Post your review of Paradise Now here. You can read interesting details about this Golden Globe winning film on this wikipedia page. Do not rehash the plot, tell us what you learned.
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About Me
- Muqtedar Khan
- Dr. Muqtedar Khan is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Delaware.
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Along with the several important characters in the film, shame is also a major character. It is the shame all Palestinians share to a greater or lesser extent as a consequence of the occupation of their land. It is the shame that Suha fights through her human rights work, the shame that Said’s mother has learned to accept with dignity while still holding on to hope for a better time, the shame that mission coordinator Jamal expresses when he offers unconvincing reassurances to Khaled’s questions, and the shame that both Said and Khaled each feel, albeit for somewhat different reasons. The two young men’s chosen way of responding to their individual shame and the consequences of that particular choice make up the central action of the story.
Said’s shame is direct and personal. His father was exposed and executed as a collaborator with the Israelis when Said was ten years old. At only ten, the child Said could not possibly have had either the maturity or even the vocabulary to deal with this betrayal, and the entire situation remains still unresolved in him as he has progressed to young manhood. In his small village, where everyone knows everyone else’s secrets, he is possibly more aware of his own secret than anyone.
Kahled’s shame is more generalized. He is first of all much more hot-headed and openly expressive than Said. It gets him fired from his job for going so far over the line with a complaining client. Tellingly, after the bombs are strapped to his body, he spins on his heel and gestures as though he were a gunslinger. He seems to glory in the thought that he is now like a cowboy. He sees Israel as an oppressive, occupying force that has shamed his entire people, but the plan to actually murder Israelis and to die doing it seems to lack reality for him.
The suicide bombing mission that both have decided to accept has no tactical value. None of them do. The intent is just to kill some Israelis, the more the better, and if the killed also happen to be soldiers, well, so much the better. The value of the mission is to the two bombers - an opportunity for martyrdom as a way to end their shame. The inadvertent disruption of their plan leads inexorably to both would-be assassins’ forced realization of how vulnerable and utterly outcast the suicide bomber becomes the moment he accepts that role. Since no one ever expects them to return, there really is nowhere to return. They have served their senseless purpose to their handlers. They are both dead men, regardless of what else they might do. This is no redemption.
The film attempts to humanize the terrorist. It should not escape anyone’s attention that of course terrorists are human beings, with individual motives that range from the personal to the ideological, but that the root of the horror lies in their common refusal of any alternatives. That sort of refusal can erode what is human in all of us.
Mary, very thoughtful comments! Excellent message and I liked the way you wove your review around a theme.
Paradise Now offers a look at the lives of suicide bombers almost never seen in American society. The most important thing that the movie does is to portray suicide bombers as people. The movie shows the young men playing with their brothers and cousins, talking to families and friends, and even shows Said’s romantic interest in Suha. The movie also shows that, at least in the case of the Arab-Israeli conflict, external pressures are often the factors that push a person to commit such an act, not internal fanaticism. The day to day realities in the lives of Said and Khaled build on top of longstanding humiliation that has almost become part of Palestinian Arab culture and create a sense of desperation and helplessness.
I saw a fundamental difference between Said and Khaled that leads Said to complete the mission and not Khaled. Said is still ashamed of his father’s betrayal when he was a young boy and that creates a daily reality for him that ultimately leads him to carry through with the suicide bombing. Said seems to represent a portion of the population that has so deeply internalized the situation that there is still some logic to the idea that suicide bombing in order to kill civilians can make a difference. Or at least such a deep and palpable feeling of shame and helplessness, and a need to do something about it, that suicide bombing seems like the only option. I think that the important thing to think about is what these people’s lives must be like in order to make such an inconceivable act make sense. This movie, and others like it, runs counter to the mainstream messages that we as U.S. citizens receive. And a conversation about the causes of terrorism and how to alleviate some of those causes is an important one to have.
For me, Khaled represents hope in Palestinian society. Khaled sees Israel the oppressor in a more abstract way than Said, and I don’t think that he ever processed the decision of becoming a suicide bomber. He was simply going to proceed with the bombing because he saw no other option, and he also seemed to revel a bit in the so-called glory of the situation. However, once he was confronted with the reality of actually dying for the cause, he backed out. He will no doubt be called a coward by some, but will have more potential to help the Palestinian cause by living rather than by dying. The fewer people who can justify dying and killing for this cause, and the more people who go on to other more productive ways of resisting occupation, the more chance there will be for peace.
Suha helps to illustrate the possibilities of alternative resistance in the film. Her character shows that, unlike popular portrayals in the West, all Palestinians do not accept suicide bombing as an acceptable means of resistance. Suha pointed out that Said and Khaled would be leaving their families behind and that nothing would be accomplished from their act. Her role as a human rights activist also offers an alternative to suicide bombing as a means of resistance.
I missed the showing of “Paradise Now” in the library so I watched it in my living room a few days later with a housemate. About ten minutes into the movie I commented to my friend that I liked how the movie was portraying Said, a soon-to-be suicide bomber, as very human: Said was a job-holding family man who even had a love interest. My friend hadn’t heard of the movie previously and therefore didn’t know the nature of Said’s character. He responded to my comment by saying, “Suicide bomber? Oh, so he’s a bad guy?”
It is exactly that type of thinking that “Paradise Now” seeks to correct. American culture sees everything in black and white: us versus them, good versus evil. This heuristic may be convenient, but it is overly simple, inaccurate, and counterproductive.
Anyone who has either taken a social psychology course or is an astute observer of human behavior will know that people who do bad things are not evil people. Rather, they are driven to act in a gross manner because of situational forces. “Paradise Now” illustrates this point. Said and Kahled are not inherently bad people. Rather, they are normal, rational humans who have been driven to extreme measures by horrible circumstances. They have had their dignity taken from them by the occupation and see suicide bombing as the only feasible form of resistance.
Yet, “Paradise Now” makes it clear that not all Palestinians see suicide bombing as the only way out. Suha’s work as a human rights activist and her impassioned argument condemning suicide bombing illustrates this point. According to Suha, killing yourself and several Israelis in the process does nothing to further the Palestinian cause. It only leaves one’s family and friends in distress and gives Israel an excuse to continue disregarding the rights of Palestinians.
More than anything, “Paradise Now” illustrates how the occupation has demoralized many Palestinians to the point there they are utterly confused about how they should act. This point is made apparent through Kahled and Said’s indecision. For the majority of the film Kahled’s hatred of Israel and belief in his suicide mission are unwavering. Yet in the end he cannot commit the act. Because he is in a lose-lose situation with no logical answer, he has trouble figuring out what he believes and how he should best act on those beliefs. Said’s psyche also comes full-circle. Given the opportunity he suddenly finds himself unable to commit the act, only to end up doing it later on.
Palestinian society as a whole, not just individuals, is also divided because of the occupation. Said is divided from Suha because they have vastly different approaches to resisting the occupation. Said is obviously separated from his family and friends because of the tragic act he commits. Kahled lost a friend, and will be shunned from the circle of individuals who see his inaction as cowardly.
