Zero Dark Thirty Film Analysis

In the movie Zero Dark Thirty, the opening scene was an intense interrogation scene in which they tied up and waterboarded a known associate of Osama Bin Laden. This movie caused quite a controversy about the interrogation techniques used and if it they were promoting pro-torture. The methods used in this movie can be analyzed by the legality, effectiveness, and morality of enhanced interrogation techniques used on terrorists. Zero Dark Thirty’s interrogation methods were very intense and could be considered torturous. I believe that the only time these methods should be allowed are those in the cases of extreme circumstances, like in the introduction scene in the movie. Now in any other case it should be illegal, and punishment served if done. Technically these interrogation methods go against the UN’s Convention of Torture as well as multiple other laws, but the intense techniques that were inflicted on this prisoner was necessary to extract valuable information on Osama Bin Laden’s whereabouts. The prisoner in the film murdered over 3,000 people, his name connects to the
The prisoner was dehumanized and stripped of his mental and physical wellbeing. It is unmoral to torture someone, but again if the prisoner is a known terrorist and has valuable information then morality is not the question anymore. The question changes to, what will protect the greater good of the people in the end? Would you rather protect one life or save millions? It comes down to choosing which is the lesser of two evils. The enhanced interrogation methods shown in Zero Dark Thirty were very intense and caused a lot of controversy. The extreme situations in which these techniques are used should be legal and allowed but only in certain circumstances where they would be proven effective. The morality is wrong, but if it saves lives then it should be