Friday, May 20, 2005

Kingdom of Hollywood

Endless Conversation By Tony Evans


Tony Evans

The movie industry was struck dumb like the rest of us by the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Irony was declared defunct on television and there was an eerie silence as the United States joined in the perils of the larger world.

Only now does it seem as though Hollywood can manage a balanced response to the threat of terrorism as well as the current religious feud between Christianity and Islam, reminiscent of the Middle Ages.

Two recently released movies, "The Interpreter" and "Kingdom of Heaven," address the arching themes of our times without resorting to nationalistic babble. One film reaches deep into history for answers, while the other may hold an ominous portent for the future.

"The Interpreter" is a whodunit centering around intrigues at the U.N. General Assembly where African diplomats have staged an assassination attempt in order to distract from genocidal tendencies back home. Although Islamic extremism is kept from the plot entirely, the film's signal event is taken directly from the war-torn streets of Palestine, Baghdad and elsewhere in the Muslim world. Only this time, the crowded bus explodes in downtown Manhattan.

Movies have a way of generating pathos that network news can only envy. The characters played by Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn are personally and somewhat mysteriously tied to the larger events, and to one another. In this movie the bad guy not only gets caught, but is reminded, as are we, of the shifting patterns of idealism and tyranny in the world of politics, when forced to confront his own fall from grace.

"Kingdom of Heaven" draws upon the abundantly violent legacy of the 12th century crusaders of Europe who traveled to the Holy Land to retake the city of Jerusalem from the armies of Islam.

Despite grand scenes of the siege laid on the city by Salah al-Din (the chivalrous Muslim king), the movie downplays the mayhem brought by crusaders Godfrey of Boullon (played by Liam Neeson) and his son, played by Orlando Bloom.

Instead it focuses on their personal relationship with one another and with their understandings of God. Bloom's character follows a path from blind faith, to disillusionment, and ultimately to a kind of personal redemption on the battlefield and in his own heart, realizing the personal and therefore universal impetus for both war and peace, faith and sacrifice.

"The Interpreter" disavows many of the religious themes currently overshadowing policy in the world today. This global village drama needs a historical epic like "Kingdom of Heaven" to uncover the primordial cultural issues behind the headlines of today.

Saladin is asked, "What is Jerusalem worth?" "Nothing ... " He answers, and then ... "Everything!" evoking the reality of the secular and religious foundations of world politics today.

Neither of these movies grasp at easy political answers.

And this, of course, is their strength. The main characters, despite all outward appearances, are made of finer stuff than their counterparts. The good guys win, even if it's only a shaky truce or poetic justice. And the world events go churning on, though we are left a bit wiser and perhaps more certain of our common humanity.

Hurray for Hollywood.




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