“Paradise Now” provides a glimpse into the confused and desperate lives of Said and Kahled. Suicide bombing probably solves nothing, and both men (especially Kahled) may even know this. But what else can they do? Israel has purposefully dehumanized the Palestinians and stripped them of all hope and pride. Then it wonders why people like Said strap bombs to themselves and kill Israelis. A brilliant and purposeful movie, maybe “Paradise Now” will open up the minds of all those who would rather label people like Said “evil,” rather than thinking critically about the situation they are in.
“Paradise Now” offers something that most westerners are not accustomed to: the personal insight and motivations of a suicide bomber, as well as a severely oppressed group of people. The film follows two Palestinian men, Said and Khaled. Both appear to lead relatively normal lives, regardless of the extraordinary circumstances of being subjects in an occupied land. They both work, spend time with their respective families, and pursue love. However, when called upon, both are seemingly willing to sacrifice their lives for a movement.
Unlike most characterizations of suicide bombers, neither Said nor Khaled is particularly religious or spiritually motivated. Said, the story’s protagonist, seems especially unmotivated by religion and acts out of personal ambition and redemption. His father, who acted as a conspirator with the Israelis, has left Said with guilt and shame. This guilt, coupled with the shame of subjugation, appears too much for him to bear. When asked by a recruiter to sacrifice himself, Said acts without hesitation. While filming martyr videos, glorifying God and their cause, Said sees through the religious-tinge: he is being used as a weapon to achieve a political mean, and he is fine with that.
A key aim of “Paradise Now” is to convey that acts of ‘terrorism’, although heinous and horrifying, are the result of some political or worldly cause. In the west, terrorism is portrayed as something motivated purely out of religious fanaticism and a hatred of western freedoms. “Paradise Now” confronts this by showing the direness and shame of a people that would lead to something as desperate as suicide bombings. Although conjured by terror organizations, religion is often used as propaganda to manipulate the ignorant and angry. Like Said, many in subjugated and downtrodden areas throughout the world see terrorist acts as the only way to fight back in a perceived war against an overbearing and relentless political enemy. It raises the crucial point: until a fair negotiating platform is established, and these political injustices are righted, there will be no peace.
PARADISE NOW
Directed by Hany Abu-Assad
Paradise Now begins in Nablus and focuses on two Palestinian childhood friends, Said and Khaled, who were recruited for a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, city in west central Israel. Said was working as a mechanic and Khaled had currently lost his job Said helped him get. Then Said meets Suha, a pretty, well-traveled young woman and the daughter of a well-known "martyr,"whom brings her car in to be fixed. She obviously flirts with Said while he's clearly interested in her, so much so that he continues to think of her. The two men are informed that the attack will be the next day. They spend their remaining moments recording a video glorifying God and their cause. The remaining time is spent with their unaware families.
On the day of the terrorist attack they're shaven, shorn, and dressed in black suits to pose as settlers in Tel Aviv for a wedding. . The explosive belts are strapped on, and they are warned that trying to remove the belts themselves will result in detonation. The handlers are the only ones with the keys needed to remove the belts without detonating them The men are instructed to detonate the bombs at the same place, a military check point in Israel, with a time interval of 15 minutes so that the second bomb will kill police arriving after the first blast. While fleeing the guards at the Israeli border, Khaled and Said get separated. Faced with their deadly choice by themselves, confused and lost, they have to reexamine the reasons for their murderous plans.
Khaled returns to their handlers, but Said runs away. The action is postponed, long enough for renewed questioning of what they're about to do. The handlers remove Khaled's explosive belt and issue a search for Said. After Said escapes from the guards, he re-enters Israeli territory alone. At one point, he considers detonating the bomb on a commercial bus, but he decides not to when he sees a child on board. Eventually, Said reveals his reason for taking part in the suicide bombing. While in a car with Suha, he explains that his father was a Palestinian working for Israelis and was killed because of his actions.
Khaled eventually finds Said, who is still wearing the belt and about to detonate it while lying on his father's grave. They return to the handlers, and Said convinces them that the attack need not be canceled, because he is ready for it. Influenced by Suha, who discovered their plan, Khaled cancels his suicide attack. He travels with Said to Tel Aviv to convince him to cancel his attack too. Said manages to shake Khaled by pretending to agree.
The film ends with a long shot of Said sitting on a bus full of Israeli soldiers, and then finally cuts to white. It is left open for the viewers’ interpretation to determine whether or not Said detonated the bomb. The director wanted to expose the realities that the volenteer bombers face under the occupation. It gave an indication of how Palestine lives whether it is their daily life or personal life and war circumstances that entwine and become a victim in a suicide-bombing mission in order to fulfill their Palestine duty. Paradise Now compares the usual illustration of Palestinian suicide bombers that we always see in media, but in the movie it depicts Palestinians as human beings who want to live in peace have an ordinary life, to work, love and get married.
I thought Paradise Now was a very insightful film, especially for an American like myself. I really liked how Said was portrayed, because he played two different roles in one. A loving family man who found passion in a beautiful young lady and on the flip side, a suicide bomber. This to me was a very unique component of his character in the film because he let the light shine on how complex and multi-dimensional life really is for suicide bombers in the Arab world and how confusing it must be to manage your emotions in everyday life from playing with his cousins and hugging and kissing his mother, to pulling the cord in a bus and killing innocent and even young people.
This film definitely changed my outlook on suicide bombers, and the young population in that Arab world.
I thought this movie really took a deeper look into the life of suicide bombers as average people, normal functioning citizens in society, yet they are "murderers" per say. This is an aspect that, as an American, I've never seen.
It made me realize that as much as you think you know, you can always be humbled by new information flow and that's what I feel this movie did, and what I think it was intending to do. I think it was created with hopes of reversing the negative stereotype that comes along with the term "suicide bomber" and wanted to get the message across that yes they are suicide bombers thus kill innocent people in the process, but they are doing it for very heart felt, passionate, deep rooted, historical and religious reasons that not one single person can exactly relate to, that many people don't even give an effort in understanding. That, is why I think this movie was phenomenal in the message it portrayed.
I first saw this film in high school. I knew it was a deep film, but I did not understand why. Taking this class and gaining more knowledge on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, I am able to comprehend the true meaning of this film. “Paradise Now” represents the adversity the Palestinian people face. They must live in refugee areas, be disrespected by Israeli troops and watch the Jewish people live in the nice settlements. It can unrest many in these situations. The suicide bombers represent this unrest. They are tired of living in the hard conditions and want control of their own land. Said is especially tired of this life. He wants to seek redemption not just for himself, but for the whole Palestinian community. They believe that bombing themselves on Israeli soil will send a message to Israel leaders that Palestinians are tired of their tyranny.
This film reminded me of learning about the shift of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States of the 1960s. It was the shift from Martin Luther King’s strategy of non-violence to view of desegregation by any means necessary. African Americans were tired of not the gradualism of desegregation. The youth of African Americans, especially Stokely Carmichael, wanted immediate desegregation. They planned to revolt if they were not getting their way. The Palestinians are getting tired of the oppression and believe that violence is the only way to get liberation.
This was a great film. I agree with Dustin's point that it does a good job of fighting against the oversimplification of labeling people as good or evil .
