The Guantanamo Bay detention camp covers an area of about 45 square kilometers and is surrounded by the sea on three sides. It is located on the coast of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It is a piece of land leased by the United States for use as a naval base. Since 2002, the base has been used to imprison detainees, most of whom are from the Middle East and have "no trial or legal representation for many years." (Lizin 251) People who are considered extremely dangerous by the US government are imprisoned, and they cannot escape. The movie "X-Ray Camp" (2014) tells a story that happened in Guantanamo Bay. There is no single battle scene, whether it can be counted as a war movie is controversial.
What portrays the war film? (David LaRocca 1) Broadly speaking, war films are a type between real historical wars and dramatic events on the battlefield. You can effortlessly observe warriors, commanders-in-chief, battle plans, and enemy bombs. Ruins, and an earlier common ending. In addition, this film conveys the philosophical meaning of freedom and humanity behind the effects of war. (David LaRocca 3) In most cases, the former judgment is to judge whether a movie is a war movie; the latter sets the standard for a good war movie. Contrary to current understanding, most of the script of "X-Ray Camp" was shot in an aisle and a small cell-hardly any of the above features, such as warriors or battlefields. However, this article will firmly believe that it is a war film. In order to explore in depth, the film abandons the monistic point of view and adopts the dualistic point of view. The audience couldn't tell whether it was the heroine or the hero isolated by the door, and the detainees in the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp, which triggered more thoughts. This article will explore the new narrative brought about by "X-ray camp" to demonstrate why it should be considered a war movie, and how it extends the narrative and genre boundaries. This article aims to advance the metaphysical insights into understanding the war on terrorism in the context of today's world.
The first part of this article will demonstrate that "X-Ray Camp" is a war film by specifying the type of war film, and give two reasons, including the background of the US military and the strange war that occurred at the Guantanamo base. The second part will magnify and analyze how "X-ray Camp" provides more narratives and perspectives for the genre of war films, including familiarity with otherness, opposition to mainstream frameworks, questioning the army, female protagonists, intersecting methods, and tangible tragedy endings. The third part serves as the conclusion part. The content of the full text is summarized, and the prospect of future war films and the review of the war on terrorism are summarized.
2. Is "X-Ray Camp" a war movie?
War films are a type that lies between real historical wars and dramatic events on the battlefield. You can effortlessly observe soldiers, commanders-in-chief, battle plans, ruins caused by enemy bombs, and earlier common endings. According to the Dartmouth Research Guide, war films are a sub-genre of historical films; considering battles as the central scene and theme, war films are also called "combat films." (Kuhn 1). More specifically, these issues involve prisoner-of-war camp experience and escape, submarine warfare, espionage, personal heroism, "war is hell" barbarism, aerial melee, difficult trench/infantry experience, or wartime male companion adventures. (Ebert, 2019) The research theme of this paper "Camp X-Ray" has different elements from classic war films. It tells the story of Private Amy Cole, a guard who patrols the delta camp at Guantanamo base to ensure that the detainees do not commit suicide. Her detainee, number 471, was deprived of his name, leaving only his serial number. The chief asked not to call detainees prisoners, because prisoners are protected by the Geneva Convention, and those trapped here must not be entangled with them. In this movie, people not only can't see a war event, there is no provocative rhythm. The plot is not complicated and the rhythm is relatively slow. So, is "X-Ray Camp" a war movie?
1) U.S. Army
The most intuitive angle to illustrate our problem is that this movie, after all, depicts the story that happened in the US Army. It has a complete set of military ranks in an independent branch of the army, from lieutenant, captain, corporal, to first-class and second-class. All of these follow the SOP, the "standard operating procedure". Trust is based on a common sense of collective purpose and obedience to orders from superiors. The mottos "Responsibility, Honor and Country" and "Defend Freedom" are finally transformed into codes, a set of values.
At the same time, the legal procedures for declaration and hearing are under application. Defects such as lack of representative power and inhuman treatment of detainees indicate the socio-economic inequality in American society. It is also worth mentioning that the US military is indeed a global force, because they arrested this hero from the Midwest and lived in Bremen, Germany across the border, and then detained him in Cuba.
