2008 Woodie Awards
No lies in 'Body of Lies'
MAT LA RUE
Lead Arbiter Journalist
Issue date: 10/13/08 Section: Culture
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To enact a depiction of the conflict in the Middle East, Ridley Scott has created a film based on the novel by David Ignatius displaying the seriousness of the conflict in the Middle East with stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe.
"Body of Lies" can be understood as both pro war and anti war. Further, the film may attract audiences who believe the fight in the Middle East must be dealt with. However, while American's contradict each other on the Middle Eastern occupation, "Body of Lies" does an excellent job of representing how things are.
"Body of Lies" begins with a piece from W. H. Auden's poem "September 1, 1939:" "What all schoolchildren learn/Those to whom evil is done/Do evil in return." The film incorporates the entirety of this poem with the understanding that under a state of war and imperialism there is no wrong and, perhaps, no right.
The film takes place in Amman, Jordan where Roger Ferris (DiCaprio) is an undercover CIA operative, under the supervision of CIA agent Ed Hoffman (Crowe), trying to undermine terrorist Al-Saleem. The tension begins and continues to mount as Ferris discovers further information about the terrorist group and must take measures to stay alive, as well as to protect the lives of others.
The terrorism occurring on-screen is utterly ruthless and practices of torture and execution are in full attendance. The conflict is ugly; there is no doubt about it. "Body of Lies" portrays an account of how people on both sides of the conflict are directly affected.
The film carries a variety of the formulaic aspects of fiction including plot twists and romance, as well as apprehension and loyalty issues between characters. All of these features help to build empathy towards the protagonists as they attempt to be victorious against the war on terror.
By the end of the film, empathy for the characters comes to its full force while the audience is waiting to see who lives and who dies. Through the twists and turns and the subsequent trust issues "Body of Lies" maintains originality by depicting a story that leaves the audience in curiosity until the end.
Audiences may expect this to be another high budget production with high profile actors that portrays the brutality which can occur from terrorism. In most cases this is true.
However, the film constructs a picturesque depiction of the ongoing struggle in the Middle East.
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