In the post-movie class discussion, we quickly began to discuss the morality of suicide bombing. While this made for an interesting discussion, I believe the more useful discussion is that of whether or not suicide bombing is an effective way for Palestinians to end the occupation.
I would argue that suicide bombings are counterproductive to the goal of independence. In order for peace to be achieved, both governments will need to be led by peace pursuant pragmatists. Palestinian suicide bombers strengthen the anti-peace coalitions in Israel who use fear to inspire support.
The biggest tragedy of this movie and maybe the situation in general is that the conflict, and the living conditions brought on by the conflict help create the suicide bombers. While Said and real life suicide bombers may believe that their actions are a last resort effort to help end the occupation, their actions in reality work to prolong the conflict.
Through out the movie, I was most intrigued by the characters who felt that suicide bombing may not be the best way to combat the occupation. Even Jamal, who is driving them to the mission, seems unconvinced that they will have any impact on the greater cause. No one knows what to do, what will work, or what will happen. Suha, whose father died "heroically" as a martyr, disagrees with the practice. She believes that a moral war needs to be fought, not one that continues to give the Israelis reason for revenge on the Palestinians. She states that by killing, there is no distinction between the victims and the occupiers, which I found to be an important point. There is a struggle of what is the right way to address their daily imprisonment, and many conflicting opinions.
Khaled, who was at first excited about becoming a martyr, later changes his mind and does not complete the mission. Although he lived his life under the same inferiority and suppression as Said, his situation is different. Unlike Said, Khaled has not lived with the shame of having a father who was a collaborator for the Israelis. Israel has convinced the world that they are victims of the crazy Islamic extremist actions while in reality, they are the cause of it. Ironically, by creating an informer out of Said's father, they created a suicide bomber who saw martyrdom as the only way to combat the humiliation and betrayal he felt because of his father. That was an additional factor that characterized his miserable life. While he could have tried other options, like Suha begged of him, and potentially begun a life with her, it wasn't enough to overcome his emotional torture- which drives home the theme of suffering in the movie and in the territories.
I was moved by this film because I felt that it really showed the way Palestinians live. They work, they have families, they have friends, but at the root of everything they do is the effect of the occupation. Even coming home a little late causes worry among families because dying is always a possibility. They are physically and emotionally trapped. Confusion characterizes their actions and the question remains- why can't they just have freedom? They see no other way to battle Israel as long as a two-state solution is not accepted. They are treated as inhuman, having no power and being exploited while the world just stands by and watches, not taking any real initiative to help. For people to think that death is their only option, that they are already dead in their every day lives, is horrific, and is portrayed very well in this film.
For such a powerful film, Paradise Now is not trying to make a statement. It is not justifying the actions of suicide bombers, nor is it asking you to become a crusader for Palestine. It is simply asking you to think.
We live in a culture that portrays suicide bombers as inhuman. They are described with that most simplistic, most ignorant, most dehumanizing of words: EVIL. Suicide bombers blow themselves up because they are evil. Maybe the more sympathetic would call them crazy, but either way it leaves little room for psychological analysis or attempts at empathy. This is why Paradise Now is such a brilliant film. It does not try to combat the idea that suicide bombers are wrong. What it does do is ask the audience to recognize their humanity.
The two characters in the film, Said and Khaled, are, frankly, likeable. They have families, they have romances, they have boring jobs with hard-nosed bosses. They dance and laugh and tease each other. They remind us of people we know, with their moppy hair and playful attitudes; maybe a goofy brother, or an old friend. And then they are called in for the cause, and suddenly we are faced with a fundamental moral crisis.
How is it that these funny, friendly men, with whom we sympathize so highly, could become all that we have been taught to loathe? This of course is the point of the movie. The director is forcing his audience out of their comfortable world, where good people live good lives free from persecution, and bad people blow themselves up because they have nothing better to do. Our concept of terrorist is shattered. The menacing caricature of a leering man in a turban is replaced with the image of two curly-headed boys in dusty jeans. It is obvious that these men are not filled with hatred. It is obvious that they are not inherently evil, using Israel as an excuse to kill innocent people. With our tried-and-true explanation for the phenomenon of suicide-bombing effectively destroyed, we have no choice but to ask ourselves: if suicide bombers are not evil – if they do not blow themselves up just for kicks, or because their wacky religion told them to – then why on earth DO they do it?
Thus the audience member find him or herself doing something they never expected to do: They begin to view the terrorist as a human being. They begin to notice things, like the hundreds of Palestinians held up at checkpoints. The accounts of Khaled’s father, killed for collaborating with the Israelis. The advertisements for water filters, because the water in the Palestinian territories is too polluted for anyone to drink. They notice the ruts in the roads, the cramped and dirty houses, the rubble and the general feeling of frustration shared by all the inhabitants. And by the end of the film, they begin to realize that maybe terrorists don’t hate freedom after all. Maybe terrorists are human beings caught in a web from which they see no escape. Maybe even considerations like love, like family, like friendship, are no longer enough to compensate for the misery and humiliation that they experience on a daily basis. Paradise Now is not asking you to give terrorism a thumbs up. But it forces you out from behind comfortable stereotypes, and shows that, no matter what actions a man may choose to take, one should never deny his humanity.
There many comments that discuss the issue of terrorism. Some would argue from a position that is sympathetic either to Israeli nationalism or Palestinian emancipation. The argument follows: Does the film justify and defend terrorist actions? Does the film renounce and denigrate terrorism? This is completely the wrong discussion to be having. The film is not about terrorism. This film is about perception and reality. The audience is forced to examine their own personal perceptions and come to terms with a different reality-a reality of a few average Palestinians.
This film is not about terrorism, and it is not about suicide bombers. The whole point of the film is to illuminate that Sa’id does not appear to be a fanatical suicide bomber. It is not who he is; it is what he does. And one very important question must be asked: Why? Why are the characters motivated to do what they do.
And the answer is given to us in the presentation of different realities.
There is a marked difference in the reality of Israelis and Palestinians. There is much talk among the characters about the poor quality of water and the importance of water filters. They even joke about it. Yet scenes filmed in Tel Aviv show a much different reality. In Tel Aviv we see a resort town, a bastion of commercialism and materialism, best represented by the image of the building-wide ad for Samsung cell phones. Apparently in Tel Aviv they are not confronted by which water filter to purchase; they only need decide which phone to buy. This is such a different set of realities. The different realities are also obvious by comparison of Israeli living conditions to Palestinian living conditions.
In American culture we are inundated with many Arab stereotypes. Look at action hits like Indiana Jones. Look at the hit TV shows 24 and Lost (Watch Reel Bad Arabs now http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko_N4BcaIPY). We are all too familiar with Arab antagonists and it is seldom that Arab characters are depicted in anything more than two dimensions. These stereotypes color our perceptions of Arabs, of Palestine and of the east in general. And these perceptions of Palestinians limit our ability to see reality. That is to say, it is extremely difficult for Americans to get past the stereotypes and recognize real human suffering and injustice.
However, this film does help in presenting a different reality. Hopefully this film will deliver a fresh perspective, one more true to reality.
