Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.
(Lev 19:15)
Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger (i.e., foreigner), as for one of your own country: for I am the LORD your God. (Lev 24:22)
Equality under the law is a Biblical concept. More than a concept, it is a requirement handed down by God. Without it, a society cannot even approximate justice.
The movie Rendition explores how the USA has departed from this principle under Homeland Security. The story is fiction, but it deals with real practices and issues.
The movie revolves around the CIA's abduction of an Egyptian-born US resident, Anwar Al-Ibrahami. Denying him due process, they transport him to a country which accepts torture as a legitimate means of interrogation.
As Ibrahimi's pregnant wife tries desperately and fruitlessly to find out what happened to her husband, we get a vivid picture of Washington's career politicians and bureaucrats who will not jeopardize their careers to pursue justice for one "insignificant" man.
The movie has parallel stories which reveal the motives and fears of Anwar's Arab interrogator and the inner conflicts of the CIA field agent who must watch the interrogation.
At one point, the field agent speaks to his superior in Washington via cell phone. He admits, "This is my first torture." His female superior corrects him: "The United States does not torture." This is technically true, since they have outsourced the torture to another country.
The movie is rated "R" for language, violence and torture scenes. I blocked the screen two or three times, when I thought a sexual situation was developing, but I don't think anything pornographically obscene developed. Anwar appears without clothing for the interrogation scenes, but without revealing genitalia. There is a sense of obscenity, but it is inherent in the debasement of one human being by another, not in any sexual display.
The film credits Clinton's administration with originating the practice of extraordinary rendition, and then mentions that it accelerated after 9/11. Other than that, I noticed no partisan references to Republicans or Democrats. The story, rather, focuses on the heartlessness of "national security" without constitutional limits.
Included on the DVD is the documentary "Outlawed" which describes the extraordinary rendition of two men. If you view this and shrug it off because these men are Muslims or foreigners, then you have rejected God's standard of justice as quoted at the beginning of this piece.
I recommend this movie to mature, serious Christian Martialists. It puts a face to the practices that have become accepted in our nation.
Sadly, many evangelicals excuse this inequality of justice for unbiblical reasons. They will support it until the engine of tyranny turns upon them, and the inequality of justice becomes the equality of injustice.
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5 comments:
Hey, I'd seen trailers for this, but I was concerned that it would simply be propaganda, even if I would be sympathetic to it.
Was this the case? Or was the story more complex in its portrayal?
I found the story engaging. It is actually . . . (let me count) four characters' stories woven together -- with a bit of a surprise near the end. Won't say more lest I spoil it.
The four characters' stories intersect more than blend. Someone commented that this is because isolation rather than connection is a major theme.
Hope this helps.
Hmm, I hadn't heard about this one...I might check it out. Are you sure it didn't have sex scenes in it? I avoid sex scenes in movies like the plague.
I was watching with my wife & daughter, and as I said, I blocked the screen (and muted the sound) when it looked as though a depiction of sexual activity might develop (e.g., two people in bed, kissing).
My impression, however, is that no overtly sexual activity was shown, because plot development intruded on the potential trysts (hoorah for plot development). I cannot guarantee this, however, since I did not actually "not see" it take place.
All right, thank you sir!
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