Some questions

First of all It's indeed a great movie :)

for your first question, I think Omar has killed Amjad as he told Muhsen Ali-Taha to let him deal with amjad but our director here Hany Abu-Assad wanted to focus only on the final scene to make it as a surprise to the audience.

for your second question, I think It's no use for Amjad to say that Omar was the one who shot the soldier as Omar was already caught and he would deny this and there's possibility Omar would say the truth that Amjad is the soldier's killer and this is not for Amjad's benefit. I think Amjad was just enjoying the accusation of Omar being a traitor as there are two possibilities, first one is that Rami would convince Omar to kill Tarek and by this Amjad could manage to keep Omar and Nadia apart and may be the Palestinians killing Omar for being a traitor. The second possibility is Omar refuse to be a traitor then he would stay the rest of his life in prison.

For your third question, Omar spent a long time in prison plus Nadia was suspecting he was a traitor and Omar thought she would fall for Amjad because of that. May be Amjad arouse the thought of Omar being a traitor in Nadia's head making her sleep with him but finally that was a lie.

For the 4th question, I think he wrote her the whole story. I think she was in shock.

I hope I could answer your questions and if anybody has other explanations, do tell.

I'm glad that you enjoyed the movie, I'm Palestinian BTW but I live in Egypt and I'm glad to know you are standing with the Palestinian case. One day, we will be free, take our country back and live in peace :)

Regards.

Hi,

I've just watched the movie... indeed great story. However I'm quite confused about the ending... I'm not so sure if he killed Amjad. I have impression that he didn't.
He loved Nadia and if he killed her husband, then she would stay alone with 2 children and it would not change anything besides ruining her life. I think he simply sacrificed himself because it was situation that if he revealed the truth to Nadia, it would simply destroy her. Sometimes unawareness is blessing and for her it surely was.
He asked Muhsen Ali-Taha to swear not to touch Amjad, so he can be sure that they won't kill him as well. And in letter he could say goodbye, that he is leaving or something like that.
He decided to kill agent Remi as he was the only person who knew the story about Nadia getting pregnant with Amjad, which occured to be false... Remi threatened him that he can destroy him, Amjad and Nadia, so that was only choice for Omar.

That's my interpretation of ending, but of course yours is quite possible as well :)

btw. też jestem z Polski ;) chcialem zobaczyc ten film na Warsaw Film Festiwal ale niestety nie udalo mi sie... cale szczescie jest juz w sieci dobra kopia z angielskim napisami :)

1. No, he didn't. Abu-Assad seems to want to paint him as a martyr and an altruist.

2. He'd have to deal with the consequences of testifying against Omar in court. The shabak won't let him off so easily. They want the whole rebellion and will push him all the way for that. If the rebellion dissolves, then he's at a lesser risk. No one's particularly out to get him.

3. Yeah, there're too many plot holes. The only reason Amjad's sloppy plan worked was because Omar and Nadia refused to communicate. Was he really counting on something as improbable as this? At the risk of revealing his own sneaky involvement? At the risk of revealing that he's working with the shabak? I don't think so. Yes, you're right. She'd be devastated. Abu-Assad had to add one last contrivance as a last-ditch effort to win over the audience. Misfired terribly. Or it probably didn't, he got an oscar nomination.

4. I doubt it. She's just reminiscing. Again, points to how much of a martyr Omar is.


http://premiercritic.blogspot.in

It is a very complex film and opens itself to more than one interpretation, as I see it.

1. I don't think so. When Omar told that man (presumably Muhsen Ali-Taha's guy) not to touch Amjad and to leave it to Omar to deal with him, he might have been making sure that, after he was gone, Nadia and her family would be left in peace. The smile on her face when she read his final letter confirms this, and suggests that it was a goodbye, something in the way of closure that he was giving her. And of course the gift of a peaceful life to follow. This would mean he went into the ambush knowing full well he was going to kill Rami the Israeli agent.

This is the version I think happened.

Another possibility is that he planned to kill Amjad with the help of Rami and merely told Muhsen Ali-Taha's guys that he would take care of him and to consider the matter closed. Then, when it finally came down to it, he couldn't go through with it, couldn't leave Nadia widowed, and decided to kill Rami instead. It was a pretty suicidal move and if it were pre-planned I think he might have enlisted Muhsen Ali-Taha's help to get rid of an Israeli agent. Then again, maybe he did and all the ensuing action just happened off-screen. I loved the line about Africans hunting monkeys, by the way. It was very fitting in that moment.

Either way, I don't think Omar killed Amjad, because that would make what followed a little pointless. It wouldn't explain the letter and it wouldn't explain making that rash play for Rami's life.

