TheissueofWarwidowrepresentationinIsraelicinemaisoneofthemostcomplexforthelocalindustryforitseemstobeuniqueandwithaverylocalandspecificiconography.ThewarWidowisadifficultcharactertodigest.BecausethisisanespeciallypainfultopicinIsrael,itsmodeofrepresentationisalmostalwaysproblematic.GilaAlmagorinTofano's"siege"isoneofthefirstcharactersofthe"modern"warwidowstoappearonIsraelicinemascreens.Thehumanandsocialcomplexityofthestatusofwidowswasnotrepresentedadequatelyandpersonallyuntilhercomplexandfineappearanceinthisfilm.ItwasmostlyPrecededbyclichesofheroicwomenwhohavesacrificedforthenationwithcharacterstowhichitwasverydifficulttogetattached,nortotheirpersonalgrief."Siege"wasdirectedbyanunknownItaliandirectorofthatperiod.AlthoughGilbertoTofanowasbroughtasaprofessionaldirectoronthewingsofinspirationmadebytheFrenchNewWaveofthoseyears,hemanagedtoturnoutaveryexcitingworkwhichhascaughttheIsraeliwarmthandsenseofsocialsiegewhichsurroundstheIsraeliwidows,includingthegreatexpectationsfromthemandthesocialstigmas.TofanowrappedhisleadingladywithlotsofwarmthandgaveaplaceofhonortoAlmagor'simpressivepresenceinthefilm.ThisiswithoutadoubtoneofAlmagor'sbestandmostaccurateperformances.TherestraintinherperformanceplustheshootingandexpressiveuseofanglesbyTofanoandhissoftEuropeantouchwhichwasfarofffromtheaggressivelocalproductmanagedtoproduceasenseofdocumentinganauthentictragedywithatangiblepersonaltouchthatminimizedthenationaldimension.Theresultstandsthetestoftimeproudlyseveraldecadesafteritscreation.