A Mauritanian’s Struggle in Guantanamo Bay
An engaging and harrowing adaptation of Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s memoir ‘Guantanamo Diary’
Guantanamo Bay's existence is a distinctly horrible chapter of modern US history and one we sadly know well. The atrocities carried out there are fairly well documented and formed a contemptible consequence of legislation introduced after 9/11. The challenge with a film about one Mauritanian native’s experience, therefore, is to tell a story that may be well known but also to do justice to something so poignant, so reprehensible, and so personal.
Kevin Macdonald (known for Last King of Scotland and Touching the Void) is no stranger to presenting real-life stories and evidence in narrative features and documentaries. Here, he does an adequate job of relaying the story of Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a notorious detainee and victim of torture who wrote the memoir ‘Guantanamo Diary’ and was held for fourteen years before his release with no charge. However, Tahar Rahim’s portrayal of Mohamedou shines the brightest in this film, providing a deeply personal anchor point for the entire movie. He delivers an astounding performance and, with it, much of the film’s overall emotive power.
That is not to say that the movie around that performance falls too short. Some have deemed it so, criticizing the supposedly formulaic manner in which this harrowing tale is put across. I agree that, at times, it lacks a degree of originality in its methods, employing fairly off-the-peg devices to make the audience feel or understand a certain thing. It would be unfair, though, to say that the techniques are cliched altogether as Macdonald and the supporting cast do a decent job of condensing information (including military-legal jargon) and conveying a sense of the internal world of Mohamedou, his memories, his culture, and his circumstances.
Jodie Foster and Benedict Cumberbatch's supporting roles are typically solid, each providing a sort of moral counterpoint to the jingoistic myopia of the higher-ranking military personnel. While the performances are outstanding, some character development is slightly lacking. For instance, it seems telegraphed from the start that Cumberbatch’s Lt. Colonel Stuart Crouch, whose Christian ethics are transparent, will switch his stance and side with the victim. A little more emotional wrangling may have seemed more convincing.
Similarly, some back story on Foster’s Nancy Hollander, defense lawyer to the downtrodden, may have made her aloof nature more comprehensible at times. I would like to have seen more of Shailene Woodley as the sympathetic legal associate Teri Duncan, who forms a bond with Mohamedou based on the importance of family. A good performance and a relationship deserving of greater exploration.
Ultimately The Mauritanian knows what makes the story tick, though, and most screen time is given to Rahim, who etches unyielding spirit into every expression. The audience feels it knows this man, given powerful authenticity by this portrayal.
The message of the film is stark. What went on was specifically sanctioned by the Bush administration, and it continued to function under Obama; a reminder for those who will remember the headlines and a clear depiction for those too young to do so. The motives for detaining, interrogating, and brutally torturing Mohamadou are based on suspicions and false information about his influence in Al Qaeda and accusations of being a chief recruiter for the 9/11 attacks. As it becomes clear that the evidence is scant at best, the push to prosecute Mohamedou becomes a routine witch hunt. This will be the legacy of Guantanamo Bay.
During the period in question, Islamophobia was at its height - a brand of lazy, culturally uneducated racism that lumped all Muslims into one category, regardless of background or origins. The film's title alludes to that idea, highlighting Mohamedou’s North-West African birthplace as somewhere we in the West likely know very little about.
The fact that Mohamadou was detained for a further seven years after winning his case, following Obama’s election and vows to close ‘Gitmo,’ is a striking stain on the Democrat President’s reputation and one that bears remembering. Whilst the George W Bush era ought to be remembered for its warmongering, profiteering, and stoking the fires of racial ignorance, I myself left this film with the reminder that the military-industrial complex papers over the divisions between one White House incumbent and the next. The detention camp remains open indefinitely under orders from Trump and continues to house forty prisoners.
The film is well worth the time for the central performance of Rahim (which is already garnering awards attention), but it has more merit than this alone. It will win no plaudits for stylistic originality, and it has its flaws, but none are distracting enough to jeopardize the overall impact of Mohamedou’s struggle. Similarly, nothing undermines its implicit warning that even democratic governments can exploit political situations in sometimes disturbingly inhuman ways if left unchecked.
