Paradise Now Sparknotes

Paradise Now is a movie released in 2005 about two friends carrying out a suicide bombing. In the following paragraphs I will talk about and share my opinions over several aspects of Paradise Now including the setting, reasons why they are doing this, the romantic interest's opinion, and if they go through with it along with my personal views on suicide bombings. This Movie is based in Israel and follows two Palestinian men Khaled and Said. The protagonist lived in what seemed to be a Muslim majority area, under Israeli military control. They had to go through checkpoints almost anytime they traveled anywhere and were in an area with constant bombing and gunfire. At no point did any of the characters recognize these event, besides if talking
As the movie goes on the attitude of Khaled and Said switches. The turning point for Khaled seems to be when he had his conversation with Suha about suicide bombings, for when they are finally able to continue the mission he tries to convince Said to stop with some of the same points made by Suha about there being another way that does not involve them dying. Said, who did not seem overly eager about this opportunity, had problems with this mission through most of the movie. He skips out on his first chance to detonate when he see’s a small child and is not able to blow himself up. He seems like he will be the one to back out of the mission until you find out his dad was executed by the Israeli government. At this point Said seems to become focused on killing himself, he now seems more detached and stops caring about those around him including his best friend. In the end when Khaled is trying to talk him out of it, he agrees to cancel the mission and tricks Khaled into a car that takes him away so Said will have no distractions. Said ends up getting on a bus with soldiers, and civilians, and finally detonates the bomb while it is assumed Khaled is taken back