First words and last words are of major importance in the world. A baby’s first words are recorded and moms and dads repeat them at every social event for the rest of that child’s life. Even now as I think about what my daughter’s first words will be I wait with excitement and anticipation. And last words are of equal significance, and these too are often recorded. A dying man’s last words will be held on dearly by his loved ones, respected as his life lesson (such as, “I wish I had spent more time with my family. They’re all that matters now.”) Our books and our movies know too how important first and last words are. First Words: “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times…” “Call me Ishmael…” “In the beginning God…” Last Words: “Merry Christmas, and may God bless us, everyone!” “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” “They lived happily ever after.” First and last words are important and this is no less true for the recent war film The Kingdom.
The Kingdom (the Universal Pictures, Peter Berger directed, 2007 film), is meant to be partly psychological thriller, partly shoot ’em up war film. Using current events to propel a fictional story this film aims to do two things: (1) promote tolerance, and (2) entertain. How well it does either is up for debate. I was drawn in by the films opening sequence which looks like the old news reel movies shown between motion pictures in the late 40s early 50s. Voice over news reporters speak about the current events of the Iraq war as news images flash across the screen, ending in a dramatic silhouette picture of a plane flying towards the Twin Towers. But this is about as blatantly political as the film gets. The rest of the movie revolves around a fictional FBI special ops. team dispatched to Saudi Arabia to investigate the terrorist attack launched on an American walled compound of oil crew workers. Jamie Foxx heads up an all-star cast on this investigation as Special Agent Ronald Fleury (the film also stars Jenifer Garner, Chris Cooper, Jason Bateman, and Jeremy Piven).
From the moment that the American team lands in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia the film turns into a “buddy-cop” film, complete with odd-couple humor, though the action is supped up (after all this is war). This buddy-cop theme drags on and feels out of place in this film, and even the overtones of tolerance are lost to this element. As we watch both an Arab and an American express a love for fatherhood, justice, and police work we are suppose to draw the conclusion that not all Middle Easterners are terrorists. Which, while being true, seems somewhat manipulative and forced in this film. This, however, is not the worst part of the film. It all comes down to those ever so powerful “last words.”
As the movie progresses, as the action increases, we can’t help but cheer for our four American heroes. They do their job well and, after all they’re fighting for justice…the movie makes it abundantly clear these are our good guys. As the movie draws to a close, however, (don’t worry no spoilers ahead), we are left with some surprising conclusions. A final line, spoken both by our heroes and their enemies, overturns everything we have just seen and leaves us wondering if we should feel ashamed of ourselves. This does not feel so much like a political statement, however, as a final manipulative attempt to make what is an otherwise typical cop film (of the genre of Turner & Hooch, and Tango & Cash) somewhat more thoughtful. It is the opinion of this reviewer, however, that it fails to do so.
It’s true; last words really do make a difference…some for the better and some for the worse. Some films end with a bang, leaving you wanting more…others, like The Kingdom, end “Haphazardly Ever-After.”
