Volker Schlondorff's "Circle of Deceit:" what was it like in Beirut in the early

Posted by tinear (A) on April 25, 2007 at 04:56:25

eighties as war raged inside "The Paris of the Orient," destroying that gem?
Syrian Christians battling Palestinian refugees forced to relocate from lands lost to the Israelis: those are the combatants.
But, instead of a one-dimensional political thriller, a la Syriana, Schlondorff has crafter something far more difficult and finer: a meditation on the human historical trait of habitual slaughter of his own species.
Bruno Ganz wonderfully underplays a middle-aged journalist who has covered all the global "hot spots" and dutifully jets off to cover Beirut, against the wishes of his comely wife (and two young children). As he is about to leave, she acknowledges she is having an affair yet, such is his nature, that he feels a stronger pull to once again follow the adrenaline call of battle.
Once there, he again is exposed to the rounds of whoring, boozing, and cynicism that is war zone reporting but, this time, something has changed in the character and he no longer feels comfortable joining in.
Almost immediately, he enounters an old friend, a minor female German diplomatic employee, who has decided, even with the war around her, to remain in Beirut and adopt a child.
He seems to be drawn to a commitment to her yet he sends several contradictory letters to his wife.
Is he as immoral as the military leaders who justify their brutal and cold-blooded murderings with obvious lies?
It would be easy to dismiss Schlondorff if that were the case but I think he has something deeper to say: at the intersection of emotion and reasoning are we ever sure where our decisions will lead and, more importantly, will we ever really know why we've so decided?

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Topic - Volker Schlondorff's "Circle of Deceit:" what was it like in Beirut in the early - tinear 04:56:25 04/25/07 (0)

FAQ

Post a Message!

Forgot Password?

Moniker (Username):
Password (Optional):
	Remember my Moniker & Password (What's this?) Eat Me
E-Mail (Optional):
Subject:

Message:	(Posts are subject to Content Rules)

Optional Link URL:
Optional Link Title:
Optional Image URL:
Upload Image:
E-mail Replies:	Automagically notify you when someone responds.

To view your new posting or follow-up, click on the RELOAD or REFRESH button on your browser.