Paradise Now (2005)

Set in West Bank/Israel, this movie tells the story of two brothers who have volunteered to be suicide bombers. When they are told that the next day the mission is to be fulfilled in Tel-Aviv, their faith in Allah seems unshaken. Stepping in is a young, sort of enlightened (or enpeaced) and also very pretty woman who has grown up in France and Morocco; Her line goes along the critique of the old testament, "the Israelis will have to give in once we stop fighting back", whereas Said and Khaled understand the conflict more as a war, and the "imprisoned life" as pointless anyway. But on their way to Tel-Aviv some complications occur and they gain time to think about it. The movie won quite some awards (among which the Golden Calf). Possibly because of its pace which is very slow, creating an athmosphere that can be both very intimate and very tense. There's lots of time to observe in Said's face changes of thought - a very attentive movie, in that sense. Actually it's much more obvious that he's thinking hard than what it is he's deciding. Maybe that makes him a character to empathise with as it is obviously not obvious what to decide. I found interesting also how little talk takes place in terms of clarification. The frames in which they live are clear enough to everyone. The soldier lets you pass by a slight movement of the head. Also sending away a boy that begs for more money is done without words: there is a dialogue of glances, eyebrow lifts and slight head movements that settles the matter. Said seems to tell his mother about the suicide plan (which is supposed to stay secret even to the family) also by looks and slight head shaking... Showing a very close community. Also very calm and peaceful (again, the pace), not hateful or aggressive in any way, not even against Israelis (that part is somehow spared from the movie); the suicide bombing as a reasonable thing to do on the grounds of the common interpretation of Allah's word and facing the Israelis' thread. (I wonder why does that surprise me!? I probably expected the wild bearded guys.) Overall: recommended.