I really enjoyed this film, which was made around the time of Exodus, and covered a similar theme, that of desperate refugees from Europe trying to enter the British mandate of Palestine, and the Kibutzim trying to build their settlement. The location shots were excellent, as was the acting and the story was passable, although stretching credibility somewhat, but the casting of Sophia Loren in the lead role was totally wrong. To begin with, she was far too glamorous in her brief short shorts, tight blouses and full makeup. Not to mention the way she thrust out her ample bosom and exaggeratedly wiggled her bottom from side to side as she strutted. I did not know whether to laugh or groan when she waggled her way through the dining room as if her hip joints has become looseIn her first scene, Loren climbs out of the bottom of wooden shipping crate in which she and another woman have been concealed underneath a lathe for however long it took to ship from another country. The other woman has died, but Loren's make up and hair are perfect and she hasn't a drop of sweat on her. Not to mention the fact that the weight of the lathe would likely have broken through the false floor. Another time, she is smuggled into Syria by boat wearing a very smart spotless white suit and high heels. She then parades around a street market in Damascus in these clothes, sticking out like a sore thumb. Four days later she leaves Damascus still wearing the same impeccable suit, but this time with an injured man on a stretcher, with no indication of how they got him out of the market place. Both the arrival and departure from Damacus puzzled me as it appeared to be from a lake or river. How did they get from Haifa to Damascus in a boat? Don't even ask about her running around in all directions when the shooting started rather than taking cover as she was told to do. The film would have been much stronger if the character of Judith, who would have been in her 30's and a survivor of Dachau, should have been played by a veteran actress, preferably European with a world weary air and strong sex appeal, a woman who had suffered, seen it all and done it all, not a conventional glamor girl. Ingrid Bergman, Lily Palmer, Simone Signoret, Anouk Aimee, or Jeanne Moreau.

I am a big believer in historical accuracy in films and when a film excels I try to point it out...and when it fails I quickly do the same. In many ways. "Judith" is a fine film but when it comes to the central character, the filmmakers seem much more concerned about Sophia Loren as a sexy 1960s icon than a credible actress. Too often, she is inexplicably wearing what appear to be Chanel suits and is perfectly coiffed...like a 1960s Italian movie star. However, the film is supposed to be about a Jewish woman who escaped extermination in a Nazi death camp....and showing the lovely and super well-coiffed Loren in this role seemed not only stupid but a bit insulting.Judith (Loren) is a woman who miraculously survived a death camp. She's lost her son and her husband, Gustav Schiller, turned her in to the SS!! Not surprisingly, she hates the man and wants him dead- -but she also wants to force him to tell her what happened to their son. However, the Haganah (Israeli Defense) wants the guy as well, as he's now working with the Syrians--using his knowledge about German tank tactics to aid in the destruction of the soon to be announced state of Israel. If they had completely re-cast the part of Judith, had her at least appear in passing to be possibly Jewish and they had her wear normal and appropriate clothing for the era, the film would have been much, much better. Still, it's a strong story and worth seeing--that's why in spite of the problems I still give it a 7. How and why Loren was cast for this film is something I would really love to see. I am NOT being anti-Loren--she was marvelous in many movies but this one is just well beyond her range. Had the filmmakers done a better job in this respect, the film easily could have earned an 8 or 9.

I have experienced many emotions watching recently (2014) this wonderful movie! The movie was filmed during 1966 in Haifa, my hometown, 2 years before I was born and that made the excitement for me even greater. I especially enjoyed beautiful Sophia Loren acting both so powerful yet so fragile woman. The story tells about a holocaust survivor who lost the dearest of all, and the only reason that kept her alive was a mutual target to her, and the Israelis (each for their own reasons) … They (the Israelis) brought her secretly to Israel, just before the independence declaration, while the British were still in the area. Great pain, along compassion, hate along love, wrong along right… a conflict indeed

This is the story of Jewish underground fighters' efforts to track down a former Nazi Panzer commander who has been helping the Syrians with tank strategies in the months before Israeli nationhood was declared. Only one woman can help them identify the commander, so they smuggle her into Palestine. Judith, the central character in the story, is a survivor of Dachau where she lost her son. But she has a darker past at the concentration camp which gives her the ability to identify the German commander. Played by Sophia Loren, Judith certainly has the physical ability to appeal to various men and get the information she needs. She also has a personal reason to find the German which complicates the story. For some reason, this movie has gotten a bad rap from some of the ratings guides but it is an entertaining and well-produced film. The technical aspects are first-rate as is most of the acting with Peter Finch and Jack Hawkins acquitting themselves admirably in opposing roles.