Paradise Now

So far in this course, Paradise Now has been the most difficult film for me to watch. I stopped the movies several times and came back to it, but with the other films for the course I glued to my seat. I asked myself what was different about this film. Was it less interesting? No. Where the characters bad actors? No. Was the historical and cultural connotations less stimulating? No. Was the script or plot lacking. Again I answered no. What I discovered was that it was my own personal unease about the content.

I found myself sympathizing more with the petition against the movie. I have to agree that had the content been about the planning and bombing of an American bus or locations, it would have been recieved with less enthusiasm. It is important to me try to understand both sides of the story, but terrorism is terrorism. Many people have strong religious beliefs, family grudges and feuds but that doesn't mean that they have the right to violence. I also understood by the counter petition that the movie is not condoning violence but just seeking to educated the viewer in the other side of the story, but irregardless of this point the film made me uncomfortable.