Paradise Now is an award winning film directed by Hany Abu-Assad about the lead up to a would be double suicide bombing in Tel Aviv by two friends, Said and Khaled. Rather than portraying Palestinians as stubborn, blood thirsty savages, Assad delves into the reasons why they chose the paths they did. The movie poignantly captures the despair and humiliation Palestinians in the occupied territories feel and the lack of hope that life will get better.
The filmmakers do not try to show positive bias toward suicide bombers, but simply portray what goes into them. Said and Khaled are trapped in working dead end jobs and seem bored with life as evidenced by them laying lazily on the hill smoking a hookah. When Jamal tells Said that they have been called up for an attack, the viewer begins to see how different Said and Khaled really are.
Paradise Now definitely humanizes the people involved Khaled seems like the typical gung ho suicide bomber. He is shows a strong, blind devotion to his cause and reads his political video statement with much gusto. Said on the other hand, shows a strong reluctance toward the mission and runs away from his goal several times. The movie also gives the viewer some insight into the machine behind the suicide bombings. Jamal recruits Khaled and Said but he himself does not even seem convincing to the duo that a great after-life awaits them.
A very important message that can be taken from the film is that in a conflict dominated by peace derailing extremists on both sides, there are those who want peace and those who can be convinced that violence is not an option. Suha, daughter of martyr Abu Azzan, founded a peace agency. She said there needs to be a moral war. In an about face, Khaled is persuaded that what he is doing is wrong. Said cannot be swayed.
Humiliation is a pervasive force in Paradise Now. Said’s father was executed because he collaborated with the Israelis. He touches on a major part of the conflict by stating that the Israelis cast themselves as the victims even though they are the oppressors. The only way he can assuage his humiliation is to press on with the mission. It is ironic that Said is the one who proceeds in the end, but it is not based on religion or blind hatred. His soul is crushed by the occupation and his life is meaningless. The fade to white light at the end of the movie, while it is debatable if he carried out the attack, serves to represent the peace Said and his people are struggling to achieve.
Overall Paradise Now is a well done movie that does a great job of showing the world that suicide bombers are people with hopes and dreams. It is sad to see that their lives are so terrible that they feel committing those vile acts will advance their cause. The attacks do nothing but invite strong retaliation and more restrictions on freedom by the Israelis. Not even falling in love prevented Said from wanting to end his life by killing others. In the end, both sides need to throw violence away and concentrate on working together. When Said and Khaled shaved their beards, it was commented that they looked like “Settlers”. Both Israelis and Palestinians are Semitic peoples and should be capable of living side by side.
In American culture, the suicide bomber is seen by the masses as being a fanatic, someone who is not right in the head thus they can not be a normal person. Paradise Now, directed by Hany Abu-Assad, does a good job of providing an opening into the psyche of a suicide bomber. The film takes place in the 38 hr buildup before an attempted suicide attack in Tel Aviv, principally following the two possible suicide attackers Khaled and Said in trying to sort out their lives
This buildup allows for the viewer to get a glimpse of where it is that suicide bombers come from. They are not born, they are created by actions. In the case of Palestine, the almost apartheid like conditions which exist in the occupied areas are creating suicide bombers. The opinion shared by a good majority of the world is that these suicide bombers are a justification, of sorts, for the actions that the Israeli Defense Force takes in dealing with the Palestinians. What results adds to this almost endless circular debate of what comes first, “the egg or the chicken.” To the Palestinians they are justified because of the IDF and to the Israeli’s, they are justified because of the suicide bombers. Abu-Assad does not try and fight that, what he attempts to do, quite successfully I would argue, is to humanize the bombers.
Both Khaled and Said are struggling to survive in their world; they have to deal with the harshness of the Israeli roadblocks and embargos creating an almost third world life style. When the film starts it would appear that Khaled is the more “militant” of the two friends, and that Said is not entirely sure of what he is doing. As the film progresses though, those viewpoints are transversed as both characters begin to examine their respective lives. Said’s father turns out to have been an Israeli collaborator who was killed for his actions, disgracing his family in the process. This is a theme which soon takes over Said and drives him towards completing the mission; he will not forgive the Israeli’s for driving his father towards the actions which would lead to his disgrace.
Acting as balance for Said, is Suha, whose father is a suicide bomber, idolized among some Palestinian people for his death on a previous successful suicide attack on the Israeli’s. Suha meets Said and they make an almost immediate connection. During the course of the movie, Suha tries to explain to both Said and Khaled that suicide bombing does nothing to help towards the goal of Palestinian freedom. It is partly due to her reasoning that Khaled decides to forgo the plan. Said though, feels like he has no choice that going through with the planned attack is better than the alternatives. When the film ends we are left to make our own assumption as to if Said actually does it though, as the screen fades to white. The fact that earlier in the movie we saw Said refrain from committing the act because of the presence of a child seems like it was decades before and has no influence over what his actions at the present will be.
Paradise Now is an extremely well-written and thought-provoking movie. The director, Hany Abu-Assad, did a fantastic job of giving a face to an issue that the majority of people do not recognize. The film did not really try and portray either side as being overly good or bad, which I feel is a great accomplishment. As Amir Harel, the films Israeli producer said in an interview with the Seattle Times, "First and foremost the movie is a good work of art," continuing to say “but if the movie raises awareness or presents a different side of reality, this is an important thing." Hopefully the movie opens the minds of people and allows for them to be more understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian struggle.
This movie offered a very insightful look into how bitter the hatred is. Suicide bombers are shrugged off in the United States as simply crazy extremist, and while their actions are despicable atrocities on human kind, we must remember these are real people. Like everybody they have a will and motivation in life. Any body could become caught up in the ultimate drama that is this war for the holy land. This movie led me to believe that the holders of these suicide bombers are the true evil perpetrators. When a message is instilled in somebody’s mind from birth that it is right to kill Israeli civilians, they can't help following on the actions they have been trained for. Holders are the true masterminds behind these suicide bombings. They do not truly care about their own people, but rather just their own political hatred. I think Paradise Now demonstrates that fact and helps the viewer understand that the evilness of a few can cause a whole country to be viewed as radical terrorists.
Paradise Now attempts to connect with the viewer and show them a side of terrorism and terrorist recruits that is not normally seen. As the viewer peers deeper into the life of suicide bombers they are seen and portrayed as just another average person in a dysfunctional society. Through the two main characters Kahled and Said a series of high stressed decicisons and emotions are portrayed.
However, i believe the movie is intended to demonstrate the desperation of some suicide bombers. Unlike most common characterizations of suicide bombers, neither Khaled or Said is extremely devout or their actions spiritually motivated. Said instead, acts out for redemption. His father was as a conspirator with the Israelis and this has haunted Said his entire life. Said finds the only way to cope with this guilt is to become a martyr. This will redeem his family's name amongst the community.
Suha, whose father was a suicide bomber, is held in esteem amongst the Palestinian people for her father's martyrdom. Suha makes a connection with Said and in essence, attempts to balance his thoughts. Suha explains to both Said and Khaled that martyrdom through suicide bombing does not help the cause of the Palestinians. Suha's reasoning gives a new outlook on the path Said and Khaled are choosing to take. It can be attributed to Suha's actions that Khaled's mind changes. However, Said chooses to go through with the plan.
