Spinoza

A film about the Sephardi Amsterdam philosopher, by the British Marxist Tariq Ali. Interestingly, Spinoza seems to have attended an Ashkenazi synagogue!!! The members of the Mahamad - wealthy merchants - are also presented as stereotypical religious Ashkenazim. Spinoza's father seems to have come of a barrow from Petticoat Lane but, even though it places the philosopher in an alien culture, the film is good fun.