Everything is Illuminated

I am not quite sure what to think after watching Everything is Illuminated. The backdrop of the plot is rather solemn and depicts the horrible killing and impact war has had on Jewish people, yet there was a vast amount of humor within the movie. Although I found myself laughing at many of the funny parts, I felt almost guilty for doing so considering the underlying message the movie showed. Further in the film, the more serious it became as they discovered Trachinbrod and the unexpected suicide of the old man. It still baffles me why he killed himself since he seemed at peace with his past after visiting Trachinbrod. Although the viewer will never fully understand why the old man decided to end his life, the movie was pretty interesting in an unusual way. The beginning started rather slowly and I was hesitant whether I would enjoy it. As the humor began, however, I found myself interested in the outcome of the film. Maybe the humor was used as a way to break up the seriousness of the topic? I can relate in the sense that I use humor as a way of overcoming obstacles and trying to see the light in things. The title suits the movie well as well as the overall theme that the past illuminates everything. We cannot move forward into the future without fully understanding our past and where we came from. We cannot appreciate the future without glancing back at where we came from, and how far we have come.