Paradise Now demonstrates that not everyone can be conviced that violence is an option. No matter how much injustice occurs there is still those who choose to endure. It also demonstrates the desperation of those who believe there is no hope left, leaving violence the only path to their goal.
Paradise Now, directed by Hani Abu Assad, is an eye opening film that takes the viewer into the lives and mindset of two young Palestinian men who are training to be suicide bombers. Khaled and Said are childhood friends who make the decision to carry out a suicide bombing mission together through the military wing of Hamas. By showing us their lives prior to the mission, which consisted of ordinary life struggles such as keeping a job, finding love, and being with family, Assad attempts to humanize those who chose to become suicide bombers. He also does this by letting the characters over the course of the plot show the viewer their individual motives. This is effective as it helps the viewer to better understand where the Palestinians are coming from when they make what is for us as Americans the unimaginable decision to sacrifice their lives for the sole purpose of killing other innocent people.
Khaled expresses the view that suicide bombing is the only way to fight up against the Israelis and that the Palestinians deserve more than their oppressed livelihood. Said chooses this path because of the guilt and shame he feels from his fathers’ collaboration with the Israelis. He wants to prove that he is a good Palestinian and will do anything for the cause of his people. Both men look up to the martyrs who have died in suicide bombing missions before them. I think an important point is that Suha, who loves Said, is the daughter of a respected martyr in the community, yet she does not condone the use of suicide bombs as a valid way to achieve political means. She, more than Said and Khaled, know what it’s like to live knowing that someone close to her died for the Palestinian cause, and she is not happy about it. Rather, as soon as she finds out their intentions she tries to talk them out of it. Suha is the voice of reason in this film, pointing out that rather than help the Palestinians, suicide bombers only prompt more retaliation from the Israelis, making it a sure fact that peace will not be achieved.
The scene that stuck out the most in my mind is that in which Jamal, a leader from Hamas who is training the boys for their mission, is in the car with Khaled and Said and one of them asks what will happen when they complete the mission. Jamal cannot even bear to look them in the face and is tapping his fingers on the steering wheel as he tells them that they will go to heaven and be greeted by virgins. He does not even pretend to make them feel like he believes this himself, yet this is what he tells them for comfort. The character of Jamal represents the manipulation of the leaders of the military movements in Palestine. He knows that these two men on this one single mission will not make significant changes, but instead he tells them of all the glory and change they will bring to their people. He makes them believe they are so much more than two souls that will never be saved as they are about to commit an act of the highest atrocity.
I think that it is important to mention what actually happens to the boys’ mission. The original plan cannot be achieved, so they escape back into Palestinian territory. Now given a second chance at completing their mission, Khaled has time to think it through and eventually decides not to go through with it. He tries to convince Said to do the same and come back with him and live life, but Said tricks him into going back alone so that he could complete the mission. Looking at each of their original motives, it makes sense that Said was more dedicated to the mission than Khalad. Khalad wanted glory and to make history by being a martyr. Said wanted all of that, but his reasons ran deeper because of the shame left upon his family because of his fathers’ collaboration. He truly feels that the only way to redeem his honor is to go through with it.
I liked the style of the movie. I think Assad does a great job presenting the lives of the two men in a way that the viewer can relate to them, but at the same time does not praise the action of suicide bombing. He incorporates moderates like Suha and Said’s mother, who although are Palestinians and obviously care for the Palestinian cause, do not condone the act of terrorism. I like that the ending scene, when Said gets onto an Israeli bus with the bombs strapped to him, turns white at the end leaving his decision to go through with it or not up to the viewer. I think that this is a more powerful way to end the movie than if he had given us a definitive answer. Paradise Now shows the depth of the conflict by showing how both sides treat each other and what prompts Palestinians to act as they do.
I felt that Paradise Now gave a real look into the struggles that the Palestinians face on a day to day basis. It is not general knowledge to the international world, and in my experience, Americans, the oppression that Palestinians face. We only hear about suicide bombings and attacks on the Israelis. This movie offered that insight.
The movie allowed us to see to human side of a Palestinian man and how he goes about the day as a humane person in work, family, and relationships. Then it turns out he is about to become a suicide bomber. In my eyes, this was unexpected. The movie made the audience emotionally connect with him and then he turned into a suicide bomber. This should have deterred support of the character as a whole yet instead, this twist in events just makes the audience wish for him to make the right decision and does not see him as a bad person.
Although it is wrong, and a horrible act to attack unsuspecting civilians, this movie gave another side to these events. It showed how normal hardworking people can turn their back on their lives and become what we classify in today’s world as a terrorist. Before viewing this movie, I did not fully realize the extent of the oppression to the Palestinians. I do find it is a shame in how they find their methods of making their voices heard yet, as the movie showed, in their world, some feel it is their only option.
This is a movie that definitely made me think. It made me think about why people do the things they do. It makes you wonder if a Palestinian man did not face the oppression of his people on a daily basis, would he have turned into a suicide bomber or just became a hardworking individual that died of old age. The cultures of certain people have such drastic effects on their ways of life, and the time and the place of the lives Palestinians lead are unfortunate.
I recall many discussions around the dinner table about the nature and causes of suicide attacks, my parents were quite political (Republican). The notion of a suicide bomber baffled my parents, and the explanation I usually received was some variation of insanity or religious motivation. I began to think of the suicide bomber as an irrational figure that was unpredictable and vengeful. Paradise Now did much to dispel the notion of the suicide bombers as some inhuman actor of destruction.
Paradise Now gives a human face to the enigma of a suicide bomber with Khaled. The film grounded Khaled in reality, portraying his daily rituals. One can relate to Khaled, whether it be frustration at work or the romance with Suha. Khaled is not some caricature, but a real person with rational motives.
Paradise Now also delves into the constant state of humiliation of the Palestinians, which is ever so present in the character of Khaled. Khaled is weighed down by shame, so much so he believes martyrdom is the only relief. Paradise Now also illustrates the indignities of the checkpoint and IDF violence in the Palestine.
Though the film ends with the martyrdom of Khaled, the characters of Said and Suha represent alternate outcomes for peace. Khaled's fate is contrasted with fate of Said, who rejects martyrdom because of its futility in the pursuit of peace. This one optimistic undercurrent of the film, instills me with hope for reconciliation.
Paradise Now gives an intimate view into the lives of the Palestinians, and a human face to the Palestinian violence that gives the viewers a greater understanding of the conflict.
Collin Odell
Paradise Now, a film that is set in the West Bank during the continuing occupation by Israel. Said and Khaled are two suicide bombers that are sent on God’s mission to add to the resistance against the struggle of an occupied people. One is set on the mission at hand, wants to be victorious and seen as great, and states so with the mentioning of his poster in the center of town. He also states while Israel does not budge where peace is concerned there is no choice for martyrdom. The other Said, more subdued in his demeanor tells a more humanistic story of the lack of dignity that was shown when his father was executed for being a collaborator at age ten.
