The War Within

THE WAR WITHIN is one of the most original and daring films ever made about terrorism because it does not present its suicide bomber protagonist as a religious fanatic. Instead, the anti-hero of the film is an intelligent, thoughtful man who has come to this place in life not out of a simplistic emotional reaction or as a religious zealot, but as a protest and as an almost rational response to mistreatment. The film is riveting and hard to watch (often at the same time) and would make a terrific "class trip" for high school and college educators, or for anyone who appreciates smart movies with no easy answers.

I liked it so much because it is complex and doesn't give easy answers. The War Within starts out with an innocent man walking down the streets of Paris and talking on his cell phone. Out of nowhere, a group of men jump out of a black SUV, grab the man on his cell, throw him into the SUV, and ship him to a prison camp in Pakistan where he is then tortured for the next three years. And all this happens even before the opening credits.

The man on his cell phone is named Hassan, and the men in the black SUV are American CIA agents who kidnap and torture Hassan because (we later learn) his brother lead a peaceful anti-war protest in Afghanistan. Three years later, after enough torture and abuse to drive any man crazy, Hassan is released from prison and travels to America to get his revenge. So clearly he's a bad guy, right? But then again, he was no threat to anyone before he was kidnapped, beaten, and tortured for three years. So then is America the bad guy? What makes The War Within so intelligent and so superb is that isn't a story about good guys and bad guys. It's a story about the mammoth "War on Terror" and how it affects a single group of Pakistani immigrants in New York. The only bad guys are the acts of violence themselves, and all sides of guilty of that. You absolutely have to see this exquisite character study and you have to tell everyone you know to see it, too.

I'm going to be bold and say that this is one of the most enlightening films I have seen in a very long time. Not only is it a phenomenal depiction of Muslim-American life, but it also presents an informative insight to the terrorist ideology that very few Americans understand. Many may think that a movie dealing with terrorism is meant to stir up controversy and dispute. I did not find this movie to be politically-charged nor offensive. It is purely the story of a man struggling with both the anger imposed on him by American intelligence and the happiness he once knew with his close friends. Regardless of your personal beliefs based on religion, terrorism, the war, etc… each and every person who lives in America has something to gain through thought and reflection after seeing this movie.

This will probably not reach a wide audience. A pity: it's one of the best films I have ever seen, with superb acting & direction. The subject is uncomfortable: it portrays those who inner lives are neither respected or investigated with any depth. But in this movie, you know you are watching the pain & rage of the dispossessed. At every stage, your interest is held & the cinematography is astonishing. I have never seen New York so well depicted, both the beauty & the squalor.It is also a tense & exciting thriller, the story is gripping. I have never heard of any of the people involved. I note the star is a co-writer. Clearly, these are people to look out for. Please go with an open mind-the film will enrich you-and might make you change your mind. For once, a film that is intellectually gripping.BRAVO.

I had the pleasure of catching The War Within at Toronto last week. It's a deeply striking movie. We all knew it was a matter of time until a movie of this type was made, but no one expected it to be good. Who wants to see a terrorist movie? In this case, we all should. They've created an experience that accurately portrays contemporary ideologies, frightening circumstance, and consequence. The movie grips you from the beginning and holds you. While the stakes are obviously high, it's the character study that makes an impression. To a watch a terrorist, rooted in Islamic fundamentalism, come face to face with the culture and the people he's declared war on is amazing. The complexity of Hassan's situation: the spectrum of his past and division of his present forces the audience to analyze his decision.

For such a candid movie, it leaves us with questions. Fortunately, it's the questions we need to ask.