The Terrorist

I am writing this review after the horror of Tuesday 9/11/2001. All of us have wrestled with the question of how and why would someone commit such an atrocity believing that their act was blessed and sanctioned by God Almighty.

As I asked myself this question I remembered this movie. I remembered the beautiful vulnerability of the face of Ayesha as she struggled with her decision to become a suicide bomber to seek justice for herself and her people after she discovers that she is pregnant.

Ayesha is able to telegraph every nuance of her thought and emotion as the camera slowly, painfully examines every pore of her skin, every lash of her dark, liquid eyes. While the premise of the film is fundamentally simple, by the time the film is over the sacredness of life and wrenching paradox of its questions has been intimately explored. As raw as birth itself this film is a rare piece of poetry.

I just finished teaching a course in northern Thailand called "Understanding Cultures Through Cinema." This movie was the favorite of the class (and I had some great titles in there!). The students were very moved by the movie, and wrote great papers in response. This short line is my favorite example: "I liked (reviewer) because (that reviewer) doesn't say whether a terrorist who wanted to sacrifice her life was right or wrong. When your country is controlled by others, you want to have freedom." And this from a young sophomore who loves romantic comedies! Talk about a breakthrough!!! Culturally, the students tuned in to some important aspects that don't get noticed: Malli sharing meals with Mr. Vasu, the important moral role played by Lotus/Sorya, and the visual irony of the belt. I gave them a study guide question: How would YOU end this movie? The answers were poignant, and of course, they all mentioned the prevailing motif (which I won't mention here because that would be a spoiler, yes?).

When I first saw this movie, I gave it 9. After seeing it several times since, and especially seeing the reaction of my Thai students, I gladly raise it to 10. This is one of my top ten movies of all time.

The movie is about a girl who is sent on a mission to assassinate a VIP by becoming a human bomb. It can be related to the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India. A notable fact is that no where in the movie is there a mention about the roots of the girl nor who the VIP is. It rather narrates the incidents that occur from the time she is chosen on this mission.

The movie has wonderful cinematography by Santosh Sivan and good performances by all the artists. All the artists were very natural making the movie more realistic.

The unconventional ending has done justice to the narration.

This movie should be seen, if for any other reason than to see a story told with minimal dialogue. The script couldn't have been more than 30 pages. Great visuals, and great acting using expression and editing. The only problem is that the ending should have been cut by about 5 seconds. Once you see it you will know what I am talking about. With little dialogue I was suprised how enthralled I was. I never once remember feeling like the movie should move faster. Worth a view.

Santosh Sivan, best known for directing a spectacular historical saga "Asoka," directed this Tamil film. Storywise, the film is similar to "Dil Se," also cinematographed by Santosh Sivan. The story delves into the psychological dilemma of a young girl, training herself to be a suicide bomber. With the minimalist dialogues and twists in the story, the film just moves tautly. The acting of Ayesha Dharker is perfect, and the photography is mesmerizing. Avoiding the Bollywood gimmicks and songs, the narration and the photography carry the film to a stupendous level. Perhaps, unheard and unwatched among the Bollywood lovers, it takes an Indian story to the international cinema, which "Dil Se" fails to do.

Rating: 2 stars out of 4