Osama
Picture:
B+ Sound: C- Extras: C Film: A-
After
watching Osama, I was very
interested in what other reviewers had to say about the film. Overall, the reviews were quite positive,
lauding the film as an artistic and cultural achievement. However, all the negative reviews, albeit
few, shared an underlying sentiment that informed their criticism; the
political and historic importance of a film (Osama was the first film produced in post-Taliban Afghanistan) should not trump its artistic merit. Such a claim, in my humble opinion, truly
violates the importance of art. Without
digressing into some diatribe about Marxist aesthetics, it is imperative to
consider the conditions of production as well as the political and social
importance of a text in judging its artistic merit. I find it hard to completely divorce film
criticism from both conditions of production and reception without devolving
into a myopic conception of textuality.
With that said, Siddiq Barmak’s Osama
is an artistic achievement as well as symbolic of Afghanistan’s recovery from the repressive
Taliban regime.
Osama is the story of a nameless young
Afghani girl, along with her mother and grandmother, attempting to survive
under Taliban rule. The impoverished
family, who lost all their male members to the fighting in Afghanistan, are in desperate need for
another breadwinner, but the edicts of Taliban rule prevent women from leaving
the house without male accompaniment. As
a result, the mother cuts her daughters hair and passes her off as a son. The mother solicits the generosity of a
business owner to employ her daughter, who in turn, does his best to protect
her from the mettlesome Taliban sentinels.
However, the Taliban gather all the young boys for religious training reminiscent
of the Hitler Youth. The film follows
the young girl, who ironically is dubbed “Osama,” as she attempts to evade the
suspicions of the Taliban and the other children. The only one to know her true identity,
Espandi, befriends her and does his best to protect her, but his capacity to do
such is rather limited given the nature of the regime.
Although
the film used nonprofessional actors, the performances were authentic. Living in conditions of constant fear
certainly equipped these actors with a breadth of emotions to demonstrate the
horrific nature of the Taliban. Unlike
anti-fascist films like Salo, Barmak
uses the constant threat of violence and retaliation without showing it to
generate an atmosphere of fear (However, the comparisons to Salo are also very striking; not in
regard to the visuals [Osama is only
PG-13], but the perversity of wielding power over helpless children). In an interview with Barmak available in the
special features, he argues that using nonprofessional actors was difficult
because they were hesitant to engage in particular scenes fearing the
possibility of Taliban retaliation. Their
oppression became so ingrained, the actors had difficulty trusting the
filmmakers. As a result, the impending
danger is shared by both the audience and the characters. Moreover, one can not only sympathize with
the characters, but the also with the nation that has been besieged by invasion
and civil war. From the Soviets to the
Taliban, the Afghani people have experienced their fair-share of hardship; and Osama is just a small glimpse into
their suffering.
The DVD,
distributed by MGM, is in fine shape.
With the exception of a few scratches in the middle of the film, the
transfer is quite beautiful. The film is
presented in 1.85 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono sound. MGM, not known for providing high quality
extras, does little to challenge that assumption. In addition to a trailer, the disc offers an
interview with director Siddiq Barmak, where he discusses his film education in
Russia (which is rather obvious), his
ties to resistant movements, and his experiences on set. Barmak, who speaks fluent English, recalls
how the Afghani population celebrated their liberation from the Taliban by
watching Indian films and dancing in the theaters.
Osama was first screened to a packed
audience in Kabul, and the response was
unconditionally enthusiastic. Barmak
noted that many thanked him for finally telling their story; it is now time for
us to listen.
- Ron Von Burg
