RyothChatty ridiculous rating

Bluebell Alcock Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

Michelle Ridley The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

menachemkashanian Only after watching this film have i truly gained a perspective on which direction I would like to take my acting career. After recently creating an online personality and character, Rabbi Jacob put the cherry on top in helping me fully decide how my character will take form (a hybrid between Rowan Atkinson and Jim Carey)

leplatypus This early 70s movie is about a white catholic french racist man compelled to live a crazy week-end filled with Arabs and Jews! For sure, the movie plays on the clichés about everyone (even the french!) and it's really funny! As i kept laughing, am i a racist? not at all! i just like to have fun! Those who feel prejudiced by such movie can't understand humor and it's impossible to teach them now! For sure today we will have complains from all the communities in spite the freedom of expression! It's a shame, all the more than all involved in the production said that this movie was like a magical cure and led them to think over their attitudes! So racism is erased by making people ask questions and a movie like this is the perfect tool! In addition, a bit like the Titanic sinking in 1912, the movie was done in 1973 so the last year of economic growth before a lot of crisis and also massive immigration! So you really see what was France and particularly Paris then and it's sure totally different of what it is today!

t_atzmueller Having grown up with his movies (them being brought regularly on German TV), I always had the impression that Louis de Funes and his films got better with age. The films progressed with plain, harmless slapstick to slapstick, that often had a serious core or issue. Perhaps one of the best examples is "The Mad Aventures of Rabbi Jacob". Sure, the jokes come fast and often fly rather low, but at heart it's also the story about bigotry, anti-Semitism and how a little laughter often goes a long way to overcome prejudices. We must also remember: despite being filmed in 1973, the last war still lingered in the minds of many Europeans and that, when Germany invaded France, most of the Parisians who welcomed Hitler did not raise their right arm in protest, but for an entirely different reason.That said, "Rabbi Jacob" has all the elements of your typical de Funes film: At the beginning we get the usual hyped-up de-Funes-persona, with all the trademarks. But the performance becomes a little more subtle when de Funes character reluctantly goes into hiding as 'Rabbi Jacob'. Those scenes are the true highlights of the film, including a short, catchy Klezmer-dance-routine. Despite some jokes being by today's standards far from 'politically-correct', the jokes never go at the expense of any of the subject (maybe with the exception of the stereotypical Arab goons, but here we shouldn't forget that upon the films release, the wife of an Arab embassy-worker had hijacked a plane in protest, because she found the film to be too "pro-Jewish"; the lady was dully gunned down by security, which reminds us that some stereotypes are unlikely to change any time soon).If you enjoyed this film and particularly that mix of French farce and Jewish humour, I would highly recommend you "Train de Vie" ("Train of Life"), which was filmed a few decades later.8/10

Regis Calard If you have seen other Louis de Funes movies, and have missed on this one, you need to rectify this immediately! Louis de Funes was at his best as Rabbi Jacob, and the rest of the cast isn't bad either. Comic of situation never stops.One thing I would mention in particular: contrary to other 70s-80s french comedy which tend to age a bit, this movie has remained unscathed by time, and is every bit as funny as the first time I watched it.For those of you who have never seen Louis de Funes in action, check out the small, bald, eternally grumpy, over-excited comedy star that he was...no wonder my favourite comic died of a heart attack!