Recounting the events of one of America’s most celebrated military defeats of the past decade is no easy feat. In director Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty, Maya, a C.I.A investigator played by the Jessica Chastain, works tireless towards a singular goal: to take down America’s number one enemy. The opening scene begins where it all began, 911, with black screen and phone calls heard from the burning building. The plot moves to the years following that dark day, to the difficult pursuit of the Osama Bin Ladin. Maya, first seen as a junior officer following Dan played by, Jason Clarke, through violent interrogation scenes in Pakistan. While interrogating a detainee named Ammar, revealed information about a man named Abu Ahmed, a possible courier to Bin Ladin, is uncovered.
Recounting the events of one of America’s most celebrated military defeats of the past decade is no easy feat. In director Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty, Maya, a C.I.A investigator played by the Jessica Chastain, works tireless towards a singular goal: to take down America’s number one enemy. The opening scene begins where it all began, 911, with black screen and phone calls heard from the burning building. The plot moves to the years following that dark day, to the difficult pursuit of the Osama Bin Ladin. Maya, first seen as a junior officer following Dan played by, Jason Clarke, through violent interrogation scenes in Pakistan. While interrogating a detainee named Ammar, revealed information about a man named Abu Ahmed, a possible courier to Bin Ladin, is uncovered.Through Maya’s persistence and diligence to the case, she postulates that Bin Ladin cannot communicate with Al Qaeda through any kind of technological means, therefore he must use a courier system. Maya, obsessed, undistracted with any kind of personal life, uses the lead of Abu Ahmed to hunting down Bin Ladin. Even when new information tells upper officials that this man died in 2001, Maya concludes that this dead man is his brother, not Abu Ahmed. She jumps through hoops, but eventually is able to identify this man, following him to a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The months following, the compound undergoes heavy surveillance. It comes down to a decision. Some officials state that there is a 60% chance that Bin Ladin is there. Maya assesses confidently that she is 100% sure Bin Ladin lives in Abbottabad.
On May 2, 2011, a team of Naval SEAL’s are sent to the compound. Twenty-five minutes of stellar cinematography ensue, displaying one pilot’s less than easy landing, the fighting inside the compound, and the eventual killing of Osama Bin Ladin.
The film focuses on the great accomplishment of the few. Maya’s co-analyst Jessica, played by Jennifer Ehle, states, “Here’s to the big breaks, and the little people that make ’em happen.” This line perfectly sums up the intention of the film. Just weeks before I saw Zero Dark Thirty I was privilege to see the documentary Killing Bin Laden. The documentary does a stellar job of fleshing out the details of the whole story, allowing the audience to comprehend the magnitude and risks involved in carrying out the operation. The Hollywood film does not have the time nor the focus to fully explain details that the documentary is able to provide. Both films demonstrate the challenges of the situation. While the documentary provides details of the decision, the aircraft, and the many people involved, Zero Dark Thirty focuses on the experience of one woman’s determination and conviction in finding Bin Ladin. Most Americans only know the result of the operation, and are unaware of the background of the case. By seeing the documentary first, I was able to fill in the gaps of the story missing from the film.I noticed my mind filling in some of the details missing from the film in order to explain certain aspects shown in the film. I suggest one should see both films.
Last week, Jessica Chastain won Best Actress at the Golden Globes for her portrayal of Maya. In her acceptance speech Chastain thanks and addresses director Bigelow for creating, “…powerful, fearless women that allow their expert work to stand before them. You’ve said that film making for you is not about breaking gender roles, but when you make a film that allows your character to disobey the conventions of hollywood you’ve done more for women in cinema than you take credit for.” Zero Dark Thirty serves as a congratulatory nod to women and men that fought for years to take down a powerful enemy. It may surprise many out there that women played an important role in the research and execution of this mission. While the documentary provides the solid details of the case, Zero Dark Thirty shows the perseverance of the little people behind the scene, working to accomplish something larger than themselves.
Link to watch the documentary online:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xiv0pi_killing-bin-laden-documentary_shortfilms#.UP1liJhGS0U