Now or Never for the Terrorists

On the slope of Mount Gerizim, two childhood friends were walking down memory lane. It was a perfect moment for a recollection, as the afternoon sun shone on Nablus. This city in the West Bank was one of the oldest communities in the region, but Hany Abu-Assad wasn't keen in giving history lessons to moviegoers. Said and Khaled, two childhood friends, were about to be recruited for suicide attacks in Tel Aviv.

Hany Abu-Assad, an Israeli-born Palestinian, said in one interview that he might have been a terrorist if he was born in the Palestinian territories. His script, co-written by Bero Beyer, tried to humanize the suicide bombers. It would offend lots of viewers, reminding them of any written material humanizing Hitler. In fact, most people would see the bombers as soulless individuals. They wanted to harm innocent civilians, probably the 21st-century equivalent of a Manchurian Candidate. But a closer view of Nablus revealed dilapidated structures. Poverty was everywhere. And the residents would look at each other with suspicion and hostility.

A town like Paranoia

Said and Khaled have their doubts, while they have 48 hours to prepare for their mission. Khaled even asked what happened after the deed was done. The response, less convincing than it should be, was two angels waiting for them. The unnamed organization, which would carry their first suicide attack in Israel in two years, was prepared for the worst. Any glitch would be suspected of betrayal by one of the members. And they were about ready to get into panic mode.

Politics could be seen everywhere, like how one Israeli bus driver suspected the drinking water in the West Bank to be contaminated. He even thought that the chemicals were intended to sterilize the Israeli men. For Said, it was rather personal. He was ten years of age when he witnessed his father being executed for his collaboration with the Israeli government. It brought anguish and humiliation to his family, and only violence would end his suffering. But something came along.

Voice of reason

Said met Suha, a young woman who detested violence. There were clues in their conversation that suggested that the terrorists regarded her old man as a martyr, but the script didn't reveal details. Suha was born in Paris and raised in Morocco. Her background gave her a different view of the situation in Nablus. There were romantic sparks between Said and Suha, but it ended when the latter figured out what was about to happen. Suha pleaded with Said, as violence would beget violence. And viewers were uncertain if Said would carry out the mission. Until the camera zoomed into his eyes and everything turned white.

Hany Abu-Assad's screenplay didn't include what some foreign visitors see in the West Bank. Posters of suicide bombers who were declared heroes. And a poster of some bombers with Hitler. Tourist guides won't tell if it was a crude joke, as they rather wanted the tourists to appreciate its storied past. The director wasn't shouting out to the foreign powers. A period of 48 hours would be too short to comprehend the details. There may be no reason to understand their motives, but art would try to find one.

"Paradise Now" is a gripping thriller, without the politics and the conflicting emotions.