Rendition (R, 2007)
common sense media says
Over-simplified drama takes hard look at torture.
parents & educators say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this heavy drama isn't for kids, even though it stars tween/teen favorites Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal. Not only does it deal with the many complicated political and cultural issues surrounding torture, but the dialogue -- which is focused on policy and intrigue -- will likely bore younger viewers. There's also plenty of violence, including explosions, shooting, and, yes, torture (there are difficult images of the victim's pain and the aggressor's visceral calculations). The torture victim appears naked in a small, dank cell, mostly in shadow. Other scenes show upset victims and negotiators; particularly wrenching is a young wife's anguished pleading that a CIA officer answer questions about her missing husband. Language includes some uses of "f--k" and other minor profanity.
Violence:
Brutal violence throughout, including torture, as well as explosions in crowded streets. An early scene shows a suicide bombing in North Africa in which a CIA agent dies in Douglas' lap (blood everywhere). Anwar is tortured repeatedly -- he's tied to a chair, beaten, choked, dragged, kicked, and electrified. Photos of martyrs show maimed bodies. In a tense, lengthy scene, Fatima runs to stop Khalid's suicide mission, with pounding percussion and fast cutting. A bombing near the end is catastrophic, killing multiple people and leaving others traumatized and bloody.
Sex:
Khalid and Fatima kiss a couple of times. Anwar appears naked in several scenes, usually shadowed; his nakedness (which is non-sexual) is a sign of his vulnerability (his body is bloodied and bruised from torture).
Language:
Several uses of "f--k," plus occasional other profanity, like "hell," "son of a bitch," and "goddammit."
Consumerism:
Sony TV, Washington Post.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
Several characters smoke cigarettes and cigars. Douglas drinks hard liquor to show despair; he also goes to a bar where he smokes an opium-like drug from a water pipe. Douglas appears drunk and upset.
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Most useful reviews by all members
Suds
adult
adult
Gripping!
I have read several other reviews of this film. Some of these reviews must have been written by people who's heart has gone flat line. "Rendition," based on a true story, is a brilliant thinkers movie that also reaches an emotional depth not many other films do. There is no bad acting in this film, only emotional truth. The cinematography, music, direction, etc., all work together remarkably. There just aren't many films that have the same kind of impact of a "Schindler's List," or "Saving Private Ryan." This movie does. May it live on to serve as a powerful vehicle of severe conscience shaking for the "free world."
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lynnjc
adult
adult
watch, think
This is a fab film. If you’ve watched it and it doesn’t make you think, then you must be brain dead. It gives a good argument against rendition. It gives a good argument for rendition. It shows how torture can save lives when the information given prevents a massacre. It shows the suffering of the innocent. It may not change your opinion but it should make you consider the opposite argument –and its consequences. OK, it’s a simplified argument (but it’s a >2hr movie: what do you expect!). Entertaining enough for the masses, but could just make the masses think (shock, horror!).
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bubbleboy
teen, 15 years old
teen, 15 years old
A brutal look at America today
I just watched "Rendition," a searing drama and heart-pounding suspense film last night with my good friend Hans and his sister Kate last night. It kept us on the edge of our seats, if not the whole film. You see, Hans is a bit harsh on films, and felt that it was sort of slow, but this is my review and I didn't see that. The film takes off with an explosion in South Africa, and shows its brutal after-effects. *SPOILER ALERT* It then flashes back (*SPOILER ALERT* over) to a woman in America talking to her husband on his cell phone, and he tells her he'll be home in a few days. When he arrives in Washington, D.C., officials smuggle hom into a room, and he is questioned. His file is erased, and they fly him on a small plane to Africa, keep him in an underground chamber, and torture him. Why? Because they suspect him of being involved in the attack, and because federal laws allow it. Meanwhile back in America, his wife is getting worried and calls the airport. They say that they have no record of him getting on, and she panics. All the while there is a forbidden love story with a sinister twist going on in Africa. So, I would highly reccomend this film to anyone over 14, for it is brutally violent and filled with profanity. Though this didn't affect Hans, Kate or I at all, it would many others our age.
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Kari1
adult
adult
Thought-provoking movie
I watched Rendition this week. Coincendentally I am reading "The Shock Doctrine" by Naomi Klein. Both the movie "Rendition" and the book I am reading illuminate the terrible torture and injustice that the USA condones. I am thankful for movies like rendition that shine a spotlight on these deplorable practices. I wholeheartedly recommend Rendition to all teen and adult viewers.
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