Suicide Killers review by Jettie Vanderveen

Suicide Killers is a pretty straight forward movie. It’s trying to show why terrorists feel the need to blow themselves up. The film shows this very well. The only problem with it is that the documentary itself lacks a certain driving point that keeps it from straying off topic too often.

First interviewed is a Palestinian suicide bomber. He explains what he does, how he does it, and why. As the film continues, many people share their views and research on the topic. There. Point made, done and done, right? No. Also interviewed are other suicide bombers (many who attempted a mission but were then imprisoned). They explain just why they did what they did. Some are the masterminds behind the operations. They concoct the different plans for blowing up as many Jews as they can. Others are the people who carried out these plans… or tried to anyways.

There were opposing views (which may go without saying) that were emphasized throughout the whole film. Scholars and intellectuals who have researched the whole process explain their different findings and conclusions. Also in the line-up of interviewees are survivors of terrorist attacks, from bus bombings to school bombings.

Granted, there are few people (few Americans at least) who will watch this movie and think, “Gee, that’s why the bombers do it… okay,” and finish off their day feeling good about what they’d learned. It does give a little insight to the world they live in and the true brainwashing that takes over their world since a very young age.

When they’re young children, they are sent to summer camp, but instead of fishing and canoeing, they are marching and shooting. Granted, many American kids are given toy guns and run around pretending to be the next Batman/James Bond/G.I. Joe, but never with complete drive to grow up into those people and kill hundreds of innocent civilians.

This movie makes a stab at being a very serious, insightful, and possibly objective documentary, but is riddled with too many Israeli views and points to really balance out the few extremist views they provide. It’s like they show you one reason why these Muslims do this and repeat it over and over, but oppose it with many different views.

This film looked like it had some promise, but it was too distracted in its message. Understandably, it would explain some of the political, economic, social, and religious issues going on around the area to construct the proper setting for this topic. At times, the film strayed from “creating atmosphere and understanding motives” and entered the territory of “superfluous stories that only offer emotional strains”. The use of some stories is sheer propaganda. Some of the examples they use are completely off the topic and are only there to create an emotional response so that you become even more infuriated with the terrorists.

There was obviously a lot of research put into Suicide Killers, it’s apparent by the different people interviewed. The only thing that really prevents them from rating higher is their lack of focus.


5 out of 10 Jackasses
blog comments powered by Disqus