Paradise Now

I think apart of the reason I like college so much is that I am able to see movies that I probably wouldn't have found if it wasn't for the certain subject they cover.

Paradise now is one of those movies.

I began watching Paradise now through a class called Sociology of Terrorism. The class is focused on what is the roots of terrorism and how does it begin. Instead of being a Criminal psychology class though, it focuses on the social norms and cultural implications of terrorism and how it all connects.

The subject we've been focusing on for the last few days is actually on Suicide bombs and why one might go through with something as drastic and to some people insane.

I won't bore you with the academic side of this movie as to what cultural indicators make this movie great, instead I will try to give you my honest opinion of what I thought of this movie on its own merits as a film.

Paradise Now follows the story of two Palestinian men who are best friends. Their names are Said and Khaled. (They're played by Palestinian actors. I don't want to belittle their careers but you probably won't know who they are) While these actors are really unknown, I think that contributes a strength to film.

When we first meet these two they're just hanging out, working, and smoking a water pipe. They're not overly interesting characters just yet. The movie focuses more on their friendship and the relationship between the two which is actually really good.

Its not until maybe ten minutes into the movie that a friend of theirs comes to Said and says that they have been chosen for a mission that will require them to give themselves as martyrs for the cause against the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

The two are accompanied for the rest of the movie by members of the terrorist cell and groomed and prepared, pretty much like lambs getting ready for sacrifice coinciding with the themes of the movie.

Probably the only recognizable face from Western movies would be the head of the terrorist organization, (Played by Ali Suliman). Its really an interesting sequence as these men create martyr videos, get all cleaned up and shaved and head towards the last few moments of their lives.

The relationship between the two is actually pretty interesting because at the beginning, Khaled is the one very set that he will be giving up his life for the cause, whereas Said is a little more reserved and seemed to be having second thoughts on the matter.

Well the day finally comes and active bombs are strapped to the chests of the two men. They're about to make their way into Tel Aviv when something goes wrong and they are separated. Khaled gets back to the organization but Said instead is left on the other side. The rest of the movie is a search for a man with a bomb on his chest.

The movie is very fascinating because as far as the Western world goes, these guys are the bad guys. These men are the very things that 9/11 made Americans afraid of. There's actually a line in the movie where one of them says, "If we had planes, we wouldn't need these bombs".

For a movie that came out in 2005, that's still a pretty fresh wound there.

And yet the movie runs a fine line between portraying these men as terrorists, portraying these men as young youths being taken advantage of, and portraying these men as resistors in an occupation. Needless to say the movie is giving a pro-Palestinian message. This however should not discourage you from seeing the film. If you're pro-Israel, you should see it as a different perspective and outlook on the psychology of terrorism. There's a lot of angle this movie can be viewed from and it doesn't have to be a pro-Palestine view.

I think some of the best dialogue in this movie focuses on the means to the ends. There are a lot of conversations about what ends should one go to to seek freedom from something they think is oppressing them. When is the appropriate time to use violence to end oppression. This movie really asks some great moral questions and it presents points for both sides.

The performances of the film are really solid. There's a great contrast and development in almost all the characters as the story progresses. It may not end the way you think it will. And while this is a heavy topic, the film does have an interesting dry humor to it that is actually kind of entertaining and prevents the movie from being way too serious.

Overall, Paradise Now is a really interesting look into the mind of a suicide bomber. While you probably never thought you would want to go into that mind, it really is a interesting journey. The movie can kind of drag at points but overall it asks some really interesting questions and is very entertaining of a movie. Just get ready for a lot of subtitles.

Have you seen Paradise Now? What did you think of it? Comment and discuss below.

I'll leave you with this. I'm not sure if this is overly needed in this situation or incredibly inappropriate but this movie does ask the question of resistance and whether or not violence should be used as means to an end. So here's Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi doing an epic rap battle of history. I thought I'd lighten the mood after this movie's philosophical and moral questions. Enjoy!