2) The "War Zone" in "X-Ray Camp"
Although the audience will not see the random elements of the war movie written by Roger Albert in "X-ray Camp", the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp has its own particularity in the sense of war: it is still a battlefield. Fighting takes place in alternative theaters every day. How does the Guantanamo base exist as a war zone or battlefield? Director Peter Satterer told the voice of Cobra One:
"They will test you, they will defeat you. There is no doubt...this is a war zone. Now, they are not using roadside bombs, and we are not using F-16s. This is still a war zone. Now... . Some of you may think that you are here to prevent them from leaving. You don’t. The wall does this for us. You are here to prevent them from dying... Remember, when you are walking, you The only weapon is your radio. Don’t be afraid to use it. Here, it’s our safety order or observation. Our eyes and ears are on the whole block. So, if you find yourself in uncooperative detention Please remember that you are being monitored."
Detainee No. 471, Ali, described the origin of the war:
"It’s the people who don’t care. They don’t care about anything, they only care about things that make their lives easier. You always say, "Observe the rules, we let you watch TV," right? But if I follow your rules, this What does it mean? It means I agree that you have the right to make rules for me. Well, you don’t. You don’t have the right to set rules for me... What did you learn? When we tried to commit suicide here on a hunger strike, you learned Here comes something. Only you think you know, but you don’t know anything. You don’t know anything about me. You and me, we are at war."
The Guantanamo base is a war zone, and the only weapon on the detainee’s side is the radio. The detainees declared war by spitting, throwing feces, verbal threats, hunger strikes and suicide. The main conflict between these two groups is that detainees continue to argue that they are not guilty and should not be treated illegally and denied the right to vote. At the same time, the detainees believe that they are doing something necessary to protect Americans; even if they understand that the detainee is innocent. The violence continued 24/7. The director can describe the life of the detainees as miserable. If they violate the rules and regulations, they will be thrown out every two hours, thrown into a different cell and unable to sleep. No matter the day or night, the light is always on. If someone has tried a hunger strike, he will know the pain of being forced to eat. Every detainee has undergone severe beatings, scarred from head to toe. The detainees were impeccable and insisted on protesting; the detainees followed the rules and firmly believed that they were responsible for the September 11 attack.
The existence and significance of the Guantanamo base has not been well explained. No one knows what it is for. Cobra One said it was used to "prevent them from dying." The lieutenant said that he "hated" the camp because "this is not a position that made him a star" (01:16:34), but he did it anyway because his "commander told him to come here." From the perspective of the detainees, the whole issue of imprisonment and guards is absurd. They don't know why it happened and existed-they just followed special orders. Although Ali has a clear idea, it is "show the world that you (American) are good people and we (Muslims) are bad people." (00:54:59)
The US military has occupied the Guantanamo area for a long time. One of the key reasons is the special legal status of the region. Its sovereignty belongs to the Cuban government, but it is not protected by Cuban law. For a long time, the US military has detained many suspects here. These suspects are not protected by the U.S. Constitution, nor do they enjoy any rights granted by U.S. law.
According to mainstream accounts, after the war in Afghanistan, the United States captured thousands of suspected terrorist organizations and Afghan irregular forces in Afghanistan. Due to the special status of terrorist suspects, it is not exactly the same as the status of prisoners of war. In order to continue to suppress terrorist organizations, the United States needs a place to detain these people without restrictions for a long time, and finally chose the Guantanamo base. But in fact, there is no legal trial for detainees. They were directly convicted and kept in small cages.
