paradise when?
paradise now
what a movie!
sums up la condition humaine (ou inhumaine)/palestinienne
raw, powerful, conflicting ideas germinated in this movie and came to life in beautifully depicted characters fraught with distress, each dealing differently with a no win situation
aside from depicting the obvious paradigms that arise from palestinian oppression, this movie portrays how pride can twist and tie us up in knots and strangle us into desperate acts of non-wisdom - with sorry consequences.
the lobbying against this movie makes no sense (aside from preventing the rise of a palestinian movie). The net of resistance fighters is drawn to be an opportunistic, ruthless group that feeds naive minds trapped in a desperate situation.
Alternative, non-violent ways to resist occupation are blatantly encouraged through the mouth of the beautiful ingenue Suha.
So the platform these lobbyists were using to block this movie's nomination or win escapes me (and makes my blood boil!!!).
so watch it watch watch it and try to understand the misery of a people emprisoned in hopelessness, poverty, and non-identity.
what a movie!
sums up la condition humaine (ou inhumaine)/palestinienne
raw, powerful, conflicting ideas germinated in this movie and came to life in beautifully depicted characters fraught with distress, each dealing differently with a no win situation
aside from depicting the obvious paradigms that arise from palestinian oppression, this movie portrays how pride can twist and tie us up in knots and strangle us into desperate acts of non-wisdom - with sorry consequences.
the lobbying against this movie makes no sense (aside from preventing the rise of a palestinian movie). The net of resistance fighters is drawn to be an opportunistic, ruthless group that feeds naive minds trapped in a desperate situation.
Alternative, non-violent ways to resist occupation are blatantly encouraged through the mouth of the beautiful ingenue Suha.
So the platform these lobbyists were using to block this movie's nomination or win escapes me (and makes my blood boil!!!).
so watch it watch watch it and try to understand the misery of a people emprisoned in hopelessness, poverty, and non-identity.
posted by rouba at
4:15 PM
7 Comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
By
Laila K, at Wednesday, March 08, 2006 5:19:00 PM
you're absolutely right. this year's academy was governed by the jewish/anti-lobbying democratic lobby(http://mirvat.blogspot.com/2006/03/academy-awards-in-black-and-white-and.html). Munich has been criticized, particularly in Israel, for allegedly drawing a "moral equivalence" between the terrorists and the pursuing Mossad agents. it struck out on all the nominations. the consoling idea is that Paradise Now( a film from the "Palestinian territory" as it was announced), compared that Munich, is destined to be attacked. let's be realistic. even the German film "Sophie Scholl" about an anti-Hitler resistance fighter was too insolent to the public taste!! Seems that art is becoming cowardice and fragile and more and more political.
Tsotsi is a good film though
By
Unknown, at Wednesday, March 08, 2006 6:08:00 PM
unlike Munich, which in my opinion is full of cliches, Paradise Now resonates truth and transparency in plot, acting, and message. it touches you through its characters. I think that's a big part of what defines a good movie.
By
Laila K, at Wednesday, March 08, 2006 7:03:00 PM
I thought that the weakest parts of the movie were the dialogue scenes where characters debate the worth of suicide bombing and violent resistance. They felt a little flat and contrived, like something you would hear on a second rate television show on Aljazeera. The strongest moments in the movie are the silent ones, more precisely the shots that capture the landscape. I found myself ignoring the actors and looking at the devastated scenery stretched behind them. Just look at the streets of Nablus. It's like Stalingrad after the war. Ruins are very strong metaphors. The effect of those ruins is multiplied by a hundred when contrasted to the shots of Tel Aviv at the end of the movie. On one hand you have an idyllic European-like beach city with its nice palm trees and sunny pavements. On the other hand, you have the war zone. And the implication is clear; the first world only exists through exploitation of the other.
But you're right. I wish it had won the oscar. That would have been nice.
By
J., at Wednesday, March 08, 2006 10:48:00 PM
We have to keep in mind that this movie is not addressed to people like us, from the middle east, who know how the situation is.
This movie is for foreigners who watch biased TV news every day.
And i guess, it is an excellent breakthrough movie.
And it is not about pride, it is about DESPAIR. This was the recurring theme, from what i felt. And despair leads to many actions.
I dont think you can summarize everything in 120 minutes. But hell, it was a good start.
I still found it funny when they were presenting the movie at the Oscars, that the next movie was one with swastika on its cover. Didn't anyone notice that?
By
Paul, at Thursday, March 09, 2006 9:41:00 AM
An important aspect was also how the protagonist was drawn into the operation. Probably yes, it is pride; his father was an agent and he is trying to restore the family name... but he was also pushed into it because of the way they were looked at, and if he hadn't continued with the operation, then what would they say?
So also it is a kind of self-criticism, which added another depth of maturity to it. I believe in Munich they tried to do the same, but the effect was too hollywood so it turned out a bit sappy don't you agree?
By
Ghassan, at Thursday, March 09, 2006 9:42:00 AM
mirvat, the 'recognition' of art has always been political, but art itself will always find a way. Hopefully the controversy and nomination this movie earned will induce more people to watch it..
Laila, i did enjoy munich and was surprised that it was not as pro-israeli as i thought it would be, but you cannot compare the 2 movies really, they're totally different. Agree about the simplicity and characters (where did they find this man with the beautiful eyes?!!)
jij, you are perceptive and i agree that the silences in the movie speak. The words seemed curt and naive at times, but it would be expected from people who have existed in a narrow, oppressed circle, blind to the outside world, who have had the same tune drummed into them since they were born. One track minds lead to a one track dialogue. But you know, i was so struck by the difference between the 2 worlds. i mean, i knew it existed but the way they were juxtaposed was so powerful! Keep visiting!
Paul, good morning to you too.
Of course it was about despair, but part of the despair of the palestinian people is that their pride has been taken away. Said's actions were dictated by despair that stemmed from lost pride in the end (la gloire perdue de son pere). The moral is that in a desperate situation you should still have the wits to think things through in a rational manner and not act (or react) out of pride/other blinding feelings...
Gus, helloo, it's been a long time! i've been reading your blog and find it hilarious!
Back to the movie, i think he still acted out of pride in the end, again, to restore the family name - and the movie is expressing that we have to break away from the whole atmosphere of narrowmindedeness (includes pride) and revenge that will keep us on the fringe of progress.
All, i am officially blogaddicted and would like to announce that i am in between patients!!! HELP.
By
rouba, at Thursday, March 09, 2006 11:01:00 AM
Post a Comment
<< Home