Paradise Now (2005)
Paradise Now (2005) 8/10
Paradise Now tells the story of the last 48hours of the lives of 2 Palestinian men, before they embark upon a suicide mission. It is a thoughtful and sobering look behind people who are so easily classified as radicals or fundamentalists. It would make for an excellent triple bill alongside Munich and United 93. Like them, Paradise Now is a film that will neither engender sympathy or anger for the protaganists but will instead prod the viewer to relect upon the larger inequities of life.
I would write more, but nothing quite replaces the experience of watching it. The arresting visual look at Palestine, together with the rubble that lines the streets is certainly one of the highlights of the film. In this world where black and white has faded into a muted grey, who can tell what is right or wrong anymore?
“Paradise Now is a tough film because of what it attempts to do. It’s a rare thing for a movie to present events of the Arab/Israeli struggle from the Palestinian side, where terrorists are viewed as “martyrs” and “freedom fighters” instead of killers.”- Berardinelli
