I finally saw Zero Dark Thirty. I was really anticipating the movie and that often leads to a an emotional let down. However, I was not disappointed at all. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by the movie. Based on what I remember from the official reports regarding Bin Laden's death, Zero historically accurate. Although Zero has received critical acclaim,it has also been widely criticized.
Zero's director,Kathryn Bigelow, has been criticized because some people believe she glorifies the use of torture during the hunt for Bin Laden. I do not believe that was her intention at all. In fact, she made a statement a fews days ago and emphasized that she did not intend to glorify the use of torture. However, it was important to include in the movie because torture tactics were used during the years leading to Bin Laden's death. Not discussing torture would be the equivalent of making a movie about Lance Armstrong's life and not discussing doping allegations. I applaud Ms. Bigelow for making a movie that is as historically accurate as possible despite knowing that she would be criticized for her decision.
The Movie:
The United States government is the single most powerful actor in the world. That said, the specifics of what really happened the night or months and years leading to Bin Laden's death may never surface. What I like most about Zero is its focus on the time leading to Bin Laden's death. The hunt for him spanned at least 10 years. During that time, he seemed to find ways to avoid being captured. It was almost as if someone was alerting him when the U.S. government was close to finding his location, so he could disappear. Zero does an excellent job showing top CIA agents' frustration. The search for Bin Laden cost this country billions of dollars. He was probably the most infamous man in the history of the modern world.
My favorite character in the movie is Maya who is played by Jessica Chastain. Maya was recruited to work for the CIA directly out of high school. She was a genius and also happened to be obsessed with finding and killing Bin Laden. When she started her job, she was very inexperienced and it seemed like her role as an interrogator of 9/11 detainees would be too much for her to handle. However, during the course of the movie, she became more and more oblivious to death and terror attacks. She lost many friends during the hunt for Bin Laden. At one point, she said that she believed she was still alive because she was destined to kill Bin Laden. She literally stopped living her own life so she could focus solely on the search for Bin Laden. If accurate, the United States of America owes her a great debt of gratitude for incredible service for her country.
I appreciate how this movie was filmed in a very unemotional manner. I do not recall hearing loud, emotionally charged music during any of the intense scenes. The tone of the movie was somber and unapologetic. Yet, I did not get the sense that Bigelow secretly glorified any immoral behavior. She presented the movie in an objective manner. I think that is an important component when depicting historical events.
If you have not seen this movie and you enjoy great acting and do not mind seeing violent scenes, you should go see it.
Peace
No comments:
Post a Comment