Suhu the girl whose father was a martyr and hero came from a better upbringing who lived in Morocco and came to Palestine to live when she finds out what Said and Khaled are going to do she try’s to convince Khaled about why suicide bombing gets people no where that it gives Israel an excuse to keep bombing Palestine and occupying it, while the others feel that if no one fights the resistance how will its cause be furthered. Does Suhu have a right to speak her mind about such things when she has not walked in their shoes? I like what Said says to her when she asks if he wants to talk after telling her his father was a collaborator he simply states, why be entertainment for those a little bit better off?
This film gave a humanistic approach to the dreadful acts of terrorism, that the people themselves are not animals but feel as if there is no other way as they do not have fighter planes like the Israelis. It is a look into why and what make people do such acts. When they put it in terms of resistance to occupation and what Israel has done and continues to do to keep the Palestinian people suffering, the audience views a different side of the terrorist also as a human being. It was sad to know that people could be pushed so far in their human struggle that people are driven to do such acts.
Is this Israel’s excuse to keep them an occupied people? Was Suhu right in suggesting that what happens with those left behind that they would be further problematic as consequences of the bombing would surely take place and peace driven further away? There is no choice for some, although Suhu makes a good case of what one can do as alternatives, for Khaled in the end he thought about what Suhu said and no longer wanted to go through with it but for Said there were no alternatives. He watched as his father’s dignity was torn from him. So he had to restore the dignity of himself and his family, he did this by killing innocent Israelis to further the resistance in the name of the occupation
I particularly enjoyed Paradise Now. It really humanized the Palestinians and dug deeper into the issue of suicide terrorism. The movie does a good job of attempting to explain, rather than justify these acts. The movie turns daily headlines about suicide bombers into a story that urgently needs to be addressed and understood. Paradise Now does a good job of attempting to to make the viewer feel as they were part of the movie. Numerous times throughout the movie, I asked myself: What would I do? Would I encourage it? or Would I play the role of Suha?
Said's role was delightfully complex. The director does a great job of showing the horrible living conditions in Palestine. Said's mother barely had enough food to feed her family and the house was in a horrible state. Said worked fixing broken cars and constantly living with the shame of his father's role as an informer, while contiuinigly living under constant occupation. These factors all drive him to his final act. Professor Khan mentioned an interesting point of finding love, even after Said fell in love he still carried on with his attack. This was extremely powerful because it proved to me that his act was selfless. There was a greater purpose for his actions then went beyond helping himself.
When Said's love interest, Suha, found out about his intentions she repeatedly attempted to discourage him from carrying out the attacks, referring it as a continuous cycle of violence. Yes it is a continuous cycle of violence but who will stop it? Before the Palestinians were resorting to suicide bombing, there was still violence occuring. Suha's role was hope throughout the film. Said criticized her for being naive and not grasping the situation, but maybe if more people had Suha's mentality more would be achieved.
“Paradise Now” takes you into the lives of two young Palestinian men, Said and Khaled. Despite living in an occupied land, they seem to live fairly normal lives. They have jobs, family and friends, but there is another side of their life that all these people do not know about. They have been training to become suicide bombers, set to attack Israel. They were recruited for this mission in Tel Aviv and have been told by the terrorist group to carry out normal lives so they don’t bring on any suspicion.
Suppression of their people seemed to be a bigger role in their decisions than religion, as stereotyped by most suicide bombers. An underlying factor that seemed to motivate Said was the fact that his father was a collaborator for the Israelis. He seemed to always live in shame because of his fathers actions during his childhood.
As the day comes for the attack, preparations are made including shaving all their hair and preparing a video wishing their loved ones goodbye, while giving glory to God and their cause. They are strapped with bombs and dress up in suits to look like Israelis. They are driven to the border wall and receive fake passports, money and are told that they are traveling to a wedding. After sneaking through the fence, Israeli guards spot them and the two flee. Said ends up returning through the gate and arrives at a bus stop. He contemplates detonating his bomb, but decides not to when a child gets on the bus.
When Khaled returns to the headquarters of the terrorists, he convinces them to let him look for Said to complete their mission the next day. Khaled travels all around the city, making stops at Said’s home and his work trying to find him. Eventually he does and they return to the headquarters. They return to Israel with the help of an Israeli traitor working for the terrorist organization, but Khaled beginnings to question whether or not to go through with the mission. Said agrees to have the man return to pick the two up, but upon arrival, Said locks Khaled in the car and orders the man to drive off. Said then carries on with the operation, boards a bus full of Israeli soldiers, and effectively set offs his explosive.
This was a very gripping movie, because it gives a look into the lives of the Palestinian people living in an occupied territory that most Americans do not get to see. It is always good to see both sides of the story and this movie does a great job of depicting it. It shows the underlying reasons as to why people decide to become suicide bombers and the daily struggle that they must deal with being occupied by Israeli troops.
-Robert Castellanos
The movie, Paradise Now follows the lives of two Palestinians who are given the opportunity to take part in a suicide bombing attack on Israel. The daily lives of Said and Khaled are starkly different from the way Palestinians are portrayed or understood in America. They both have a job working for a car repair shop. They both have loving families, with whom they eat dinner every night. There is even a love story developing between Said and Suha. On the surface, their lives are very similar to ours, and movie does a good job of displaying the human side of would-be terrorists.
The difference, of course is the situation in which they try to live these normal lives. Throughout the film, we are given short insights into the psyche of the characters, such as the way Said responds to Khaled's teasing about Said's father, or the worrying expressions of Said's mother when Jamal spends the night. An insight into Khaled's opinion of the situation is shown when his explanation for the attack is filmed. However, we can tell that while Khaled is more expressively eager to engage in the bombing of Israel, Said is far more prepared to make the sacrifice. While Khaled and others are the ones directly teasing Said about his father being a collaborator, Israel is the greater power that causes his disgrace.
Both of them go through a sort of transformation when the first attempt at the bombing fails. Khaled is overcome with worry for the fate of his friend, and completely second guesses the mission. He is even more receptive of the logical arguments Suha proposes against the tactic of suicide bombing for the cause. Said on the other hand becomes all the more set on his course of action. The disgrace of his father would not ever be diminished, whereas Khaled's perception of the situation was simply about relative deprivation. A change of status and end of shame was achievable for Khaled, but not for Said. Khaled meant to use the attack as a vehicle for change, and Said meant to use it for retribution. This is why Suha's argument about the use of terrorism being ineffective for the greater goal worked to persuade Khaled away from the action, but not Said.
Paradise now explores the differing psyches of two suicide bombers. The film goes further to survey the different sorts of mental development of a suicide bomber after being assigned a target. I really like how rather than painting the suicide bomber as “cold blooded killer”, the film humanizes the suicide bomber, something which I feel is a must when trying to rationalize and figure out what and why do they partake in acts of terror.
The director, Hany Abu-Assad does a fine job in delivering his message that these suicide bombers are the victims of manipulation. He shows though the character Said. Said represents the average Palestinian, a family loving man who has become used to the wrongful Israeli occupation of Palestine and mistreatment of Palestinians, who reveres Palestinian nationalism. His love for his country is then manipulated by the leader of a terrorist organization into believing that he must sacrifice himself for to further the Palestinian cause. I thought that this was a very good point; it showed how in this case a normal Palestinian is misled into believing that it is his duty to sacrifice himself in the form of a suicide bombing.
