SHOOT ON SIGHT

UK, 2007, 112 minutes, Colour.
Naseeruddin Shah, Greta Scacchi, Brian Cox, Alex Mc Sweeney, Om Puri, Laila Rouass, Mikaal Zulfikar, Sadie Frost.
Directed by Jag Mundhra.

A topical drama about the war on terrorism and how drastic laws and regulations and procedures can have disastrous side effects. It is also a topical drama about being Muslim in the Western world and being under suspicion.

This film is based on the case of Jean Charles de Menezes, an innocent Brazilian victim of the pursuit of the terrorists in the London bombings of July 22nd 2005 where an address under surveillance was a wrong one and de Menezes was wrongly followed and shot at Stockwell Underground station by police assuming his guilt and his response to their attempts to stop him – in fact, he was afraid of the police because of visa difficulties.

Writer-director, Jag Mundhra (who directed the topical film about Asian men’s violence towards their wives, Provoked, has taken the outline of the story (with acknowledgement) but changed the victim to a Pakistani student who does not hear the police challenge because of his I-Pod?, goes to turn it off and is shot by police thinking he was going for a weapon. Again, there is an issue of a mistaken address, grieving family and a British lawyer who takes on the case for compensation.

However, the bulk of the film is about a senior Asian (Pakistan origin) police officer who is put in charge of the internal investigation. He experiences suspicion, envy from another officer who is a rival for promotion, racial and religious hostility (and sensationalist media coverage) and is victimised by the racism inherent in the police force. Brian Cox appears as his commanding officer who has to deal with the Police Commissioner, the investigations and the potential for cover-ups. All these issues will resonate strongly with a British audience, especially a London audience. With much location photography, the film has a realistic feel about it.

The officer is played with great dignity (with sympathy but also with personal shortcomings) by prolific and award-winning Indian actor, Naseeruddin Shah. Further plot complexity is introduced by having him married to an Englishwoman (Greta Scacchi) which means he can move comfortably in both Asian and British worlds. Because he is a practising Muslim (and is seen at prayer and at the mosque), he can also be condemned by both worlds. (There is also a complication when his teenage daughter is picked up by police for drugs during a party.)

While the victim is innocent, the film does show a group of rabid extremists, their rallies, their converts, their arguments that, although the Koran is against killing, dominance, persecution and invasions by the West, especially the US in Iraq and Afghanistan, mean that there is a war going on which justifies suicide missions. Much of the dialogue offers counterbalancing arguments.

Om Puri is persuasive as an Imam who preaches violence (with rising rhetorical questions about who is innocent) and encourages bomb massacres in a rabble-rousing style. He is a schooldays friend of the police officer and the rival police and the media make hay of a photo of the two shaking hands (which belies the actual situation completely). He is also a strong influence on the officer’s nephew who has come to study in the UK.

The drama moves into thriller mode with the threat of a suicide bombing in a crowded shopping mall on a Saturday. This leads to a moving and complicated emotional ending to an interesting and topical film.

1.How well did the film work as drama? As topical theme? As a plausible re-creation of events? As police investigation?

2.The Indian director, his perspective? The Asian cast, the British cast? Racial interaction in family, in police work? Symbolic of the UK?

3.The London settings, the sense of realism? The various districts, Charing Cross station? Homes, workplaces? Credible?

4.The theme of terrorism, 2005 in London, the role of the police, the shooting of the suspect who was innocent? The continued possibility of bombs, terrorism? The imams and their preaching jihad in the mosques?

5.Audience presumptions about terror? The role of Pakistanis, terrorists? Muslims? The background of the terrorists, the brainwashing, the training, making of the bombs, suicide bombers?

6.The parallel with the realities in Stockwell station? This fictional student, Muslim background, at Charing Cross station, the orders to shoot on sight, his not having any explosives?

7.The nature of the inquiry, required by the police? Tennant and his administration, personality, shrewd? His choosing Tariq Ali to head it? A Muslim taking responsibility? His motivations, the other members of the police squad, the inquiry investigation? The interrogations? The police who shot the suspect? The re-enactment, the fear of people on the station? The issue of ability to hear, the orders, the sight(**OR SITE?), having to act quickly? Guns and bullets?

8.Tariq, his hopes, ambitions, the deal for his promotion? A good man but ambitious? Pakistani and Muslim in the British police context? His marriage, interracial? His wife not being a Muslim? The years of marriage, the children, the details of home life? The typical youngsters, his daughter, son? Their behaviour and attitudes? His nephew visiting, from Pakistan, studying to be an engineer?

9.The mosque, Junaid and his aggression? The role of the imams? Preaching jihad? His sermons, rabble-rousing, hatred? His influence? His picking out Zaheer, the meetings with him, at the cafés, talking? Inviting him into the inner circle? The clash with Tariq, their past friendship, knowing each other for years? Outside the mosque?

10.The journalist taking the photo, printing it in the paper? Tariq embracing Junaid? The reaction of Tennant, of Marber and the other police? Marber and his enviousness? Police politics? Leading to the suspension of Tariq?

11.The effect of coming to England on Zaheer, of Junaid’s friendship with him, singling him out, in the mosque, going to the meetings, the lectures? With the others fixing the bombs, the explosives? His being brainwashed? Enough enthusiasm to become a suicide bomber? The plan to bomb the shopping mall, a busy morning? Susan and Tariq, taking their son to the book-signing? Tariq and the investigation? Susan finding the T-shirt, Tariq disbelieving, discovering the truth?

12.The action drama in the mall, the family, the book-signing, a normal day for patrons of the mall? The potential destruction and massacre?

13.Tariq, Marber, the investigation, the tension in the mall, the search, the chase? The effect on people? Zaheer, the confrontation, Tariq shooting him?

14.Tariq and the praise, the offer of promotion? His decision to resign? Taking the package of evidence to the family of the victim student? The final information about the out-of-court settlement? Justice?

15.The topicality of this film? It throwing light on actual events?