I thought it would be hard to do another blog post on the film Paradise Now, since I had to do one for another class not too long ago; but considering what a wonderful and jam-packed film it is, I think I will manage to find enough to write about!!!
As I had said in my other post, I have a high regard for this film. Normally, I am a pretty critical viewer, and do not like to be pulled into a film, especially films that have to do with anything political, by emotions rather than by solid facts. This film was different. I did not agree with the film Real Bad Arabs, but I do agree with their positive review of Paradise Now as a moderate, compelling film. I also mentioned before that I thought I would probably be bored and fall asleep during the film, because I started it very late one night; but I instead could not keep my eyes from being glued to the television. I also cried… wow, very rare for me!!!
My favorite part of the film is when Suha is in the car with Khaled, and they are trying to find Said. Suha is the real hero of the film, especially as she is able to calm Khaled down and show him that is throwing his life away by killing himself (and others along with him). The film really caused me to sympathize with these two would-be suicide bombers, not that I thought they were right to do this in any way, but that I felt a terrible pity for them as I saw them being talked into ruining their own lives and blowing other people up. Needless to say, the ending was heartbreaking, as Said’s young life and love story ends in his suicide (or at least we are led to believe that he made that decision).
A really interesting thing that I read was that the Israelis and Palestinians fought over whether the film was Israeli or Palestinian. I think this obviously points to the film’s success: if the film were openly biased, there would have been no fight over it, except to disprove it by the side offended. Instead, the film is moderate, focusing more on the characters and what goes on in their heads, rather than on the politics of the situation.
Interesting comments about the biases of the film. I see why you think of Suha as the hero, but don't forget that her perspective exists in counterpoint to others who have actually lived their lives in the West Bank. They respect her because of her father, but they immediately recognize that she is a kind of outsider who doesn't fully and immediately understand what is going on.
ReplyDeleteit was very interesting how most of the movie was from the point of view of Palestinians but when Israeli soldiers were shown they were portrayed as real people and not monsters, as they most likely would have been if it was a Hollywood film (and we were at war with Israel).
ReplyDelete