigniting Hidden Emotions

Esti is the one who informed Ronit of her father’s passing, expressing her desire to see her again. At first, the two keep their distance, but slowly open their hearts. Their reunion is not simply about rekindling friendship but about reigniting a love that had been suppressed for years. When a kiss in the park exposes them to members of the community, a crisis follows. Yet, at a hotel, the two finally release all their repressed desires and emotions. The camera captures the tension and deep affection through breath, gazes, and the subtle movement of fingertips, delivering an honest and intimate portrayal.

⚖️ Choices, Conflict, and Liberation

Esti confesses the truth to her husband Dovid, facing her emotions head-on as she struggles between life in the community and her own identity. Upon learning of her pregnancy, her conflict deepens, but ultimately she decides to leave the community — to give both herself and her child the freedom to choose. All three characters wrestle intensely with their beliefs, their love, and their responsibilities, reaching a pivotal turning point in their relationships.

🦋 Emotional Resonance and Meaning

🎨 A Closed Worldview and the Question of 'Free Will'

The film begins by placing its story in the secluded world of a North London Orthodox Jewish community. This closed-off setting magnifies the weight of “choice” that the characters must carry.

The Power of Setting: Ronit, the free-spirited photographer returning after her rabbi father’s death, and Esti, the devout teacher who stayed behind to marry the rabbi’s successor, embody the central tension of the film. In such a strict world, “Disobedience” is not a minor rule-breaking — it means banishment from the community and the destruction of faith.

The Rabbi’s Final Sermon: Before his death, the rabbi speaks on the subject of “free will,” and the film places this theme across the lives of all three main characters. Will they obey like angels, follow instincts like beasts, or choose freely as human beings? The narrative observes how each character answers this timeless question in their own way.

💡 The Layered Struggles of Three Characters

The strength of Disobedience lies in the fact that it gives equal respect and depth not only to Ronit and Esti, the romantic leads, but also to Esti’s husband, Dovid.

Ronit’s Restlessness (Freedom vs. Roots): Ronit chose freedom, but upon returning home, she confronts the grief and longing tied to her father and her roots. Rachel Weisz captures the sorrow and loneliness hidden beneath Ronit’s rebellious exterior with delicate nuance.

Esti’s Dilemma (Faith vs. Identity): Rachel McAdams brings to life Esti’s role as the embodiment of the film’s true tragedy. Torn between her sexual identity and her devotion to her community and marriage, Esti has long suppressed her true self. Through subtle tremors and fleeting glances, McAdams conveys her inner torment. When Esti’s suppressed desire erupts in her reunion with Ronit, the result is a scene of profound urgency.

Dovid’s Compassion (Law vs. Love): Played by Alessandro Nivola, Dovid is not a one-dimensional villain or obstacle. He genuinely loves Esti and struggles to balance his role as rabbi, his duties, and his affection for both Esti and Ronit. In the climax, his decision to grant liberation demonstrates not just religious knowledge but deep human compassion, adding unexpected wisdom and emotion to the story.

📽️ Restrained Direction and Bursts of Emotion

Director Sebastián Lelio avoids melodramatic excess, instead conveying the characters’ inner conflicts through visual metaphors and subtle close-ups.

The Meaning of the Only Intimate Scene: The single, intense sex scene between Ronit and Esti after their reunion is not merely provocative. It marks the moment when Esti’s suppressed self fully erupts — the point at which she can no longer deny her true identity. Unlike other queer films that portray intimacy as a sign of relationship progress or liberation, here the act signifies a crossroads of choice for Esti.

Though set within the specific context of Orthodox Judaism, the film ultimately asks a universal question: the eternal struggle between individual free will and social repression. It leaves audiences with a lingering resonance and much to reflect upon.

🎯 Personal Rating

💕 Love Scene Intensity: ♥♥♥♥
⭐ Overall Rating: ★★★★★