In Guantanamo prison, the handcuffs and shackles are heavy. The detainee wore a mask and black goggles on his head. The orange prison uniforms on them almost made them breathless. The mask covers the nose and mouth, and the sensory organs lose function. Just staying for 30 minutes in this situation is as tricky as half a century has passed. When the detainees walked out of the black cell, they could not look directly at the lights outside. The eyes were completely dark, and it took a few minutes to recover. (KK News, 2020) Shaker Aamer, who was in prison, told the story of despair in the prison, saying that the space inside is small and there is only a short exercise time per week. (Derbyshire 2016) Most people who were later acquitted stated that the U.S. military carried out continuous torture, religious persecution and other atrocities on the detainees, and often tortured them. (Ridley, 2009) Susan Hensler, who has served as a defense lawyer for Iraqi detainee Nashwan al-Tamir since 2017, believes that the military court system has not kept up with the new reality. She said: “Guantanamo is the only place in the world where the war in Afghanistan is still going on.” (Hall, 2021) The war continues.
The movie "X-ray Camp" reproduced the events that occurred during Ali's refusal to "action". During the three years in custody, he has been subjected to various resistances. Is anti-terrorism a sufficient reason to detain citizens of other countries across borders without trial? The film attempts to restore the cause and full picture of the dispute, which is thought-provoking.
3. Expand the narrative of the war movie genre
"Camp X-ray" brings five new narratives and perspectives to the war movie genre. It expands the boundaries of understanding of anti-terrorist war movies in the context of today's world. First, it abandons the monistic perspective, adopts a dual perspective, and narrates the US military and its "enemy" in the same length. The plight of the heroes and heroines comes from opposing fronts and illustrates their imprisonment and loneliness in "the only place in the world where the war in Afghanistan is still going on". (Hall, 2021) However, detainees can retreat, and detainees will be held until the end of the world. The neutral tune expresses deep sympathy for the innocent detainees trapped in the Guantanamo base. In this process, this manifestation of contradiction and completeness conveyed to a certain extent a reaction to the war on terrorism. Secondly, this film is an open controversy against the mainstream and positive atmosphere. According to the official statement of the United States, the Guantanamo base is a reasonable place to prevent terrorism and protect American free values. With silent indignation and opposition, "Camp X-Ray" showed how dehumanizing the base is. It deconstructs authoritative narratives, creates moral dilemmas, and leads viewers to question the rationality of untried detention and the war on terrorism. Third, the "X-ray battalion" mocked the army and condemned the motto of "absolute obedience to the rules." Moreover, it shows the abruptness and disrespect of masculinity from the narration of the female protagonist. Then, using an intersectional approach, the thesis will use analytical tools that combine gender and religion to discuss bathing and its subsequent transformations in the plot. Last but not least, this film tells an unconventional tragic ending.
1) Dual perspective
"X-Ray Camp" abandons monism, adopts a dual perspective, discusses from opposite sides, and tries to reach the contradictory core of the problem: the US military believes that those detainees should be responsible for the economic and security losses of the United States after 9/11. In contrast, detainees believe that imprisonment is illegal and a violation of human rights. On the contrary, the conditions of detainees and detainees are the same to a certain extent. Both are in the same predicament and loneliness. They repeat their daily lives mechanically. They could not leave the camp for many years. Sadly, they are the abandoned and forgotten people in this unique battlefield and war. At the beginning of the movie, the director said to the newly enlisted soldiers: "Our eyes and ears are all in the whole block." Bystanders can see that in this prison, everyone on either side is under surveillance at any time.
What's more interesting is that the director deliberately switched the life scenes of the detainee and the detainee in the middle of the film, and overlapped these scenes accordingly. The ironic language of the camera shows that both the detainees and the detainees are fighting desperately like desperate beasts. For both of them, "I have waited a long time." (57:34) The lieutenant is waiting for promotion and appreciation, Ali is waiting for freedom and justice.
