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Here Today, Bomb Tomorrow

"Paradise Now" is worth seeing for the simple reason that it provides a peek into something that, try as we might, we just can't fathom here in America. Why would anyone say goodbye to life and blow themselves into small pieces scattered on a street, bus, or marketplace? I'm a sucker for any film that takes me into a world to which I would not normally have access. It's a fair bet that I will never venture into the West Bank or Gaza. After all, I am Jewish and I wouldn't be very popular there. Certainly the fact that I am Jewish in some way colors my view of this film but you can't divest yourself of reality whenever you choose, unless of course you've got some really powerful drugs. It is fascinating to venture into the streets of Nablus and know that you are watching the most accurate view of life there that we could hope to be exposed to here in our relatively tranquil existence.

The story centers upon two young men, Said (Kais Nashef) and Khaled (Ali Suliman). They are adrift, seemingly neither happy nor unhappy. They just exist, like lower life forms. I don't mean this as any sort of comment on their worth as human beings, but they are without drive, without any interest or hope of deriving joy from anything. They are here on the planet but they really don't care about anything. They go home from their droll jobs in a car repair shop/junk yard.

Once home we see Said's life in detail. There are a mother, brothers and sisters, the shared meal, the ordinary humdrum of everyone's life. It is through viewing him this way that Said provides the depth of the film. He becomes 3-dimensional while Khaled for the most part plays what we might expect a suicide terrorist to be. Yet, he too falls far short of what we think these folks are. Our view of them as rabid dogs bent on our destruction doesn't quite show up for the two lead characters, although a few others in "Paradise Now" fit the bill perfectly, but they are very small characters in this film.

What propels this movie forward is Said's evolution as a character and the deft direction of Hany Abu-Assad. When the young men are approached about having the "honor" of becoming martyrs it is done not in a religious fervor. It is done as an act of day-to-day business. The fellow who informs them of their stroke of "luck" wears a suit and could be someone you'd expect to run into at your job. Khaled is ecstatic at having been chosen for the "glorious task" of killing himself. Said's face betrays no overt reaction to the news that he is to die. He is merely resigned to it like it was time to get up and head off to work.

But a wrench is tossed in, and as usual it is a woman. Suha (Lubna Azabal) is a pretty young lady who we first meet at the young men's workplace. She is the only one in the film who thinks that the strategy of killing yourself doesn't help one bit. Her character seems a bit forced but she is necessary to the story. Said likes her and some of her thinking rubs off on him, though ultimately not enough to stop him from his destiny.

One of the things that makes "Paradise Now" intriguing is its attention to the little details of ordinary life. During the filming of Said's obligatory martyr speech, the camera malfunctions and they have to do another take. After delivering praise to Allah and death to their oppressors Said remembers that he forgot to tell his mother about a cheaper store he has found to buy something. If it weren't such a chilling scene you would break out laughing. What happens when the two men go out to do their duty is riveting and it doesn't follow a formula that you might anticipate.

While not a great film it is nevertheless worthwhile. I can't help but think that if a Palestinian director can put thoughts like this onto film, perhaps there is at least a slim chance that this all might work out someday. I still doubt it but it's nice to think that it's even possible.