PARADISE NOW (2005)

Country: Occupied Palestinian Territory

Genre(s): Drama

Director: Haby Abu-Assad

Cast: Kais Nashef / Ali Suliman / Lubna Azabal

Plot

Two best friends, Said and Khaled, from the West Bank are chosen for a suicide bombing mission in Tel Aviv.

What I Liked

For someone separated by thousands of miles from – and only marginally familiar with – the conflicts and history of what has been happening in the areas of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Israel, “Paradise Now” puts a very human face to the area, its people, and its troubles.  The television news reports, newspaper articles, and history books covering the region usually fall into one of two categories: biased or, completely the opposite, detached.  Obviously neither approach works toward communicating or resolving the complex issues at work.  The makers of “Paradise Now” take a completely different route by focusing on the human origins, passions, perspectives, actions, and tragedies that really lie at the heart of not just the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but all group armed conflict.  Most importantly, they do so without passing judgment as to whether one side is more right than the other.  Instead, the film points out the loss experienced by all.  “Paradise Now” is absolutely and incontrovertibly a call for peace, but not one that seeks to preach or vilify.

That human cost is nowhere more evident than on the faces of each and every one of the fine actors involved in the film.  Kais Nashef brings fascinating pathos to Said and Ali Suliman endows Khaled with the heroic passion and fidelity.  The supporting cast members are all just as convincing in their own roles, each of whom illustrates the heartbreak of it all in a unique and important way.

Outside of the characters and the acting, the films other strength is in illustrating the physical separation between the West Bank and Israel.  Shot on location, military road blocks and towering fences are constants throughout the story and are the most obvious illustration of the barriers.  However, there is also the obvious cultural and economic differences, poignant because of their striking dissimilarity, despite such close geographical proximity.  Though it is never overtly stated, there is the real sense that all these barriers do more to heighten rather than lessen the danger of the region. 

What I Disliked

While this is a film I think everyone would benefit from seeing, I can’t guarantee that this is a film everyone will enjoy.  In case you haven’t picked up on it yet, “Paradise Now” is a tale of cyclic violence and tragedy.  As a result, nearly every moment of the film carries a palpable sense of unavoidable despair that is not only appropriate but necessary, considering the subject matter.  Don’t wait for any let up in the turmoil, because it only gets more intense as the film moves along.

Most Memorable Scene

The film’s final minute or so is accompanied by silence and yet is absolutely the most emotionally chaotic moment of the film.  Dread, anticipation, disbelief, fear, hope, anguish, respect, disgust, disappointment, and acceptance all explode into the viewer’s mind in a matter of seconds.  The effect is dizzying but also riveting.

My Rating: 4 out of 5