MovieChat Forums > Paradise Now (2005) Discussion > Who were the drivers?

Who were the drivers?

posted 18 years ago by jackisback
11 replies | jump to latest

Do they ever explain this? I couldn't tell what the man's accent was supposed to be, but he spoke English. And the woman looked like an American. Does anybody have any idea what they were trying to say with this, who these people are supposed to be, and what their motivation was?

Also, I thought it was kind of dumb that the guy didn't get out of the car at the end. He could have easily opened the door after the car drove 10 feet and then ran back to Said.

Also, does anybody know how they filmed the scenes in Israeli lands? I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be given a permit to film, but it also seems like it would be difficult to smuggle in a camera (and smuggle out the film) and to do multiple takes on Israeli streets, but I suppose if they superimposed for some shots and filmed fast enough for others before anybody noticed, they could get away with it.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] jackisback 18 years ago

How very interesting. I wonder how they did the scene at the end. I mean, those were actors, right? But were they Jewish? if so, what Jew would agree to take part in that? Or did the filmmaker actually get away with strapping a camera somewhere on a bus full of Israeli soldiers and one Arab?

[–] alisalamiii 18 years ago

The 2 drivers are Jews that are paid to drive them into "Israeli Territory". Thats why they speak/look like westerners because a lot of the Israeli's are westerners returning to their "homeland".

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] jackisback 18 years ago

wow, that's insane. why the hell would a jew do that? and it seems in the film like they know what was going on. drops them off at an empty parking lot, tells them to call if there's a problem. then he throws him into the car and tells them to drive. It's seems they were collaborators and not just sympathetic nice people.

maybe i got confused earlier in the movie. the first time when they almost get shot, that was because an Israeli Arab was helping them, but he was actually collaborating with the Israeli army, right? the people they were talking about then are not the same as the people who ended up actually driving them in, right?

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] jackisback 18 years ago

that's what I would have initially assumed, but if that's really the case, that's a plot hole, because when they walk back to the car, his friend gets in, and he shuts the door, screams for the car to drive. His friend in the car screams NO!!! At this point it should be pretty obvious they weren't looking for jobs, and if you're a Jewish Israeli taking in Arab Palestinians in this situation (after the screaming) you're an idiot if you haven't assumed they're plotting an attack.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] mhulbert 16 years ago

This is clearly explained in the movie. The driver is Abu Shabab a jewish Isreali who is on the payroll of the terrorists (he was also the one over the border by the fence earlier on). Recall when they are debriefing after the failed attack, Jamal says it could not have been Said that was a traitor and he says it is much more likely it was Abu Shabab. FYI, there is another post here that says that this inclusion of a Jewish collaborator is indicative of anti-semitism in the film as in reality there are apparently almost no Jewish collaborators.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] sagheero 16 years ago

LOL! Anti Semitism technically would also mean anti arab coz even Arabs are semites with the J haplo group!

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