THE INSULT/ L’INSULTE

Lebanon, 2017, 112 minutes, Colour.
Adel Karam, Kamel El Bashah, Camille Salameh, Diamand Bou Abboud, Rita Hayek, Talal Jurdi, Christine Choueri, Julia Kassar.
Directed by Ziad Doueiri

A film to be recommended. It was the Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language film from Lebanon for 2017.

The title is very straightforward. And, in some ways, so is the incident which leads to the insult but does not anticipate many of the dire consequences.

It can be said at the beginning of this review that the director has explained that his screenplay is based on a real incident, and that it involved himself, an outburst of criticism and insult to a plumber. The consequences were not as he expected and they made demands on him for some kind of reconciliation – but it provided personal experience on which to base a screenplay which takes the insult much further.

It is not necessary to know a great deal of the history of Lebanon in recent decades to appreciate this film. It is something of an allegory of resentments, hatreds, angers and conflicts in the Middle East. However, it introduces immediately a militant Christian group in Lebanon and its fierce loyalties, as well as a background of hate talk on the radio. The central character, Tony, is a garage mechanic in Beirut, a Christian area which contrasts with the Palestinian camps. The other character is Yasser, a Palestinian refugee, living in a camp, a calm man generally who is supervising building sites with great success and finesse.

The insult incident is trivial in many ways, Tony hosing his balcony, an open pipe spilling the water onto passes by. Yasser confronts Tony, tries to fix the pipe, Tony smashing it, leading to a verbal confrontation, provocative because of the hate messages on the radio, and a punch which leads to broken ribs in hospital. Tony demands an apology of Yasser. Yasser is not prepared to give it.

This part of the drama is interesting in itself, the director creating quite a sense of tension, Tony absolutely fixed and rigid in his stances and prejudices, Yasser remaining calm but then provoked.

The main part of the action of the film actually takes place in the court. Tony decides to sue Yasser. A top Beirut lawyer, Christian, interviews Tony and prepares a spirited and somewhat bigoted prosecution of Yasser. The irony is that Yasser’s defence lawyer is the daughter of the prosecutor, her first case, quite a rivalry. There are three judges who preside – and the trial proceeds with interrogation of witnesses but spontaneous interventions from both lawyers.

The trial gives the opportunity to the audience to appreciate what is behind the hostility, the experience of the Palestinians, the behaviour of Israel, the role of the PLO, the refugees in camps in Lebanon. But it also gives the opportunity to appreciate the experience of the civil war in Lebanon in the 1970s, the role of PLO and Palestinians, massacres in Christian villages and still-unresolved animosities.

While the film is involving and itself, audiences off-put by the angry Tony, appreciating the calmness of Yasser (and the introduction of complications of Yasser’s behaviour when he was a young man in the camps and involved in violence), the film asks its audience to think about the conflicts in the Middle East, what is behind them, and possible solutions for peace if not reconciliation.

1. The directness of the title? Insults and consequences? Far-reaching?

2. Beirut, 2017, the visuals of the city, the poorer neighbourhood, the wealthy areas, the buildings, offices, the courts? The musical score?

3. The film based on the experience of the director, his being in the wrong, the consequences? His imagining further consequences? His own Christian religious background, support of the Palestinians, the authorities critical of his films, attempts to ban his films – this film getting the Lebanon on Oscar nomination?

4. Audience knowledge of Lebanon, the history of the Palestinians, the PLO, Israel and antagonism, the refugees in Lebanon, the camps? The background of factions and the government, the background of the Civil War, social differences, religious differences? The past massacres, angers, deep-seated desire for revenge over the decades?

5. The film as an allegory of the Middle East?

6. The enthusiastic opening, the political rally, the speeches, Tony and his presence, devoted, coming home, his wife and her pregnancy, the relationship? His job, working the garage? His wife, keeping the accounts? The different clients? His ordinary life – yet the radio background of propaganda and hate language?

7. Yasser, Palestinian background, living in the camp, a man of quiet dignity? His supervising role, the range of jobs, his efficiency, the loyalty of his crew, working for the agent, his wanting the best in terms of tools and finished work? His wife, his situation, precarious because of the camps?

8. The incident with the hose, the water coming out of the drain, Tony and his watering his garden? Yasser and the others getting wet? The reactions, the talk, Tony assuming that Yasser was insulting him? His being thin-skinned? Yasser and the substitution of another pipe, Tony breaking it? Tony demanding an apology? The two men digging in?

9. The reactions to the men, their wives, all-round reactions, the small incident, escalating? The agent, trying to apologise, the gift, Tony rejecting it? The Deputy and his responsibility? Wanting Yasser fired?

10. The scene in the garage, the talk between the two men, the radio and the hate language, the comment about Sharon and killing all the Palestinians? Yasser’s reaction, punching Tony, breaking his ribs, Tony going to hospital?

11. Tony, his anger, going home, his wife and wanting to move to their hometown, his refusal, his bond with his father, the memories?

12. Going to the garage in the night, lifting heavy weights, falling? His wife dragging him and getting him to the hospital? The premature birth? The child in the crib?

13. Tony and his decision to sue, his righteous stances? The contrast with Yasser, his stubbornness, conscientious and silent?

14. The preparations for the trial, the top lawyer in Lebanon, the meetings, his team, interviewing Tony, the interpretation of the events, the Christian prejudice against the Palestinians? His daughter, and her work for the defence? The personal sequences between the two, the rivalry? Her first case?

15. The trial, the presence of the judges, the style of the cross-examination, the range of witnesses, the interventions of prosecutor and defence? The decisions of the judges?

16. The political implications, the background of the civil war in Lebanon, the role of the pest in Palestinians, the Christians?

17. Tony and his visit to his hometown, his initially being unwilling when his wife asked? The memories of the town, the Christians, the Palestinians, the war, the massacres, visualising these? Tony and his anger and resentment?

18. The story of the camp, the Palestinian children, the cook and his testimony, Yasser and his violent attack because of the treatment of the child? The truth of the story – but Yasser being young, and the cook actually being one of the soldiers?

19. The films of the past, the visualising of the past?

20. Yasser, visiting Tony, taunting him, Tony losing his temper, hitting Yasser and breaking his ribs? The images of mutual provocation?

21. The lawyers, the summing up of the case, the media and expectations, the impact on Tony and his wife, her history of miscarriage, Yasser and his wife, the judges bringing their verdict? The reasons for the decision given?

22. The consequences for Tony, losing? The consequence the Yasser? Possibilities for apology, reconciliation?

23. The film being an allegory for conflicts in the Middle East?