Quite a few details are used to describe the daily and religious habits of Muslims. American soldiers believe in God, and Iraqi detainees believe in Muhammad. This film gives a view of equality between the two religions. There has never been a scene where a madman blew himself up in the city, holding the Koran in his hand. Avoid this kind of narrative with obvious tendencies, convey hatred, and make the film to the next level. "Campaign X-rays" defamiliarize the perspective of others, and keep their vigilant gaze away from this intention established by self-consciousness, which is used to distinguish others. The other refers to the reduction effect of labeling another person and defining it as a second-class person. It treats someone as someone who belongs to the lower class of society. The behavior of others excludes people who do not conform to the conventions of social groups. These conventions are also understood as a version of the self. (Mountz 328) De-alienation establishes a platform based on equality and neutrality for the audience. In this way, by describing the experience of unwillingness and loneliness being devalued and hated by the most direct emotions, it is easy to judge good and evil by nature. Only this kind of film, without sacrifice, revenge, and heroic narrative can make people of different cultural backgrounds and in the soil of hatred understand each other. There is a sentence in the movie "Road to Glory" (1957), "The most noble impulse of a man is sympathy for others." A good movie gives people a platform to think and empathize. The introduction of "Camp X-Ray" into American war movies after 9/11 is a good start.
Despite differences in cultural behavior, religion, race, and ideology, Amy and Ali have established a deep friendship in this context. The first communication between Prisoner No. 471 Ali and Amy was about Harry Potter. Ali has always dreamed of reading "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", which is the end of the Harry Potter series. He wanted to know if Snape was a good person or a bad person. Ali said that he waited three years to finish "Harry Potter 7" and finally realized that he had been cheated and there were no books in the library. Amy replied sympathetically, "I can imagine what it will look like," (00:57:52). This is the first time they have successfully exchanged feelings.
The second communication was at the end of the film, when Amy was punished for reporting that the corporal violated the SOP. And transferred to night shift. She and Ali caught up and told the past through the iron net. Amy said that after she resigned a month later, Ali had an argument with her. Ali said: "You and me. We are at war." If she doesn't look like that, then she "can't see anything" (01:35:40). Extremely disappointed and angry, Ali took out the sharp blade hidden in the Quran and prepared to commit suicide. Amy persuaded him and told him an experience as a child:
Ali, is there a zoo in Bremen? When I was a kid, I went to the zoo with my dad. It's just outside where we live, and it's small. One of these zoos, they keep animals in these tiny cages, like concrete boxes with tires inside. I am really excited to go. I really want to see things outside of my city. I want to be so close to something so wild... it's not good. I do not like it. My dad keeps trying to tell me that it’s okay that this lion will never go home because he has been locked up for so long and cannot survive in the wild. I thought they had a choice. If they have a choice, they should give it to him. They should let the lion choose.
Ali cried when he heard it, and Amy stretched out her hand from the small window on the door. She took out the blade and held Ali's hand as a support. Ali knew that Amy could understand his feelings, and was moved by her. The heroine deeply sympathizes and understands the situation of the hero, and establishes a deep friendship with him. After leaving the army, Amy left Ali’s dream book and wrote: "I don't know if Snape is a good person, but I know you are." At this time, the finale sounded, "I hope to be the first I know in a minute that I owe you an unrepayable debt" as a summary of their feelings. In the end, nothing changed, but some changes occurred in them. Ali changed his posture to defend justice and freedom. Amy took a plane from a distance, silently thinking about the meaning of this war.
"X-Ray Camp" shows an attempt to abandon the view of others. This is a dialogue between different civilizations. They question the system and have the same desire and yearning for free life and daily life.
2) Open polemics against the mainstream and positive atmosphere
"X-Ray Camp" opposes the mainstream and active narrative framework. It questions the legality and rationality of imprisoning civilians without trial. At the Guantanamo base, freedom is restricted and rights are deprived. Ali walked into a "small room of several square meters", his activity space was not as wide as that of livestock. Deconstructing traditional American narratives has plunged the audience into a long and profound moral dilemma, reflecting on the neglect of human nature from the mainstream perspective of war, and having to struggle to think about a way out. This film is not a tribute to the system, nor is it a military entertainment complex; on the contrary, it is a serious reflection with a silent, desperate protest.
