THE ENGINEER

US, 2023, 92 minutes, Colour.

Emile Hirsch, Danny A. Abeckaser, Angel Bonanni, Dan Mor, Adam Haloon, Robert Davi.

Directed by Danny A. Abeckaser.

It is 1995. There are a series of bombings, terrorist bombings, in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It is the time of peace talks of the 1990s, Oslo agreements, the visit of Israeli and Palestinian authorities, including Yasser Arafat, to Camp David and discussions with President Clinton. And, throughout the film, there are inserts of television news about the bombings, about the American meetings, of the assassination of Rabin, the assumption of authority and dealing with terrorism by Shimon Peres.

The name of the bomb maker and strategist for attacks was Yaya Ayyah but he was dubbed at the Engineer.

While the material is historical, this is an American treatment, much in the vein of an action drama. The director is Danny A. Abesecjer, who also appears as the Israeli coordinator of investigations. There are two teams investigating the bombings and trying to track down The Engineer. The first is an official Israeli group, led by Emile Hirsch, an interrogator, noted for extremes in his questioning and torture, suspended, but brought back. The second team is unofficial, led by a former mercenary, Angel Bonanni, who was summoned by a Florida senator, played by Robert Davi, whose daughter is killed in the initial explosion, graphically shown at the film’s opening. Other mercenaries are brought into the operation which is secret and undercover.

We are shown the different approaches of each group, abductions, interrogations with unofficial torture, undercover surveillance, with the two groups eventually confronting each other and then working together.

The running time of the film is comparatively brief. It plays fairly conventionally in terms of detection, action, confrontations. One of the difficulties is having Emile Hirsch in the central role – a more genial screen presence even when on the wrong side of the law, perhaps too pleasant to be convincing as such and interrogator-torturer. Angel Bonanni, as the leader of the undercover group, is more convincing. Another casting typically is Robert Davi in the role of the Senator, an actor who has been quickly and easily cast as a villain in so many films.

At the end, there is a statement that there is a desire for peace rather than attempts through violence – but, in fact, the final moment of the film is a Palestinian terrorist standing up in a bus and bombs exploding.

1. The title, the terrorist, making bombs, the network, the terrorist bombings, consequences?
2. An American perspective on characters and events? The international cast?
3. Audience attitudes towards Israel, the Palestinians, terrorism, reprisals? The history of Israel and Palestine since 1948? Uprisings? Peace attempts?
4. The opening, the suicide bomber preparing, the girl going to the bus stop, her comments, his entering the bus, pushing, praising God, the explosion? The consequences?
5. Etan, at home, family, the birthday party, chocolate cake? Interrogator, torturing, suspended? His superior, calling him back? The situation? The other members of the team, their backgrounds? The two Palestinians, one shot, the other captured, the interrogation, his defiance, in time and his stances, the rules, the attempted smothering, the prisoner giving information? Surveillance, the house? Communications, the female operative, the surveillance of the house, the men approaching? The raid, the discovery of Avi and his team? The Senator? Past history? Tension? The decision to work together? The interrogation of the owner of the apartments, wanting money, his whisper, the information? Going on a helicopter ride? Substituting the phone? The plan for the detonation, in the phone, the helicopter ride, the aftermath, the failure? Retrieving the phone, substituting the bomb? The father and the phone call to the terrorist, checking the accuracy? The explosion, death? The final raid, the shootout?
6. Avi, introduced, mercenary, his team and the interviews, recruiting them, mercenaries? Mossad in the past? Called by the senator, his relationship with the senator? The pressure on him? In Palestine, disguise, getting information, the raids, shooting? The arrival of the senator, the diplomatic difficulties, his being bent on revenge for his daughter, the time and having to include him? The final raid, the news, Avi’s death?
7. The information throughout the film, news about the bombings, the terrorists, statistics? The meetings between Israel and Palestine, Arafat, President Clinton? On the assassination of the Israeli Prime Minister? The events of 1996?
8. The human touches throughout the film, Avi seeing his wife and daughter, clashes? The town and his family, relationship with his wife?
9. The film receiving unfavourable reviews? A way into understanding 1995 and terrorist tensions? The final image of the woman terrorist in the bus after the information about attempts for peace, rather than through violence?