I really liked this movie because even before taking this course, I always thought that it was absurd to believe that the only motive behind suicide bombings was the Israeli occupation. The movie showed that there is certainly more behind why regular Palestinians decide to become suicide bombers. I learned that in the midst of war, they for the most part, are innocent people who are in someway misled into believing that martyrdom is the ultimate form of patriotism. There certainly are other contributing factors to the fostering of a suicide bomber’s decision to take his or her life; however, after watching Paradise now, I believe that they simply become the tools of radical Palestinian groups fighting the Israeli occupation. The movie did an amazing job in presenting this message.
I completely agree with Jacquelyn’s comments. “Paradise Now” has NOTHING to do with the legitimization or condemnation of terrorism. It is a rare human-interest story of the Arab-Israeli conflict told from an all-too-often overlooked Palestinian view and its battles with a variety of identity conflicts through its portrayal of two suicide bombers. To quote the director, Hany Abu-Assad, “The film is an artistic point of view of the political issue. The politicians want to see it as black and white, good and evil, and art wants to see it as a human thing.” As so many have achingly striven to convey, “Paradise Now” demonstrates that such people are not BORN terrorists or suicide bombers—they are sculpted into such by life. In no way do I mean this as a defense or exoneration of terrorism—I only reinforce the implications of the film’s import. Rather than deconstruct each step of the film, I prefer to consider different reactions and influencing aspects of “Paradise Now”. It takes those deranged extremists of evil setting about the destruction of our civilization called ‘suicide bombers’, and forces you to face that which the world has so effectively refused to acknowledge: they are HUMAN.
I first have to comment on my respect for the labors of the film itself, before addressing the struggles depicted within. Despite high international acclaim and a multitude of foreign awards, “Paradise Now” had to fight for its place here in America and the cold welcome it received. Submission of the film for the 2006 Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and Oscars were all reacted to with a cultural intolerance and political censorship that would have made the Ku Klux Klan and Adolf Hitler proud. In spite of a successful disqualification from the Oscars for claims that its showing would have been “immoral and supportive of the terrorist harming of civilians”, it continued to be the first Palestinian film to be nominated for an Academy and to win a Golden Globe. This fact in itself is a case-and-point incarnation of the common Western practice vis-à-vis the Middle Eastern conflict—when deliberating a related matter and in doubt, “America loves Israel”. Works every time. In reality, the production crew underwent exactly what it is to live as a Palestinian, experiencing land mine explosion, kidnapping, a missile attack courtesy of an Israeli helicopter, and complete evacuation of Palestine by several of the crew. Thankfully, both the Academies and Golden Globes withstood the vehement objections and admitted the film.
The collective consciousness of the United States today regarding the Middle East is one of an incomplete and one-sided Western narrative, via our Israeli allies. Our ‘Joe the Plumbers’ and ‘Hockey Moms’ who make up everyday society are so entirely absorbed with a xenophobia stemming from the greater American ego instilled at birth, that the ‘horrors of the Middle East’ have become the only socially acceptable perspective of an entire region. The United States has given a whole new, frightening meaning to the saying “you’re either with us, or against us”. The new millennium brought with it a shift in social perceptions and terms, and the “War in Terrorism”. With systematic precision, the international community categorically condemned al-Qaeda and similar organizations of terror, and any nation that doesn’t follow suit. Those previously labeled with either rebellion or liberation [depending on who wins] have morphed into demons of evil called “terrorists”. The top echelon is reserved for the select few viciously dehumanized and rendered with a complete lack of mortal qualities: the suicide bomber.
Despite our claims of liberty, equality, and “innocent until proven guilty”, our “Land of the Free” has waged a brutally effective war of propaganda and advocacy against a people wrongfully catalogued along with al-Qaeda and the Taliban, and in favor of the true oppressors. The juxtaposed worlds of Palestinian Nablus and Israeli Tel Aviv give a chilling witness to this exact image. Palestinian life consists of a constant apprehensive fear for when the next bomb will drop and anxiety over how to do more than simply accept such an appalling situation. Such crucial life-decisions as over which water filter is adequate enough to counter the crude Israeli-imposed water conditions, or ‘to be a suicide bomber, or not to be’ are executed with a heartbreaking authenticity in “Paradise Now”.
Everyone remembers 9/11 and their individual account of the day—it is something that each of us will carry with a frightening clarity until we die. What Americans have failed to consider is the unique pre-9/11 reality of our generation: one of virtual economic stability, which enjoyed a culture of indulgence, and had yet to know a true violation of the safety of their homeland. In contrast to such a privileged society live our Middle Eastern counterparts. Growing up among the air raids, cluster bombs, and checkpoints of the Arab-Israeli conflict, they have an acquaintance with conflict that I hope to never see return to America. Just as we have known little bloodshed, they have rarely, if ever, experienced any level of peace. EVERY day is September 11 in Palestine. Just as there were those in America after 9/11 who turned in fear on their neighbors in the belief that they could be connected to the attacks, Palestine split from within against any who worked with Israelis. The ameel, or ‘collaborators’, were Palestinians who cooperated with Israelis, and more often than not, were executed for their betrayal. In the film, Saiid was the son of an ameel, and had such a profound shame and yearning for atonement that he was lead into becoming a suicide bomber. Routinely depicted as religious extremists, “Paradise Now” reveals a secular rationale for violence—with no other means for self-determination, the oppressed of Palestine fight along the only course (without Israeli checkpoints) open to them. The film does not serve to validate such radical acts, but in fact displays their counter-productive nature. The true motivation of the movie is that, from a raw illustration of the reality of a ‘terrorist’, the recognition of a worldwide collective humanity would emerge to connect the outside world with Palestine’s pains, loves, and struggles for life in hopes of establishing peace.
Analysis
Suha, for me, was a character who represented hope. Suha talks about breaking the cycle of violence through non violent groups.
Ultimately, Khaled was dissuaded from going through with the terrorist act in Tel Aviv, and Sayid was not. This is because the two boys were motivated by different ambitions, something that became apparent towards the end of the film. Whereas Khaled was eager to make a difference and improve his situation, Sayid wanted revenge. Ultimately, Khaled, in talking to Suha, understands that there are other (and better) ways of changing his current situation, but Sayid, because of his need for revenge, is unable to hear the message of hope that Suha conveys successively to his friend Khalid.
Suha, Khaled, and Sayid are characters that represent many of the players in real life. Suha, in a way, represents many of us who are removed from the conflict, and, because of this, sees opportunity, hope, and ways to bring about a better future. Khaled is like the young Palestinians who feel powerless and want to get involved and make the situation better, but are misguided by Hamas and their false promises of a better future. Sayid represents those scarred by the effects of the war. They’ve lost one or both of their parents, a sone, a daughter, a sibling. They are angry and seek retribution for all that has been taken from them – their lost ones, their innocence, and their pride.
Personal Response
This is by far my favorite film of the course, and it stayed with me for quite a while. It didn't attempted to justify or condemn the act of terrorism, just explain it.