3) ridicule and rebuke the Army idea
The film mocks the military’s belief that it is “absolutely correct”, which cannot be challenged or refuted. Amy works for the military and is skeptical of getting a college education. She has almost no reading habits, nor does she like puzzles. She has never even heard of the "Harry Potter" series. The audience saw an illiterate soldier and detainee, ironically. However, for Ali, he is highly educated and has good reading habits. Even if restricted in prison, he can train his brain through jigsaw puzzles and has a solid ability to entertain himself. One of the highlights of the heroine’s colleagues playing the Microsoft stand-alone game Poker Solitaire during the duty period needs to be mentioned. He does not know the value of his work and life. No one gave him clear answers and firm beliefs. For a long time on call, he consumes himself and acts as a mechanical tool.
This film also opposes the military's concept of "absolute obedience to the rules." In the first half of the movie, when Ali tried to overwhelm Ali the first few times, he asked Amy to decrypt a puzzle or keep something for him. Amy reluctantly refused. The only reason for rejection is "this is just...this is just a rule" (00:53:01). But at the end of the story, Amy violated standard procedures and told the heroine of her real name and her source, and told him to give up committing suicide. Such resistance allowed Ali to regain hope for the future. The narrative conveys the idea that the army’s orders are killing humans; once someone decides to turn to humans, they must therefore violate the rules.
4) Narration of the heroine
The protagonist of this movie is a woman. From what Amy has seen and heard, the audience can find an entry point, cutting into the subject with the unique sensitivity of women. Amy's unnaturalness and confusion portray the frustration of women in the male world. She has never been in contact with the larger world, and her experience at Camp is unprecedented. Another example in the bathing scene expresses masculinity in the army as violent, unthinking evil. Amy's Corporal Ransdell is dissatisfied with her because of her excessive communication with Ali. While Ali was taking a bath, Lansdell ordered Amy to look at Ali and said, "Let me ask you. Are you a soldier or a female soldier? Because I don’t have these problems with soldiers." (1:10:00) Amy Report him for misconduct and flagrant violation of SOP. The lieutenant was disappointed by her informant and said: "You are suing a comrade in arms because the detainee is very comfortable." (01:14:12) And he attacked her, "You have no personal relationship with him, nothing Things happened outside the wires?" The female perspective led to absurd situations and how the system was unreasonably and illegally dehumanized by questioning Amy's professionalism and humiliating her gender roles. As a woman, Amy's fragile and sensitive heart is swaying. The tone against arbitrary masculinity illustrates a system and procedure that makes people unable to resist and refute.
5) Intersection method
The mutual influence of race, gender, religion and other political identities in "X-ray Camp" helps to deepen the understanding and reflection of the US military and the so-called counter-terrorism, including the significance of the existence, progress and development of the war against terrorism. Impact on history. The particularity of the actor's identity is opposite to that of the heroine. The elements of gender and religion are intertwined. Being a woman has a similar situation as being a Muslim-both of them have been expelled from the world of white Christian men.
4. in conclusion
War films are a type that expresses war through artistic or historical narratives. On the surface, "X-Ray Camp" does not contain the rich elements commonly seen in classic war films. However, this article believes that it is a war film for the following reasons: First, it depicts a story that happened to the US military. By depicting the microcosm of the army system, the troops in the film have a sense of shared, collective goals and motto. Second, it reflects an alternative theater. The war between the convictions of the Iraqis and the protests for freedom continues.
In addition, this article also discusses the five new narrative angles that "X-Ray Camp" has opened up for war-type movies: 1) Adopting a dual perspective to eliminate the otherness; 2) Openly opposing the mainstream and positive sentiment controversy; 3) ridicule and Condemn the idea of the army; 4) With the heroine narration, reveal the subject in more detail; 5) Use the intersectional method to show the expulsion of the white Christian male world in terms of gender and religious identity.
All in all, "Camp X-Ray" introduces a paradigm for future war movies. Especially today, in 2021, when the news announces that President Biden will withdraw troops from Iraq, (Bredemeier, 2021) the twenty-year war and deployment will come to an end. In the future, directors need to reflect more deeply on the meaning of modern warfare and the harm to society and the people. "X-Ray Camp" is a good start.
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