Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Every good film deserves an extra effort mention. Paradise Now is about two childhood friends, Khaled and Said, who embark on a mission as suicide bombers, for the cause of their people and nation. Throughout the film there is much soul searching and affirmation of their faith and responsibilities to their love ones. Suffice to say that there is minimal violence in this film. The ending is pretty peaceful. Hope that is not giving out a lot ... After the initial "makeover", where the two men got a very good haircut, wash, shave, clothes, etc, I can't help but notice that Said really looks like Dave Gahan of the Depeche Mode. Hah hah hah. More importantly, this film shows the plight of a very marginalized population. The decision of the two men to head towards the path of no return, is not that hard to understand after watching the film. especially when they say that it is better to die than to be alive in their land ... shocking to us, but quite common to them, as they have to endure the hardships and humiliation of separation and constant bombardment. We are only aware of the ugly side of suicide bombing, but we seldom get behind the veil to try to understand them. This film perhaps provide a bridge to better understanding. It is amazing that the film maker was able to make this film at all, consider all sensitivities, so the film is all the more precious. Hope more people get to watch this film. Spread the word!

♥ 11:17 pm