OSLO

US, 2021, 118 minutes, Colour.

Ruth Wilson, Andrew Scott, Salim Dau, Jeff Willbusch, Igor Naor, Sasson Gabay.

Directed by Bartlett Sher.

Oslo is a television version of a play by J.T.com Rogers, which won Tony Awards on Broadway. This film is directed by the Broadway director, Bartlett sure.

The title indicates that this is a film about the peace discussions in the early 1990s and the intervention of Norwegian diplomats. It resulted in the Oslo Peace Accord and a meeting at camp David between the PLO, Israelis with Pres Bill Clinton.

For audiences interested in the decades-long clashes between Palestinians and Israelis, this can be illuminating viewing, the acknowledgement of the hostilities, Yasser Arafat and the PLO, the seeming impossibility of us to two-state solution, the continuing intifadas.

Ruth Wilson and Andrew Scott play a Norwegian couple, she a diplomat, he working on a foundation.

The film shows the various stages of initiatives for peace discussions, the inherent difficulties, the clashes, the work behind the scenes, the work of non-politicians, contact with the politicians, contact with Arafat. Which means that there is quite a lot of dramatic tension throughout the film.

While the Oslo Peace Accord was a landmark in the early 1990s, it enabled Palestinians and Israelis to imagine a peace accord even if in the following years, Rabin was assassinated, intifadas continued, prejudices and bigotry continue along with assassinations, suicide bombers, rocket retaliations.

1. The original play, Tony Awards? The director, his stage experience, transferring the play to the screen? The playwright and his screenplay?
2. Audience knowledge of the peace discussions in the early 1990s, the Norwegian attempts, the more public attempts, the Oslo Peace Accord, the camp David meeting with the PLO, Israeli politicians, President Clinton?
3. The continuing relevance of this subject? The information at the end, the peace accord, the assassination of Rabin, the various uprisings?
4. The comment about the present and being obsessed with the past, going back over the grievances, the hostility? Possibilities for looking to the future? Even to Israelis and Palestinians meeting personally?
5. The facts of the events, fictionalise in a drama, the contact between the playwright, the director and the main negotiator, Terjri, his wife, Mona?
6. The initiatives by Terje and Mona? His entrepreneurial skills, discussions with the Israelis? Mona, her Parliamentary position, the discussions with the PLO?
7. The visual motif, the scenes of war, the UN, fighting in the streets, explosions, Mona and her memories, her dreams, walking through these? The impact of the young Israeli with his gun, the young Palestinian with his bomb? Symbol of the conflict – fearful, unwilling?
8. The work of the couple, husband and wife, the contacts, the skills, Mona and her diplomacy, Terje and his having to be discreet? The invitations, the arrangements, airport, inconspicuous car, travelling through the Norwegian countryside, the mansion, the grounds, the interiors? Rooms, dining and relaxing, the discussion room?
9. Sequences outside the mansion, political discussions, meetings in Israel?
10. The PLO representatives, Qurei, personality, years out of Palestine, Tunisia? Relationship with Arafat? Talking with Mona, his agreement? His assistant, severe, both not having met Israelis before? Their wariness?
11. The Israeli professor and his assistant, more genial?
12. The film dramatising the various meetings, the initial suspicions, going into the room, the beginnings of the discussions, stances, tensions? Philosophical and political differences? The contrast with the meals, the cook and her explanations, the enjoyment of the meal, relaxing, talking? Telling stories, about their parents? Attempts at telling jokes?
13. Mona, the Norwegian officials, wary, not telling the minister till later, eventual communication? The political steps, secrecy? Terje and his working with the Israelis, the discussions, assuring the agreement of Simon Péres before he did? The PLO ringing Tunisia – and the security guard revealing that he did not ring but waited and then returned?
14. The arrival of the Israeli negotiator, his personality, background, manner? Tensions, agreements, meals?
15. Joel Singer, presence, manner, assurance, lawyer? His role in the past in government advice, military? His domination, the discussions? To-ing and fro-ing? The possibilities for success, the draft agreements, Mona and Terje typing all night, tearing up of the drafts? Eventually reaching draft status?
16. The Israelis, the discussions with Péres? The return, the 200 questions, the practical issues of the governing of Jericho, collapse, Mona, the speech, offering them the possibilities for the future, the return? The phone calls, non-phone calls to Tunis? Péres and concessions?
17. The movement towards agreement, the meeting in Stockholm, the formal gathering, the dominating woman enclosing the kitchen, the photocopier? Mona and Terje and their work, Péres, having to do the deal by phone, not meeting personally, contacting Aquire, Arafat himself?
18. The achievement, the work of the couple, behind-the-scenes, shrewd, entrepreneurial, diplomatic?
19. The final sequences of the signing of the Oslo Accord at the White House?
20. The value of this kind of drama, behind-the-scenes, making it more real?