Said and Khaled, two Palestinian garage mechanics and closest friends, are hired to cross into Israel and detonate themselves up in the film. They both had rough lives and blamed Israeli persecution for everything that went wrong. They become separated while accomplishing the task, which might compromise not just the objective but also their own lives (Abu-Assad, 2005). Said and Khaled may have had time to consider their options during this period of separation, but their decisions were impacted not just by their respective family backgrounds but also by Said’s growing infatuation with Suhi, a Palestinian lady. One character is certain of his beliefs, certain that this is how it should be and that this is the one correct option, whereas the other is not, which makes a profound impact on the movie.
My Character
The film’s primary character is Said. His acts serve as the spark for the film’s central quest: finding answers. A lengthy view of Said sitting on a bus transporting Israeli troops also concludes the movie (Abu-Assad, 2005). Thousands of others, whether seeking to find a solution via peaceful action, living under oppression, or attempting to overturn the existing quo by violence, have taken similar measures. The explosive is still linked to Said’s body when he is separated from his companion. In his mind, he conducts a frantic search for the factors that led him to take this severe move. His quest for meaning, his actions, and his worldview is simply a search for the entire film, an attempt to answer the question: is this the only way?
Character Dynamics
Said’s major dynamic manifested in his interactions with Khaled, whom he had known since infancy and with whom he worked as an auto mechanic. Throughout their relations, he acted as some barrier to Khaled’s irascibility. They have the appearance and feel of brothers, a dynamic that lasts until the end of the movie. They are both not religious fanatics, they are not religious at all, but rather two of many frustrated young willing to die for their nation.
The dilemma of lady Suhi, as she and Said begin to love each other, is another essential Said dynamic. She is a Palestinian born in France and reared in Morocco, thus carrying the mark of the West’s influence, including its ideals and cynicism, which Said does not. She is seen as an affluent lady who has questioned suicide bombers and armed resistance from a variety of perspectives, ranging from being incompatible with humanist principles to be un-Islamic. These arguments do appear to resonate with Said’s personality, but they do not seem to have much of an influence on him. The characters’ doubts and progress do not take place in a dramatic manner since no one tears or rushes around in soul-rending doubts. It is just one person (Said) walking around with explosives on his belt all day, thinking about everything that is going on around him, including how his father’s execution will haunt his family for the rest of his life.
Political Dynamics
A director, Abu Assad, a Palestinian by birth, believes that his films must depict the realities of Palestinian living in the occupied areas today. In practically any movie on Palestine, the common tragedy of Arab lands of losing the Palestine lands (“Al-Nakbah,”) is imminently included. Of course, “Paradise Now” is no different since it is intimately linked to politics and the political reality in the occupied areas. The character’s temperament and perspective are mostly reflected in the mirror of the present, actual politics, and are heavily influenced by it. Even though he accepted the suicide bombing operation, Said questioned his life decision and political ideals.
My Opinion
The movie seeks to depict life on the other side of the barricades, the reasons why, instead of going to the movies with their girlfriends and establishing families, young people join suicide bombers’ volunteer battalions and struggle for religious principles that appear to be irrelevant in today’s society. Through the eyes of the characters, the director demonstrates that the case involves religion and the very existence of Palestine, its people, and the interminable difficulties faced by youth deprived of the opportunity to travel to the West or wealthier Middle Eastern countries. In these circumstances, we are flowing through the life choices of the two main characters.
Throughout the film, we can see how the character’s doubts flow, how visions of the world are revised, and how faith is strengthened and weakened. They were not presented as extremists but rather as people who would be ready for any arduous undertaking. It is impossible to say that the film justifies the terrorists’ actions. Palestinians are not all religious extremists. They are ordinary individuals with difficulties, personal lives, and families, just like everyone else, but the situation and desperation in which they live occasionally force them to perform a terrorist attack. The film “Paradise Now” is situated in the conventional context of the terrorism discourse. Suicide bombs are typically considered unjustified, except that they must be rationalized or properly understood. And this is what the film is trying to discuss through the lens of Said’s (and, to a lesser extent Khalid’s) internal battles.
Favorite Quote
“Do you like movies?” – “We burned down the cinema” – Suha’s conversation with Said (Abu-Assad, 2005).
References
Abu-Assad, H. (2005). Paradise Now [Film]. Warner Independent Pictures.