Terrorism comes to life in ‘Body of Lies’

Summer for me means lots of movies, so for the readers of the Insider, that consequently means lots of movie reviews (hopefully these will be politically or Cornell[ialy] relevant).

Last night I watched Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio star in Ridley Scott’s most recent film Body of Lies. In BOL, Crowe cedes his usual leading role to DiCaprio, who dominates the screen with the same powerful presence he emanated throughout the Departed and Blood Diamond.  DiCaprio, in his role as a CIA operative in the middle east, certainly brings intensity that the film needs, but often sacrifices a much needed subtly that the most veteran actors often retain.  In a word, he ‘over-acts.’  However, with Crowe taking the slower role as an overweight, sarcastic and calculating operation leader in Langley, and the script lacking the twists and turns normally seen in this genre, DiCaprio’s intensity is vital to the film’s success.

The best aspect of the movie is certainly director Ridley Scott’s keen ability to recreate the setting of his films, and in the case of BOL, this is the feeling of terror around every corner; Scott does an incredible job bringing terrorism to life in a frighteningly realistic manner.

In BOL, DiCaprio’s character is investigating the roots of several European terrorist attacks that are believed to be the work of Ali Salem, a reclusive Al-Qaeda member operating within Jordanian borders.  With DiCaprio’s boss Crowe keeping tabs on him via satellite and surveillance technology at all times, the operative begins to work in tandem with Jordanian security specialists to track down and lure Salem. 

This creates a very interesting idea presented by the movie – the juxtaposition of the Jordanian anti-terrorism methods with those of the United States.  Without unveiling too many spoilers, the film seemed to convey two ideas about the Jordanian ‘secret service.’ 1) The Jordanian secret service has no problem inducing torture while 2) at the same time, they manage to operate with much greater nuance and foresight.  Perhaps the most interesting concept brought up by the film, however, is the greatest flaw in the United States special intelligence: the limited capabilities of satellites, information technology, and tracking systems; while our arm reaches further than possibly anybody else in this field, Body of Lies clearly distinguishes where this reach stops, and the ineffectiveness of technology in comparison to actual human spies and operatives working under cover.

While it’s not exactly invigoratingly intense or edge-of-your-seat surprising, Body of Lies is an intellectually stimulating and entertaining film that’s well worth your two hours.