Review of Paradise Now (2005) by Harsh C — 09 Aug 2013

This movie documents the planning and execution of an anti-Israeli terrorist act from the perspective of the Palestinians, and particularly of one of the suicide bombers who volunteers for the mission.

For much of the movie, it is both stunning and incredibly difficult to watch. The anti-Israeli sentiment is not part of the movie's polemics, but being told (and filmed) from entirely within the West Bank, these attitudes are the canvas on which the entire film is painted. We enter the personal lives of the bombers, and also see to a degree how they're being used. While one is filmed, reading a diatribe he obviously didn't write, holding a rifle he's obviously never touched before, his handlers are eating sandwiches, and the camera is malfunctioning.

The movie is only watchable because it is so dispassionate and careful for much of its running time. It's like taking a nasty medicine - unpleasant, but you also know that watching it benefits you - by widening your perspective.

As the story complicates, and especially toward the end, it becomes weaker. Some of the tension gets redirected into a new conflict, and the polemics creep toward the creators' sleeves. There is a heated discussion over whether these tactics are appropriate, and you sense that this POV is just being aired out, not integral to the drama. When we're supposed to understand the "why", it does not really emerge from what we've watched for the last ninety minutes, but rather a conveniently added character backstory, and the easy answer: "It's the Jews' fault.".

Perhaps that's inevitable with a story made this way. In spite of its limitations, this is definitely a movie worth seeing if you have interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and if you can maintain your calm with a story line that might normally enrage you.