This feature film allowed us to see the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in a new light with political motivations set aside. Paradise Now effectively introduces and portrays the real human element to the conflict. The character of Said, is shown as normal man, who must work to provide for his family. However this man has a disturbed and troubled past when it comes to his family. The Israeli occupation of Palestinian land frightened many of the Palestinian families and some chose to aid the Israeli military machine in return for safety for their families. Some may feel this is a noble action but for the Palestinian people it was considered one of the ultimate betrayals of one's own people. Said's father was labeled a collaborator and the negative stigmatism was carried with Said throughout childhood and into emerging adulthood. The shame felt by Said due to the public opinion of his father drove him to hate not only the Israeli's for turning his father into a betrayer of his people but others who chose to help the "enemy".
However Said was still young and his hatred was still at a point where he could understand the rights and wrongs of his potential actions. Several times throughout the movie you can see the moral objections within Said's mind regarding carrying out an act of terror aimed at civilians, much like himself. Before Said left his home to embark on a mission with his friend Khaled, he stopped at the house of a young woman of whom he was covertly fond. Eventually their interactions show their true feelings for one another, feelings of love and admiration. However these feelings were expressed at a point where Said had overcome his doubts towards his mission to achieve vengeance for his father. The new feelings of intimacy Said felt for Suha were not strong enough to overcome the shame expressed by others in the community in regard to his father.
It is difficult for me to understand how an individual could volunteer to carry out such an action against civilians resulting in their deaths and the death of oneself. Especially in the face of new opportunity with Suha. A beautiful woman, who he had previous feelings towards, offered him salvation from the need for revenge in the arms of a lover and friend. The fact that he understood he was at a cross road and could choose his path towards destruction or towards an emotionally fulfilling life and chose against the most coveted aspect of life for Muslims and Jews alike, family.
This film opens the door for the world to have a slight understanding why some of these lethal actions are taken against an occupying power such as Israel. I cannot say that I can condone any of these terrorist attacks but it does help to understand the underlying mechanisms that drive individuals to make such costly decisions. Looking at Said's friend Khaled, you can see the hatred towards the occupying power and the desire to do his part in the resistance of occupation. However Khaled had not endured the hardships during his childhood like Said and therefore lacked the true determination to take the lives of innocence. This lack of understanding of the shame felt by Said drove Khaled to revoke his plea to carry out the suicide bombing mission. Before the last scene when Said pushes Khaled into the car, it is clear that Khaled and Said began on this path for different reasons and will finish their journey in different respects. Paradise Now was an exceptional film and effectively increases awareness of the humanity and hardships felt by Palestinians every day under Israeli occupation.
When one tries to imagine the kind person who signs up to be a suicide bomber, you typically think of someone filled with rage and determined to kill. Paradise Now, however, provides a humanizing perspective on the lives of potential suicide bombers and what drives them. Khaled seems like a happy man just trying to keep a job at a mechanic's shop. Said has fallen in love with Suha. Both of their lives seem to be going well-enough until their commitment to become suicide bombers catches up with them. The film shows the great amount of doubt and confusion suicide bombers probably have to deal with in carrying out their mission. Said's desire to regain his father's lost honor after being executed by Palestinians for collaborating with the Israelis goes beyond just being angry about the living circumstances of Palestinians. It is a result of his own personal story like most suicide bombers.
The controversies surrounding the film are a bit disappointing given that people wanted to disqualify the film from receiving an award nomination because it didn't come a sovereign state. The film is piece of art which not only presents an atypical aspect of the conflict but does it really well. The claim that the film encourages hurting cilivians and suicide bombing seems unmerited since the sympathy for the characters doesn't come from the characters being driven to sign up to be suicide bombers but rather from their inner conflict. When we watch the film, we're not saying, "Yeah, Said! Go blow yourself up!" Instead we hope he's able to conquer his overwhelming emotions and not go through it. A big reason for this is because of Suha's character. The wikipedia page is right when it calls her the men's conscience in the film because she is the main voice which speaks against suicide bombing and the person who should be most supportive of it given her father's background and reputation. The film provides understanding to the psychology of Palestinians and makes potential suicide bombers seem like humans rather than vengeful monsters.
Paradise Now showed an interesting perspective in the mind of a Palestinian who was selected to be a suicide bomber. The overall message of the movie is to exclaim that suicide bombers are people too, although many people equate them to be something of evil and inhuman. The two main characters Said and Khaled had different backgrounds, thought processes, and relationships which showed an aspect of a suicide bomber which many neglect to give them credit for having.
When Said was younger, he and his friend, Khaled, signed up to become martyrs for the Palestinian cause. One reason that he listed his name is because many other young Palestinians made it become popular. However, he also listed his name because his father shamed Said with his past life. His father collaborated with Israelis and Said was incapable of understanding it or letting it go. By becoming a suicide bomber, he could whisk away the shame his father instilled upon him.
One of the saddest elements of the movie was the logic that Suha tried to pass on to Said concerning suicide bombing. Calling upon her common sense, she explained that in becoming a martyr, families are becoming separated and nothing is really getting accomplished. She tried to find a different way to make Israelis see the error in their ways, but killing them is very ineffective and wrong. People who are so lost within themselves, such as Said, do not pay heed to this message. Towards the end of the movie when they were in the car together, Suha gave Said the chance to kiss her and have a deeper relationship with her. By doing this it would show love overcoming his desire to throw his life away. But in the end, the sad reality is that he went on to kill himself and others to pursue a violent means to an ideological goal of ending the Israeli oppression of Palestinians.
The plight of the Palestinian people due to the Israeli occupation is emphasized in “Paradise Now.” Bold statements were made and strong sentiments were felt throughout the film regarding the occupation; some aligned with those who resisted the occupation through means of suicide bombings, while others allied with more peaceful means of resistance.
For Khaled and Said, dying in a martyr operation would be better than living under the occupation. In their view, the occupation defines the resistance and under occupation, they’re already dead. For them, the resistance is an intense internal struggle that ultimately is lost to individual families, rather than the greater good of the Palestinian people. Martyr operations continue the resistance in a violent manner that has yet to succeed in bringing about positive changes. According to Suha, Said’s love interest in the film, “If you kill, there’s no difference between occupier and victim. The ones who continue to live don’t gain anything.” These words are so true, yet for many Palestinians, they are not consciously absorbed. While Khaled listened to Suha and heeded to her message, Said could not forget the fate of his father.
As a collaborator, Said’s father worked closely with Israelis in attempt to secure a better life for himself. It is uncanny to imagine life actually being better when one chooses to betray his own people. His work is comparable to a U.S. federal agent leaking clandestine information to the Russians during the Cold War. Needless to say, Said lived under the shame of his father’s actions, and ultimately could not stand to live his life. Although it is not definite whether Said blew himself up, I am sure Suha’s wise words were not enough to prevent the wounded Said from going along with his mission.
Sadly, both the Israelis and the Palestinians harbor extremists whose interpretations of the conflict go beyond the point of compromise. Even though the military strength of Israel exceeds that of the Palestinians, the Israelis will not let up their guard. Until the occupation has ended, the resistance in all forms will continue.
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