On the Zero Dark Thirty Controversy

Since last week, we've learned a lot about Zero Dark Thirty and the political climate surrounding the film. It appears that there is indeed a faction within the Academy voter base that worked to prevent the film from being nominated and is now working to prevent it from winning any categories (link). All of the complaints center around the issue of torture and the way it is depicted in the film. The film's detractors claim that the film reads as a direct endorsement of torture in the interrogations that led to the capture of Osama bin Laden. Director Kathryn Bigelow has responded with a series of statements (link) defending her film, saying that "depiction is not endorsement."

And so we find ourselves in a huge, media mess. Zero Dark Thirty was seen to have tremendous momentum going into the award season. However, Bigelow's snub among the Academy Award nominations has brought all of that to a screeching halt. Furthermore, we've now seen the Critics' Choice Awards and Golden Globes crown their winners, with Argo taking top honors (as well as Best Director) at both ceremonies. It appears that the perceived momentum was either an illusion or that the film's controversial atmosphere is dividing the various voting bodies.

So, why do I care? Well, I happen to believe that Zero Dark Thirty is the finest piece of American filmmaking released last year. Over 2.5 hours, the film unravels an intensely engaging mystery, guiding the viewer through the ups, downs and endless loopholes required to find a man who was determined to not be found. The film gives us a hero, a woman named Maya, who has dedicated virtually her entire adult life to this one endeavor. The entire thing culminates in an unbelievable raid sequence, executed with no bravado, sensationalism or ra-ra-America bullshit. This movie is high-quality art, folks. However, we should always remember that it is, in fact, a movie. Even with all the research that screenwriter Mark Boal poured into the project, Zero Dark Thirty is a work of fiction. It is not the definitive statement on the actual hunt for bin Laden. The question is: why are so many critics determined to treat it as a documentary?

Earlier today, Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi posted an article titled "'Zero Dark Thirty' Is Osama bin Laden's Last Victory Over America." (link) Even ignoring that absurd, baiting title, I had too many issues with this article to ignore. Chief among them, though, is the following question he poses to Bigelow, in response to her "depiction is not endorsement" statement: "Are audiences not supposed to cheer at the end of the film, when we get bin Laden? They cheered in the theater where I watched it."

I must admit my own biases here: I hate Taibbi's writing. I find him to be a reactionary, sensationalist journalist, who attempts to manipulate his readers into muted outrage. However, even by his usual standards, asking that question is truly ridiculous. I encourage everyone to see the movie, just to understand how off-base that question truly is. The final shot of the film decisively answers that question once and for all.

To me, what writers like Taibbi (and many others in a similar vein) show is that we, as an American people, are not ready to deal with our own recent history. Here are some facts that cannot be denied: we tortured detainees in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. We gathered information that was used to find, assault and kill Osama bin Laden. Whether those two facts are directly related is open to debate, a debate which Zero Dark Thirty makes a point of not answering. However, it appears that viewers and critics are not ready to confront the possibility that, yes, we waterboarding people for information. If this is so morally repellant to Americans that they write columns and petitions decrying a filmmaking who dared suggest such events took place, what kind of culture of denial are we living in? Taibbi talks about America's "brutal, repressive hypocrite underneath" but doesn't seem willing to consider that perhaps, in that statement, he understands the movie even better than he realizes. We really do live in a country where morons on Facebook will write "spoiler alert: we got him" without understanding the full implications.

I urge everyone to see Zero Dark Thirty and ask yourself what is says about America and our own history. Try to leave as much baggage at the door as you can and watch the goddamn movie. If you don't like what you see, perhaps you have yourself to blame.