English 101

Osama (2003)

Osama (2003)

Reaction 1

Osama (2003) is the first film that was shot in post-Taliban Afghanistan. However, the film is simply not that good. It is impressive on a technical level but not impressive when it comes to involving the audience. The movie effectively shows the awful conditions that existed under the Taliban but lacks a compelling narrative. The director, Siddiq Barmak, has a clear agenda – to showcase how the Taliban treated people reprehensibly, especially women. But concerning keeping viewers entertained throughout the film, the director does not do a good job. The main character’s plight is worth sympathizing with, but the unrelentingly bleak tone in the movie becomes too overwhelming for the audience along the way. Also, the movie lurches from one scene to another, all of which are held together by the central character. Generally, the director does a poor job of keeping the audience engaged.

Reaction 2

Osama (2003) is a film by writer and director Siddiq Barmak. Barmak created the film after reading about a young girl who disguised herself as a boy, in a newspaper. The film is the first full feature-length movie to be made in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban. The film presents a harrowing drama about the plight of women in the country at the time. It depicts the systematic abuse of women in all areas of life. In one scene, the main character’s grandmother complains about her suffering, wishing that God had not created women. Women were not able to travel or work outside without male company. They feel like prisoners in a culture that despises them. The director does a great job of delivering the cry of humiliated and subjugated women in Afghanistan under the Taliban rule.

References

Osama (2003). Afghan movie (English sub). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpFJJd3ZNPo&ab_channel=DrXam.