2. I think he feared Tarik at some level, feared what he would do if it was learned he was a collaborator. Also, of course, it was made pretty clear that Tarik favoured Omar as a prospective brother-in-law and was aware of both their amorous intentions. More importantly there's the question of Amjad's motive. I don't think he used the situation to get things his way as much as improvised where he could. We are not told what the Israelis had on him but whatever it was, it was not ideological because after all he was the one who shot the soldier. I have read often on these threads that the movie was ill-executed and had a weak plot because Amjad had luck riding with him all through and could have planned things better. Yet I would argue that this is much more realistic. He was certainly not in control of the situation. At one point there was no knowing whether he was going to die, and he played along where he could. I think he was driven by a genuine love for Nadia and a jealousy directed towards Omar but his actions were not carefully crafted like an Iago's - he took risks because he was a beaten man, with not much to lose and his life was constantly on the line, from all sides. That doesn't make him less despicable but I think it is an adequate defence of why his actions seemed to be less than thoughtfully planned out. So, yes, while that would have been the easy way out of things he was not devoid of emotion, his actions were driven by more than just his love for Nadia - possibly a regard for his friends as well, in unequal measure.

3. Omar believed it because he thought both Nadia and Amjad were collaborators, as Rami led him to believe. The mention of their honeymoon was what convinced him that she had talked whereas in reality it was just gleaned from the messages they intercepted - the ones that she entrusted to Amjad to deliver to Omar. He believed that she was leading him on in some form of entrapment, because Rami had something on her (the faked pregnancy). So it seemed to fit in with the story he was being fed that she was using him. Of course he should have confronted her with it, and I suppose that's the tragedy of this film - how a little communication, his reading of her letter, could have saved them both a lot of misery. Then again, it's hard to address an accusation that isn't made, particularly one that it is almost shameful to utter in some societies.

4. I'd like to know that too. Whatever it was, it seemed to have worked, given her the closure that she'd have liked. I'm guessing he had a good cover for why he would not be writing to her again.

[deleted]

My view:
1. Omar killed him. he meets ali-taha and says he'll handle Amjad. this means he has told him that Amjad has collaborated. collaboration is a death sentence for Amjad which he wants to carry out personally. Omar is planning to ambush the israelis and have them killed after he'll kill Rami. then he'll finish his business with Amjad or Ali-taha will if he doesnt survive.
2. The israelis want Tarek cause he's the leader and the most dangerous terrorist. same as later they want Ali-taha cause he becomes the current leader. it has nothing to do with Amjad and what he tells them. when Amjad came forward and collaborated they promised him that Omar will never leave prison and he'll be free to marry Nadia. that was a lie. later Rami tells Omar he'll be a free man if he gave them Tarek. that was a lie. The israelis used them as pawns all the way.
3. Omar does find it very hard to believe that Nadia is pregnant with Amjad but he also finds it hard to believe that Amjad will tell such cruel lies and try to destroy his life. this is someone who he grew up with. plus he sees Nadia delivers notes to Amjad and suspects something is going on between them (later it is reveled those letters were addressed to him) so it does make sense he fell for that trap. another question is did Amjad came with that story on his own or Rami fed it to him? I think it was Rami behind the whole thing. he told him to say that in case his life will be in danger. just feels that Amjad is not that smart to come up with such a sophisticated scheme to save his life. plus it explains Omar's hatred towards Rami.
4. Thats really open for interpretation. I dont think he told her the whole truth.

1. I think it would not make sense for Omar to kill Amjad, and the movie not show it. It would be a cathartic moment. Then again, the ending as it is does not entirely make sense to me either. I would understand Omar being conflicted about killing Amjad, who has ruined his life, but who is also the father of Nadia's children, and he wouldn't want her to suffer. I can also understand him deciding to end his own life, and deciding to take Rami down with him, since he considers Rami also played a part in the destruction of his life (I think it is obvious that Omar will be killed immediately by Rami's companions after shooting). But the piece that doesn't make sense in this is the scene of Omar telling Muhsen Ali Taha to leave Amjad for him to take care of, because if Muhsen knows about Amjad's betrayal, Amjad is a dead man, period. Nevermind Omar is not there to kill him, someone else will, but he will definitely not be allowed to survive, and the fact that he's a traitor will be known. So Nadia's life has been ruined too anyway.

2. If Omar is the one accused, in order to save himself he may turn traitor and give Amjad, the true killer, to the israelis. But if the israelis believe it's Tarek, Amjad can get rid of both of them (if Omar gives Tarek to Rami, and is then branded a traitor), or at least get rid of Omar (if he doesn't collaborate, and therefore stays in prison).

3. You are right about this, and I also felt it was a weakness in the story, but I guess it's probably meant to be a cultural thing for Omar not want to ever speak to Nadia again if he thinks she got pregnant from another man.

4. As others have said, it must be just a farewell, knowing he will die.

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Everyone, just pretend to be normal...

Omar didn't kill Amjad, even though Amjad was a *beep* liar. I would have killed him.