Rating of
3/4
Reminds Me of “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib”
Franz Patrick - wrote on 11/23/08
I consider this the twin of the very informative “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib” because it essentially tackles the same issues. However, it does not mean that “Taxi to the Dark Side” doesn’t have anything worthwhile to offer. Although it obviously leans toward the left side of the political spectrum, it is able to set up its thesis and arguments in a focused manner. I was also surprised by how affecting this documentary becomes when the narrator (director Alex Gibney) and the people being interviewed stop talking and let the images speak for themselves. I have my own opinion of the Bush administration and I’m not going to discuss them here. However, I thought it was smart move when the film points out the flaws of President Bush and his regime–to highlight the source of why military personnel are capturing and torturing people despite their lack of evidence to support that those people are terrorists. Not only that, the film also points to the media (such as television shows like “24″) and its audiences. The media anesthetizes us when it comes to violence. And without our thirst for revenge after the 9/11 attacks, we wouldn’t have supported Bush’s notion to basically rewrite the constitution by passing “laws” that “can be interpreted differently” in order to justify torture that crosses the line of cruelty by a mile. The film is also smart enough to consider alternative (more effective and truthful) ways of acquiring information from people that were taken in custody. I really liked this film even though the subject is familiar because it is able to open our eyes about our government and allow us to question our own morality. This issue of torture is still relevant today and will remain so until the supposed “War on Terror” is “won.”
