Lebanese Director Ziad Doueiri's previous movie THE ATTACK (one of the finest in recent years) took an explosive terrorist event and scaled it down to the individual level with an Arab surgeon in Israel discovering a personal connection within his own family. THE INSULT takes the opposite tack - a simple argument that escalates and threatens to de-stabilize the entire nation.
The initiating incident couldn't seem more trivial. A construction worker Yasser (Kamel El Basher) stands under a porch and water leaks on him. He confronts the home owner Tony (Adel Karam). They exchange words - and a vulgar insult. Despite pleas from both men's wives and a sympathetic foreman for an apology, instead, we get another insult -- and, a rib-breaking punch thrown by Yasser. The case goes to trial in Beirut, and it soon becomes clear that this isn't just a neighborhood squabble, nor a simple matter of 'fighting words' (a phrase not used in the movie, but it perhaps best describes what American law would term it). Yasser is a Palestinian and Tony is Christian with strong political views. The trial becomes a symbol to the entire country of Lebanon, with fistfights and threats, starting within the courtroom and then spreading through the nation.
Doueriri (a former assistant to Quentin Tarantino) and Co-Writer Joelle Touma certainly keep the proceedings captivating and intense. Unfortunately, there is much hectoring and it can seem as if the movie itself is yelling at the viewer. If you think courtroom dramas have too many 'Perry Mason' moments, wait until you see THE INSULT. Melodramatic or not, the movie remains compelling (there is also a delicious twist with the lawyers representing the men). In between the angrier sequences, there are some where we see the issues that both men (and the region) are brought to bear. Those scenes are the ones to savor most.
Both THE ATTACK and THE INSULT have found Doueiri of being a traitor - by Palestinians, Christians, Muslims and Jews alike. The movies have found themselves banned in several areas, despite world-wide acclaim (THE INSULT is Lebanon's official Oscar entry, and has been short-listed for a nomination as of this writing). Cynically, one can say he's doing 'something right' if he's angered all sides. While THE INSULT is too unsubtle to match the power of THE ATTACK, it is certainly one of the most palpable movies of the past year.
The initiating incident couldn't seem more trivial. A construction worker Yasser (Kamel El Basher) stands under a porch and water leaks on him. He confronts the home owner Tony (Adel Karam). They exchange words - and a vulgar insult. Despite pleas from both men's wives and a sympathetic foreman for an apology, instead, we get another insult -- and, a rib-breaking punch thrown by Yasser. The case goes to trial in Beirut, and it soon becomes clear that this isn't just a neighborhood squabble, nor a simple matter of 'fighting words' (a phrase not used in the movie, but it perhaps best describes what American law would term it). Yasser is a Palestinian and Tony is Christian with strong political views. The trial becomes a symbol to the entire country of Lebanon, with fistfights and threats, starting within the courtroom and then spreading through the nation.
Doueriri (a former assistant to Quentin Tarantino) and Co-Writer Joelle Touma certainly keep the proceedings captivating and intense. Unfortunately, there is much hectoring and it can seem as if the movie itself is yelling at the viewer. If you think courtroom dramas have too many 'Perry Mason' moments, wait until you see THE INSULT. Melodramatic or not, the movie remains compelling (there is also a delicious twist with the lawyers representing the men). In between the angrier sequences, there are some where we see the issues that both men (and the region) are brought to bear. Those scenes are the ones to savor most.
Both THE ATTACK and THE INSULT have found Doueiri of being a traitor - by Palestinians, Christians, Muslims and Jews alike. The movies have found themselves banned in several areas, despite world-wide acclaim (THE INSULT is Lebanon's official Oscar entry, and has been short-listed for a nomination as of this writing). Cynically, one can say he's doing 'something right' if he's angered all sides. While THE INSULT is too unsubtle to match the power of THE ATTACK, it is certainly one of the most palpable movies of the past year.