RENDITION

US, 2007, 120 minutes, Colour.
Jake Gyllenhaal, Reese Witherspoon, Meryl Streep, Omar Metwally, Alan Arkin, Peter Sarsgaard, Bob Gunton.
Directed by Gavin Hood.

Impressive and alarming.

Rendition is an odd word, a kind of literary term which obfuscates the reality it is meant to name. During the Clinton years, rendition and extraordinary rendition was a term devised to describe the ‘unofficial’ and undocumented transferring of individuals suspected to terrorism to overseas countries for ‘interrogation’ – since the US does not deal in torture. That is the theory. And why use the word ‘rendition’ and what does it actually mean as a word let alone a name for what seems reprehensible behaviour?

Since September 2001, rendition has been practised more extensively for any suspicious, possible terrorist and stories have been circulated in recent years (along with information about treatment of internees at Guantanomo Bay) about the torture in questioning of these suspects. Some European countries have been named as receiving prisoners in rendition. Airports (including in Scotland) have been identified as places for refuelling rendition aircraft.

A full documentary on rendition would prove frightening.

However, Rendition is a feature film from Hollywood, made for the widest possible audience, a drama that proposes many strands of a story and brings them together at the end of two hours. Since we respond so well to stories, this kind of drama of rendition is a way to inform as well as emotionally stir the worldwide audience.

The film has been well written by Kelley Sane (although the end reveals that there have been different timeframes throughout which makes for some confusion, although it adds to the motivation of the character who is in charge of interrogation and torture). It has also been well directed by Gavin Hood who made the 2006 Oscar-winner, Tsotsi – and offers his South African signature by opening this film in Cape Town with fine views of Table Mountain). Hood, as an outsider, can be a touch more dispassionate in his story-telling than Americans. And, while all the strands come together at the end, he finishes his film without any intrusive, sentimental or spelling-it-all-out close-ups on the final knots and bows.

These strands include the abduction and rendition of an Egyptian-born American from Washington airport (and his name simply deleted from the computer passenger list). He is taken to an unnamed North African country where a suicide bomber has made an attempt on the life of the chief interrogator. Moroccan locations stand in for the anonymous country. This man’s daughter has unwittingly taken up with a member of a local fanatical jihad group. In the meantime, his pregnant wife has been searching and lobbying a senator’s assistant in Washington. A junior analyst has escaped being killed in the bomb blast and has to take the place of the hands-on member of the American staff and witness the questioning and torture.

There is no lack of plot.

While the film moves with both action and discussion, its cast is a major strength. Omar Metwally is sympathetic as the captive – and we are not spared his torture and his anguish, nor his answers invented to stop the torment. Jake Gylenhaal is the young official facing his ‘first torture’, whose sensibilities and conscience are challenged by what he sees. Reese Witherspoon is the captive’s wife, Peter Sarsgaard the senate assistant and Alan Arkin the senator.

What makes the scenario all the more frightening is that the person who coldly authorises the rendition with minimum evidence, who uses the war on terror as a cold principle to work on and cuts herself off from any feelings, and has no trouble in public denials of what is happening, is that this character is played by Meryl Streep.

Rendition, its human rights issues, the political implications and the moral questions, should be firmly on the public agenda.

1.The impact? Relevance? 21st century experience? The US, the war against terror? Torture and human rights?

2.The title, the explanation of the word, introduction under President Clinton, post-September 11, 2001, the flights to other countries, secrecy, terrorist suspects, interrogation and torture?

3.The structure of the film: the various strands and characters, intercut, coming together? The time frame – before the assassination attempt, after?

4.The introduction to the characters: Douglas and his work, the bomb? The African officer and his being the target? His escape? Corrine Whitman and her authority in the US? The Egyptian-American?, the conference, abducted, rendition? His pregnant wife and her concern? Fatima and Khalid, the terrorist training, the bomb?

5.The use of Moroccan locations, the atmosphere of North Africa, the city, homes, the squares, offices, prisons? The contrast with Chicago? Washington DC? The opening in South Africa? The musical score?

6.Jake Gyllenhaal as Douglas: in himself, age, work, lack of experience, an analyst, his discussions in the car with his fellow officer, the explosion, the man being killed, the blood on his clothes, going to the hospital? His being promoted, the discussion with Corrine by phone, his affair with the girl from the office – and later being able to use her to get the man to escape? His visiting the head torturer, being a witness to the torture and interrogation, the effect on him? His not being able to intervene? The prisoner answering the questions, Douglas Googling and finding the deception? The football team? The small amount of money compared with his salary? His intervening, his disgust? His decision, contact with the minister, getting his signature, getting the prisoner out, clothing him, the danger of escaping, taking him to the boat, ringing the journalist, the Washington Post, the danger to his career? The portrait of an American everyman, patriotic, change, growing awareness? The audience sharing this?

7.The scientist, born in Egypt, living in America, his wife and child? The meeting in Capetown, phoning? His wife, her pregnancy, playing football with her son, his mother? Their waiting, for her husband to return, not arriving at the airport?

8.His arrival at Washington, taken, the questions, the mobile phone link, the assumption that the terrorist contacted him? His name being deleted from the computer? His being taken, Corrine Whitman and the information, her orders, the plane, Morocco? In prison, the treatment, humiliation, taking his clothes, the detail of the torture, the interrogation? Persistence? The African official? Douglas present? Lack of rights? His trying to protest? The young torturer and the administration of the torture? The methods, his desperation, telling lies, his being allowed away from the punishment, Douglas effecting his escape, the sadness of his return – and looking at his son and embracing him?

9.His wife, her pregnancy, devoted to her husband, the phone calls, going to Washington, meeting with Alan, the bonds in the past, her sincerity, talking, observing the senator’s office, her being put off by Corrine, her plea? The assistant helping her to come to meet Corrine?

10.Alan, his work, ambitions and career, the visit, his listening, making the phone calls, the discovery about the information from the credit card, going to Corrine at the dinner, the verbal fencing, his threats? The senator and his advice, the bill being passed and the celebration? His choice not to put his head on the block?

11.The senator, the political background, the government style, warnings to Alan, the encounters with Corrine? The various committees? The compromises and the deals?

12.The North African official, his assistant? His being saved from the bomb blast? In his office, ringing Corrine? Agreeing about the rendition? Supervising the torture, inviting Doug, forbidding him to intervene? His life at home, the problems of Fatima? His decisions, his wife and her anguish, his sister and her fear? The information from the tortured young man, going to find Khalid, his house, his grandmother present? The torture sequences? The final grief? Knowing that his daughter was killed?

13.Corrine? Meryl Streep as a ruthless official, her patriotic principles, impersonal, interpretation of US policy? Being phoned at home, her husband in the background – and at the banquet? In the office, information, refusing phone calls, her decisions, Alan and his talk with her at the social? The finale, at home, looking at the papers – and the audience being left with that image?

14.Fatima, as a student, her relationship with her father, moving out, her love for Khalid, meeting him, his persuading her to go to the apartment, their going to school, his absences? Going to the school, the lectures, the jihad fanaticism? The enthusiasm of the young men? Prepared to be suicide bombers? The leaders, their control? The background of his brother and his death? His antagonism towards the official? Using Fatima to get to him? The protest preparation on the roof, the arrival of the police, the escape, the friend being taken, his being tortured? His taking the bomb, Fatima looking through the photo album, realising the truth, running to the square, confronting him, his hesitation, the explanation given about shooting the bomber so that the explosion would happen? His death?

15.How well did the film work as a thriller, as drama, as political essay, as fiction, as fact, as challenge to the United States, to its allies? Human rights, terrorism, torture?