Paradise Now


Synopsis
Two young Palestinians living on the West Bank are called upon to fulfill their destiny as suicide bombers. Taking place over approximately a 48 hour period, the film shows the men grappling with their decision within personal, social and religious contexts.

Observations
“Death is better than inferiority.” “A life without dignity is worthless.” These are two of the many truisms espoused by the Palestinian men (Said and Khaled) chosen to carry out a suicide mission.

The actors were pretty much expressionless throughout the entire film, which could be because they were excellent actors depicting the seriousness of their position or horrible actors who were unable to convey the intense emotions that would be associated with a suicide mission. I was unconvinced even that the two men were life-long friends, as there is no back story to support their intense connection. Why are these men making this choice? There's little above rhetoric to substantiate their desire to be suicide bombers.

The movie did a good job at the end showing the differences between the occupied feeling of the West Bank and the relative prosperity of the rest of Israel. But it was too little too late as this comparison should have come earlier in the movie to establish context.

My favorite part of the movie, and the only part I found even vaguely thought provoking, was the discussion about Israel being the occupier and the victim. This movie was nominated for an Academy Award for best foreign film in 2005. I wonder if it is because of the ambiguity that we feel about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict that makes us hesitant to be too critical of movies like this. The Israeli occupation of the West Bank is some of the most controversial and interesting history going on right now. Given such complex topical and historical fodder, it's a disgrace this movie was so completely unremarkable.


Rating:

Amazon's entry for Paradise Now