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Film Review
Star power you can trust?
'Body of Lies' weaker than expected
When Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio costar in a film directed by Ridley Scott (“Black Hawk Down,” “Gladiator”), expectations are high. Unfortunately, those expectations are misplaced in “Body of Lies,” a CIA-versus-terrorism action film that is great on many levels, but never reaches cinematic excellence.
“Body of Lies” (Warner Bros.) has great acting, strong dialogue and impressive special effects — which is more than most action films. However, with the cast and director that comprise “Body of Lies,” this latest addition to the emerging terrorism-focused action films line-up should have done more to rise above the genre. The premise is not only predictable, but cliché without an original perspective on the problem of terrorism.
The only new precept the film offers on terrorism is the glimpse into the cultural value of relationships in the Middle East. As the title of the film indicates, lying is a problem in the midst of these relationships that value trust above all. Other than that, the film includes the usual elements that terrorists are evil but the U.S. intelligence agency fighting terrorism is deeply morally flawed as well, a clarification of the true nature of Islam — which terrorism perverts — and a love interest that is ultimately and predictably used as bait.
“Body of Lies” is an exciting and intelligent film about fighting terrorism in the modern world, but it just does not portray the subject matter in a unique or inspiring manner.
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Roger Ferris, a CIA operative on the ground in the Middle East, alongside Russell Crowe who plays the part of his morally questionable, but seemingly nice guy, boss at the CIA, Ed Hoffman. Ferris is sent on assignment to Jordan to work with the head of Jordanian security, Hani, played by Mark Strong, to bring down a terrorist house in Amman. Hani and Ferris swear to a partnership that will be free of lies, but Hoffman’s forced inclusion compromises this promise.
Hoffman, Ferris and Hani all promise to work with one another, but then proceed to work independently and behind the backs of one another. This often botches the operations and therefore compromises intelligence gained about the terrorist group they are trying to eliminate.
No help from technology
Although “Body of Lies” scores high in terms of being an exciting action film, when dealing with the sensitive subject of terrorism, more content is expected than an engaging plot with surprising twists.
The closest “Body of Lies” comes to enlightening content in a film that otherwise plays closely to its genre, is in the notion it presents that the most difficult part of fighting terrorism is that all the technological sophistication in the world cannot track people who aren’t plugged in to modern forms of technology.
The United States and all its technological equipment — which is shown monitoring much of the Middle East as Hoffman directs the moves of operatives from Washington, D.C. — is unable to track the terrorists who communicate primarily through face-to-face messages sent in personal codes.
In a plot that is moved along by new lies at nearly every turn, the overall message of the film condemns the use of lies in relationships of personal, professional and international matters. The value of honor and trust in relationships is stressed and the characters from the United States are presented as characters who do not understand this value. Hani demands trust in his working relationship with Ferris and when that trust is broken, the relationship also ends.
Broken trust
The Middle Eastern characters in “Body of Lies” build relationships based on trust — a trust that is not culturally respected by the fictional American CIA operatives. The fictional characters present a reality illustrating the importance of truth and trust in relationships and, by extension, society. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is clear regarding the importance of truth, “Lying is destructive of society; it undermines trust among men and tears apart the fabric of social relationships” (2486).
The image of a body of lies that titles the film is appropriately and ironically chosen — it is the lies that destroy the relational connections that comprise a body of cooperation. When trust is broken among the key players of the film, relationships are also destroyed and the fictional world in “Body of Lies” is worse off for it as the forces fighting terrorism in the world remain divided.
“Body of Lies” is a quality film with terrific performances by substantial actors; however, it falls short of the actors’ potential. The story fails to provide a unique perspective on the issue of terrorism in the modern world. The body of lies that perpetuates the film is a destructive force that does not lead to an end of terrorism, but to broken relationships and an exacerbation of the problem at hand.
Film critic Rebecca Bostic is a regular contributor to The Catholic Sun. Please send comments to letters@catholicsun.org.
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