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Tears of the Sun (2003)
Standard action fare, or a subtle political advocacy?
"Tears of the Sun", is a lush, violent and eventually frenetic film by director Antoine Fuqua, set during a fictitious, and particularly bloody, Nigerian civil war. Using elements of the many real civil wars and coups d'état that have plagued Africa, the film develops from a plausible premise. Although it is an action movie overall, with all the blood and gunfire one would expect, "Tears of the Sun" does illustrate (graphically) the brutalities that are uncomfortable realities.
After the democratically elected government of Nigeria is deposed by armed rebels, and the country descends into anarchy, an élite U.S. military unit is dispatched to evacuate four foreign nationals. With Lieutenant Waters (Bruce Willis) at their head, the unit departs for the mission with orders not to engage the militia unless fired upon. The supreme confidence of the men assures the viewer that success is ensured.
Reaching the remote encampment, Waters and his men encounter a recalcitrant Dr. Kendricks (Monica Bellucci) who refuses to leave without 'her people'. Informed by his superiors that her patients could not be assisted, Waters instead deceives Dr. Kendricks, telling her that those who could walk could come. The three Catholic missionaries decline evacuation, even though certain death awaits them. And so, through the jungle they journey to safety with rebels in pursuit.
The plot is quite simplistic, but also inconsistent and, often, annoying. Dr. Kendricks seemingly cannot comprehend that they are in the most immediate danger, consistently protesting that her people need to rest. Even after the group narrowly survives a rebel patrol she complains. Her belligerence is contrary to the overwhelming sense of urgent danger conveyed by the film. Presumably, it serves to generate a tension between her and Waters that ultimately leads nowhere, and certainly not to any romance.
The first half of the film is set almost entirely in the depths of the jungle, as the group moves towards the Cameroon border. It is quite slow-moving and repetitive as the group advances and rests and then proceeds again. The jungle surrounds are lush, thick, wet and dark, and close-ups are prolific as Fuqua attempts to convey a sense of claustrophobia. However, little is done to endear the characters to the viewers. Willis as Waters speaks so scarcely and his portrayal so passive, that instead of appearing curiously enigmatic, he is distant and disinteresting. The neglect of character development during the early part of the film disconnects it somewhat from the latter half. The powerful and percussive African music largely fails to move the viewer, and potentially poignant scenes do not recognise their potential.
The film takes a sudden turn when the group bear witness to an unfolding pogrom. The soldiers, having at this point already committed themselves to aiding Dr. Kendrick's patients, are moved to intervene. Here, "Tears of the Sun" rises above the prevailing mediocrity, if only because of the scenes' sheer grisliness. The audience is successfully shown what is euphemistically termed 'ethnic cleansing'. Fuqua does not shy away from depicting the senseless slaughter and sexual violence that has been inflicted upon innocent peoples. With this scene the soldiers emerge as 'heroes' not because they were obedient, but because they intervened to do the 'right thing'.
The film, from this point, continues in violence and descends into an all-out action film. The ending is reasonably cathartic; the 'bad guys' are crushingly defeated in a display of pyrotechnics worthy of the "Die Hard" franchise, and Waters and the group make it to safety although not without losses. Water's disobedience is vindicated, and the film alludes to its ultimate viewpoint that American, and indeed international, intervention in crises is both desirable and 'right'. That the film begins with a title card of the oft-cited Edmund Burke quotation "the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" confirms the film's advocacy of this position. Incidentally, "Tears of the Sun" was released in the lead-up to the Invasion of Iraq. "Tears of the Sun" is a film best appreciated in retrospect.
(S. R. Watson, Flinders University, Adelaide)
Earth (1998)
The Partition of "Earth"
In 1947, after centuries of colonial rule and 89 years of the British Raj, the Indian subcontinent was finally given long overdue independence. The quest for independence, as lead most famously by Mahatma Ghandi, gave rise to the issue of how to grant it. In the end, sectarian agitations led to the bloody partitioning of India. From British India emerged the Hindu majority India and the Muslim majority Pakistan, accompanied by massacres, riots and "the largest, most terrible exchange of population known to history." It is during this most horrific of schisms that "Earth", directed and part-written by Deepa Mehta, takes place. "Earth" is set in the large cosmopolitan city of Lahore, as it transfers from Indian to Pakistani rule, and is shown from the perspective of a young, lame Parsee girl, called Lenny (Maia Sethna), and her group of friends. This group is a relative microcosm of Indian society, with Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Parsees all represented. As the film progresses, Mehta uses the tensions that surface and eventually destroy the group as a parallel to the hostilities of the Partition.
As Parsees, India's "invisible" people, Lenny's wealthy family is supposedly sheltered from the growing conflict by an ever-fragile 'neutrality'. Lenny's naïvety is used quite effectively to endear her to the viewer. Her innocence makes the tragedy of Partition even more profound. The events occurring are incomprehensible to Lenny; her naïvety is best illustrated in the opening scene, in which she breaks a plate and, utterly perplexed, enquires "Can one break a country?" The story, though narrated by Lenny at beginning and end, does not always seem to be from her viewpoint and one doubts if she could accurately be described as the protagonist.
Lenny's Hindu ayah, or nanny, appears to be more of a focus. Shanta (Nandita Das) is beautiful, and is surrounded by a circle of male admirers, and, in particular, two Muslims suitors who vie for her affection. One is the poetic Dil Navaz (Aamir Khan), or as Lenny calls him, Ice Candy Man, and the other is a masseuse, Hassan (Rahul Khanna). Although it initially seems that it is with Dil Navaz that her affections lie, Hassan proves to be her true love, much to the surprise of the viewer. Whilst it is never really shown why Dil Navaz's courtship fails, the viewer could infer that it he lacked a certain gentlemanliness and that he possessed a certain darkness. What is clear is the love that Hassan has for Shanta; a love that is realised in a beautifully handled love-scene. Shanta is a woman for which he would convert to Hinduism and risk his life.
Mehta does not shy away from depicting the savagery of the conflict and the film possesses some extremely powerful moments. One in particular is the debilitating and horrifically gruesome 'de-limbing' of a man caught in the fury of a mob. Another, arguably most powerful, scene is the discovery of a trainload of massacre victims by Dil Navaz, among them his sisters, and sacks of severed breasts. The climax of the movie is a devastating illustration of the consequences of unrequited love. In the scene, we see the supposed protection of the Parsees crumble as an enraged Muslim mob arrives seeking Hindus and Sikhs. Shanta, a Hindu, is hidden in the house, as the mob questions workers who have converted from Hindu and Sikh to Muslim and Christian and then demands Shanta. Dil Navaz, played deftly by Aamir Khan, appears from the crowd, and appearing a "hero", deceives Lenny into revealing Shanta's whereabouts who is then dragged away screaming, and presumably murdered.
Based on the novel "Cracking India", by Bapsi Sidhwa (who co-adapted the script), the film translate to screen in a rich, flowing melodrama. It is strong in symbolism and the obvious motif of 'breaking' (plates, persons, dolls and relationships) works to keep the Partition in frame-of-mind. Mehta has created a sensual piece of dazzling colours that correspond with the moment in time in the first half it is joyful and organic, in the second it is dark and ominous. The accompanying soundtrack, by A.R. Rahman, is effective and appropriate. However, the film sits awkwardly betwixt the style of 'Bollywood' and that of Hollywood. It has, one could argue, obviously been made with a Western audience in mind, and consequently, does not set to be historically informative. Nevertheless, it is an effective piece that does not befuddle the viewer, and provides insight into how people were directly affected by the Partition, an event that still reverberates today.
(S. R. Watson, Flinders University, Adelaide)