BEYOND BORDERS

US, 2003,
Angelina Jolie, Clive Owen, Linus Roache, Timothy West, Noah Emmerich.
Directed by Martin Campbell.

Beyond Borders is an interesting film about justice, human needs, especially medical and care, in crisis areas throughout the world. It works on the emotions, telling stories, inviting audiences to identify with characters and their behavior. However, it irritated many people who tend to take more cerebral approaches to the world’s problems and find emotion and storytelling manipulative rather than persuasive.
The film is directed by Martin Campbell who had built up a strong reputation for television and series and moved to rather spectacular films including two James Bond films, Goldeneye and Casino Royale.
The film is a star vehicle for Angelina Jolie who was becoming more prominent in cinema and in the field of charity outreach. Clive Owen is the doctor, a blunt and abrasive personality who challenges comfortable people but works in the field.
The film’s action takes place over the eighties and nineties, beginning in Ethiopia at the time of the famine, moving to Cambodia and then to Chechnya.
The film has a strong supporting cast as well as big-budget production values.
It seems surprising, in retrospect, that the film was so unsuccessful at the box office.

1. The impact of the film? For those who found it moving? For those who found it shallow? For those who found it manipulative? A message film? Showing action?
2. The title, the scope? The countries shown? Volunteers and aid? The role of doctors?
3. Many audiences found the film moving. The focus on suffering, needs, remedies? The contrast with those who found the film manipulative, the focus on white bleeding hearts? The dignity of the victims?
4. 1984, issues of aid, especially in Africa, Ethiopia, the famine? Marxist government? The role of rulers, government, bureaucrats, corruption?
5. The charity responses in England? ‘Shall I stayed or shall I go?’ The dance? Sarah at the party, her husband? The benefactor and his wife? The sister arriving, joy? The world of the wealthy, comfortable, food, music? The speeches and their earnestness, the appeal for help?
6. Meek and Jo Jo at the party, watching, getting in, the intrusion, Nnick and his blunt character, his speech, the reactions, being direct and abrupt? His challenge? The banana, Jo Jo, the monkey? The situation described, deaths? Nick’s being tackled, ousted? The detainees and Jo Jo’s escape? Nick and his reaction later, selfish, blaming himself?
7. The effect on Sarah, financing the truck, money, the bank, her husband and his reaction? His behavior, the tensions in the marriage? Sarah going to Africa, with the truck? Talk, images? The wounded mother, the baby, taking them, the demands on nick, the heat, with the baby?
8. Her arrival, the authorities, the bargaining, the boxes and bringing them? The people rushing? The guns? Events at the hospital? Nick and his attitude, taunting Sierra, her perfume…?
9. Elliott, his role, father, money, managing? Sarah and her help? Later going to London? The appeal for Cambodia? Aid there? His attitude towards Steiger, caught? His confession to Sara, warning, the baby and the grenade?
10. Sarah’s marriage, the character of her husband, the in-laws, disapproval? The children?
11. The transition to Cambodia? Nick and his work? The situation in Cambodia, and his concerns, but willing to use all kinds of means to get financial support? Elliot and his handling situations? In contact with gun runners? Steiger and his methods, personality? Elliott, discussions with Sarah, his death?
12. Cambodia, the warlords, the military, the nature of guns, the pressures, payments, pursuit? The holdup and the confrontation, Elliott’s death?
13. The aftermath, Nick and his work, Sarah and involvement?
14. The personal relationship between Sarah and Nick, prickly and tense, especially in Ethiopia, yet love, falling in love?
15. The situation in Chechnya? Nick, his involvement, capture? Sarah, the reason for her visit, not working to help others? Yet the background of her work in London, charities, involvement, networks, government agencies – and a purpose for her life?
16. Sarah in Chechnya, the situation, the snow, the hardships, finding nick, the bond? The attacks, the chase? Death? Unexpected?
17. Nick, his going to London, visiting the child, his child? The emotional impact? Memories of Sarah? The response of her family?
18. The film getting very little cinema release? Despite the cast? Despite the issues? Too hard for ordinary audiences? Topical and confronting? Charity and aid work? Through the telling of personal stories? The effect of stories and the impact for justice issues?