After seeing "Paradise Now", I was interested to see another depiction of the life and motivation of a suicide bomber. "The War Within" was certainly a great dramatization of such a person. Hassan is "renditioned" and tortured, providing him with a target for his hate. He is fueled by religious fanaticism that surprises his friends and fellow Muslims. Firdous Bamji plays, in my opinion, the best role in the film, that of Sayeed. He is surprised at how his best friend could become such a "pious" and fanatic character, and tries and fails to convince Hassan that America has done some good for him and that he has integrated well into the West.
The love story could have been expanded, but only for the purpose of showing how Hassan has repressed every emotion except hate. I also thought Sayeed's fate did not ring true, as it seems to me the screenwriters decided to have what happens to him happen only to further their point that the cycle of detention and terror will continue. I do not believe that, in reality, what happened to Sayeed would happen.
Overall, an interesting dramatization of what motivates a suicide bomber, and also of Muslim-American life.
The love story could have been expanded, but only for the purpose of showing how Hassan has repressed every emotion except hate. I also thought Sayeed's fate did not ring true, as it seems to me the screenwriters decided to have what happens to him happen only to further their point that the cycle of detention and terror will continue. I do not believe that, in reality, what happened to Sayeed would happen.
Overall, an interesting dramatization of what motivates a suicide bomber, and also of Muslim-American life.