http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051103/REVIEWS/511030305/1023
The director is himself a Palestinian, born in Israel; his crew included Palestinians, Israelis and Westerners, and during the filming was reportedly threatened by both sides in the conflict. It hardly matters, in a way, which side Abu-Assad's protagonists are on; the film is dangerous because of its objectivity, its dispassionate attention to the actual practical process by which volunteers are Trained and prepared for the act of destruction. The
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, entangled for decades, and human bombs, no longer attracts the front pages of the news; yet, we still know so little about the stories behind the terrorist attacks.
I chose this film firstly as a documentary, and secondly, it is a film about life and death choices, ideals and compromises. It is a pity that many people's comments seem to confuse the identity and background of the director, and they only comment on it as an ordinary drama.
According to the introduction of well-known film critic Roger Ebert, the director was a Palestinian born in Israel, and the cast also includes people from both Palestine, Israel and the West. During filming, the crew is also said to have received threats from opposing sides—for its objective, nonchalant story of volunteer training and preparation for terror.
Volunteers are willing to be human flesh bombs. What kind of drive do they have? It's a pity that the Chinese subtitles of the film are a bit sloppy, and I feel like I missed a lot of details, especially how Said made up his mind under the long shadow of his father's humiliating death, and more importantly, it's still hard for me to appreciate how religious belief is important to me. Their inner peace as "jihadists".
The big explosion in the ending, placing Said in the middle of the Israeli soldiers, seems abrupt. In my opinion, it is probably because of the pressure of "political correctness" on both sides of Palestine and Israel to arrange such a "perfect" ending. Of course, invisibly, it also beautifies the image of Said's character. After all, this is just a drama.
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