Paradise Now and Then Essay Example for Free

Paradise Now and Then Essay Understanding who the characters were and the reasoning for their actions was missing. Learning on how and why they started fighting was a challenge faced while watching this film. The lack of seeing relationships form and how the fighting started was a major difference compared to Paradise Now and then. During this ninety-minute production it was very clear on the relationships the characters held with one another. The roles each character played were easily connected back to the plot and helped unfold later scenes because of the apparent character attitude due to the time span of the film. The tactical plans behind the film’s attacks are showcased in very different ways. In The Battle of Algiers that attacks don’t show any planning before the actual attacks. The attacks on the street all just occur without planning. The attack upon the Palestinians is all of a car ride over to their community and a bomb explodes the building. The third attack from the Palestinians is all of three women changing their appearance to cross the border and the man creating the bomb. All that is left is the execution. Within Paradise Now and then the planning initially started nearly ten minutes into the film and wasn’t executed until eighty minutes later at the end. Since this plot takes so long to actually play out, it shows the emotions of the characters as to how they feel about their assignment. This also helps grasp an emotional level with Said and Khaled. Watching them go through the process and make decisions contributes to understanding of their different personalities. The Battle of Algiers, is a continuous strike to one side, then a counterattack from the other side. An in depth reason as to how the battle was started, the tactics behind the different attacks, and why specific person(s) were responsible for performing the attack was unclear because of the short time span. The music in The Battle of Algiers helped lead the viewer to certain feelings in various scenes. During the first attack scene from the Palestinians the music was dark and evil. This music type didn’t support the attacks of the Palestinians and seemed to take the other side. But when the Palestinians were attacked, the music was sad and remorseful suggesting feeling bad for the victims and their loss. The same music type took place while the French colonists bombed the Palestinian building. The music was dark and evil but when the French were bombed, the music was depressing and gloomy. Within the twenty-six minutes the film never chose protagonists and antagonists. The setting of the films played a big role on what the sides were actually fighting for. In the beginning of Paradise Now and then, while Said and Khaled are smoking they are sitting upon a hill. The camera is set from behind them looking down over their town suggestion they have power and control. This is showing whom they would be fighting for and the mass number of people who would be affected. Said crosses the border and walks along a highway of huge open land. Also Said and Khaled walk downtown together through towering buildings. The two scenes suggest the size of the opponent. In The Battle of Algiers, all of the scenes occur in the small streets of France and it appears as if the battle is being fought within one community. The camera is taking the view of a character on the street during the battles suggestion that neither side has power over the other. While one story crosses the street to fight for their people, the other crosses the border. Film making decisions can very easily pull in a viewer to the themes and motives of a plot. In The Battle of Algiers, the viewer does not get pulled into the battle. The film lacks the interest of one side over another and without this choosing of a protagonist verse an antagonist, the viewer cannot feel emotionally tied into the battle. Also without being introduced to any characters, the viewer in unclear to who is really being put at risk with each attack, who is gaining or losing what from the attacks, and what is actually being gained or lost. The only influence on the attacks that the viewer is aware of is that one side attacked another, so they must strike back. The filmmaking decisions do not shape the viewers attitude toward any character in this film. In Paradise Now and then, the viewer follows Said and Khaled through their journey to supposedly the end of their lives. The viewer is able to feel why the characters choose to go along with their mission, what is at stake if the mission is attempted, and what will be gained and lost if the mission is successful. Religion is a big factor that influences Said and Khaled to become suicide bombers. Khaled asks, â€Å"What happens after death? † He gets an answer of â€Å"Two angels will pick you up. † This is very satisfying for Khaled and Said to hear. Remarks are often made throughout the film regarding God. That they are doing their people and God a favor. Also â€Å"We do what we have to, God decides the rest. † At first they know what they will do will affect their people and help solve this fight, but then when Khaled talks to Suha, she talks him out of the bombing telling him that maybe if they don’t strike back that Israel will back off. The viewer is drawn to the fact that Khaled and Said are not fighting for violence or to kill, they are fighting for their people and God. The camera work while Said is talking about his father helps the viewer feel sympathetic for his loss of his father. The camera slowly zooms in on Said as he describes his father and this captures the viewer’s attention and pulls the viewer in as if Said is talking directly to the viewer. The viewer is also influenced to want Said and Suha together. Suha is only around when she is with Said. After the first scene Khaled tells Said that he thinks Suha likes him. After that the viewer is drawn to believe there is a connection between the two. This affects the later scene when Suha tries to influence Said not to fight because now the viewer is torn between having Said sacrifice himself for his people and God, or wanting Suha and Said to be together. Suha’s last appearance is while she is siting down at her table gazing at a picture of Said. The films do not showcase the political issues at stake in the historical situations. In the stories, all that is at stake within the plots are peoples’ lives. Whether it is a shooting on the street or a suicide bombing across the boarder, which kills the bomber and the victim. No other issue takes a bigger role in these two plots that the loss of peoples’ lives. It does seem correct as Suha said; if the opposing side doesn’t have a reason to strike back, the fighting will stop. The two films are stories of bombings between two different sides but are introduced through different means of filmmaking decisions. These different tactics shape the viewer’ attitude towards the bombing itself and the characters within the plot. In The Battle of Algiers, the viewer is influenced to oppose fighting due to one strategy, which is music choice. In Paradise Now and then, the viewer is influenced by the will to fight, which is an example of setting. Both films are stories about bombing but draw the audience into the plot with different tactics and strategies.