The Hamburg Cell (2004)

I am surprised at some of the negative comments made about this movie. I didn't see anything controversial in its handling of the 9/11 Bombings. People who opposed the Points of View expressed in "Hamburg Plot" were probably the same people who felt that Osama Bin Laden shouldn't have been Time Magazine's Man of the Year (when he clearly should have been). America believes in dissent and the characters in the "Hamburg Cell" expressively portrayed a certain point of View. I agree overall with the rating of 6/7 Given the movie. This was a good movie that showed a different point of View. I especially liked the Male and Female Leads.

Dealing with such a sensitive issue, I believe the film did a "decent job" with telling a story about how one hijacker may have been persuaded, and I do emphasize the "may". Outside of all the political ramifications and reasons we may discuss, the one thing we cannot discount is that these men were persuaded into committing a terrible act. The reasons why would be difficult to illustrate using a standard narrative screenplay format. I did however feel that the focus on the main character relied heavily on a subjective viewpoint, one that may never be proved. As a story of the power of persuasion, it worked for me.

I just saw the Hamburg Cell on HBO in the U.S. First I'd like to say that for all those non-Americans who don't think Americans could stand watching this film, keep in mind that we've seen it first hand already. We lived it, as so many other people across the world who have suffered at the hands of terrorists. Regarding the film, I thought it was fascinating and mesmerizing, even though it's true as others have commented here, that there wasn't any new information. But how could there be? No one really knows for sure how these men really felt, and what motivated them to commit such an act. We could only imagine what went through their minds and how they could so blindly follow an ideology bent on destruction of themselves and innocent civilians. But I think the film makers were correct in showing some key elements that might hint at the motivation of this group of men. It seems likely to me that people who want others to perform unspeakable acts for them would have to find people who are disenfranchised, lonely, misfits, unacceptable to their families, and searching for meaning in their lives...just as these men were. The terrorist leaders gave these men guidance, purpose, attention, a sense of importance, and a sense of belonging. Then they systematically manipulated and brainwashed them. Since they felt like they belonged to an important ideology and purpose, they would do anything for their leaders who gave them what no one in their own families gave them....respect. There is nothing new about evil people getting other people to do horrible things for them. Adolph Hitler did it, Charles Manson did it, cults do it, gang leaders in New York, LA, and Chicago do it every day, the Mafia does it, and pedophiles do it all over the world. Nevertheless, this is not to forgive or rationalize the actions of the hijackers, because they had a free will, and knew what they were doing, but I could see how they were sucked into a mentality of hate. Let none of us forget that September 11th happened for one reason, and one reason only. Usama bin Laden and the rest of his terrorist thugs hate the Jews, and America does not. We support Israel, and they hate us for that. That is the only reason they want to destroy us. All the other excuses are just that....lies and excuses. UBL doesn't care about Muslims, Palestinians, Western culture, modernity, wealth (except for his own), freedom, etc. He just hates the Jews. He's pathetic and so is everyone like him. This film affirmed that for me.

THE HAMBURG CELL has been praised for managing to be "a strictly non-partisan film". This is a difficult thing to achieve, considering the subject matter, and I don't think the makers of this story manage to pull it off. It's interesting to note that only fleeting glimpses of the damaged twin towers and a crashing plane are shown: there are no shots of the World Trade Center workers falling to their deaths, or re-enactments how how the hijackers slit the throats of airstewardesses. This is supposed to be a non-partisan film, remember? But wait, close-up footage of murdered Bosnian Muslims IS shown earlier in the film. We see a murdered Muslim woman, shot in the back, in close-up. I detect some bias here...