WHERE IN THE WORLD IS OSAMA BIN LADEN?

US, 2008, 90 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Morgan Spurlock.

Not only is it a good question, it is one of the main questions of the last seven years. The practical answer, if he is not dead or disabled, is that Osama is hiding in the mountains on the Afghan- Pakistan border and, on the evidence of images of the remote caves and their survival and aggressive contents, this is feasible.

However, Morgan Spurlock comes to the conclusion that many others have endorsed: it doesn’t matter. Al Quaeda set a movement in motion that has extraordinary and dangerous impetus despite him and/or without Osama bin Laden.

So, what in the world is Morgan Spurlock up to? One might say that he has a preoccupation with individuals and institutions of which it could be said, ‘they might be giants’. After his demolition job on McDonalds? and their supersizing (let alone the risk to his own health), he has done it again with the world’s most notorious terrorist leader (not without, again, risks to his own health and safety).

Spurlock has the great cinematic advantage that he comes across as a genial personality taking us into his confidence as friends. So does Michael Moore whose films are sometimes mind and emotions-boggling with their exposes. Morgan Spurlock is more humorous, even flip as he makes his points.

After some health testing and language and culture input, he sets off in his quest. In the background is his wife’s pregnancy and his promise that his journey will be over in time for him to be back in the US for the birth. This is a recurring theme throughout the film giving it some emotional and time urgency.

Off he goes to a range of countries (all listed like a video game or a catalogue on a TV game show, including a singing and dancing animated Osama bin Laden).

This is what is most interesting. Obviously, he must have hours and hours of material but Spurlock has chosen to offer samplings of people from each of the countries so that audiences will share his impressions. In Egypt, he interviews some Bin Laden relatives who are supportive of their notorious relation. In Palestine, he becomes as bewildered as most observers do about the plight of the Palestinians, many for peace, many not, with Israel. But, life in the Gaza strip can be bitter. In Israel, he meets people who know that the result will be two states but ponder the hardships to be endured before that happens. Some of the righteous Israelis do themselves no service in demonstrating their intolerant and potentially violent responses to the stranger filming in their midst.

In Afghanistan, Spurlock goes embedded with American troops. He goes into the dangerous mountain areas. In Pakistan, he interviews the widest range of people for reactions about terrorism.

Some commentators have sneered at the film for not offering anything new. They have misunderstood Spurlock’s intentions. He is attempting a personal cinema essay, especially for American audiences, that uses the lighter touch at times to highlight the issues, to show that many people around the world, Christian, Muslim or men and women of no religious faith, believe in peace and understanding – and that this is a goal for everyone.

1.The impact of the film? Audience interest in Osama bin Laden, terrorism, Middle Eastern countries and their attitudes? Islam? Extremism?

2.Morgan Spurlock, his reputation from Super Size Me, television programs? A genial personality, reporter, humorist?

3.The quest? Ambitious? Not expecting to find Osama bin Laden? Americans and foreign policy unable to find him? His comments about American movies and the lonely individual able to achieve this kind of quest?

4.The motivation, his training, languages, survival, information about Middle East countries? Medical information? The risks?

5.His wife pregnant, their relationship, wanting to be back by the time of the birth of the child? The contact throughout the film, giving some continuity? His return, the birth of the baby?

6.The animation, Osama bin Laden, animated, dancing to ‘You Can’t Touch This’? The computer game style, the return to the computer, the various countries listed?

7.Spurlock, to camera, his personality, humour, comments, banter, ingenuous? Asking the questions? Wanting to inform, especially, the American public?

8.The list of countries visited and the effect:
Egypt: the impressions, the country, bin Laden’s relatives, sympathetic to him? The opinion of ordinary Egyptians? Americans studying in Egypt?
Morocco: terrorism in Morocco, sympathetic people to El Qaeda?
The West Bank: His experience of the Gaza Strip, the Palestinians, their plight, the oppression of Israel, terrorism, the views of ordinary people, wanting the war to stop?
Israel: the man who said that it would end with two states but the difficulties in getting there, staunch Israelis wanting to stay in the West Bank, the area of Jerusalem with the orthodox, their evident hostility towards him and his camera, doing no credit to themselves?
Jordan: the neighbour, attitude towards Israel, Islam, terrorists?
Saudi Arabia: the contradictions in Saudi Arabia, strictness, the role of women, the princes and their wealth, terrorism?
Afghanistan, Spurlock going as an embedded journalist, the mountains, the caves, the plausibility of bin Laden being there, firing the rocket and his excitement?
Pakistan: talking with the ordinary people, their opinions of where bin Laden is hiding, their attitude towards peace?

9.The impression of El Qaeda, the members, bin Laden, terrorism?

10.Attitude towards foreign policy, American attitudes, President Bush, the invasion of Iraq, the war on terrorism, the post-9/11 mentality? The brief history of shoring up dictators who then were liabilities? The Shah of Persia, Saddam Hussein, the Taliban?

11.The possibility of finding bin Laden, whether authorities want him found or not, his not making a difference because of the terrorist movement in action?

12.Islam, the comments by religious Muslims, by religious Christians, the priest in Israel? The commonality? The desire for peace?

13.The effect of this kind of documentary, light touch, humour – but serious information, not wanting to be a deep exploration but informing people and changing attitudes?