Terrorist characters who are villains in Hollywood thrillers usually are clichés: broadly drawn, broadly played bad guys who hijack airplanes, threaten to blow up buildings or sports arenas, and are thwarted just in the nick of time by Sylvester Stallone or Bruce Willis. Terrorists rarely are the primary on-screen characters, and they rarely are women. In fact, there seemed to be a bit of disbelief on the part of certain media types who were reporting on the young woman who alleged was connected to the recent terrorist acts in Paris.
Well, one of the sad facts of contemporary life is that not all terrorists are male-- and cinematically-speaking, all screen terrorists also are not male. Take for example two films that were released way back in 1999. Both offer serious, multilayered portrayals of terrorist characters who are women.
THE LEGEND OF RITA, a German drama directed by Volker Schlondorff, is a trenchant, ironic account of the youthful idealism of and harsh realities that affected the headline-grabbing political firebrands who were active in West Germany during the 1970s. The title, fictional character is an idealist and zealot who is a defiant anti-capitalist. Rita has embraced violence, all in the name of her political agenda, but she will be in for quite an awakening when she finds herself in Communist East Germany living under a false identity and toiling alongside drab, discontented fellow workers. As an exploration of the complexities and realities of life and politics, THE LEGEND OF RITA is reminiscent of Schlondorff’s best earlier works, including THE TIN DRUM, CIRCLE OF DECEIT, and THE LOST HONOR OF KATHARINA BLUM.
If the scenario in THE LEGEND OF RITA is connected to the past, the second film echoes the present day. It is from India, its director is Santosh Sivan, and it is titled simply THE TERRORIST. The central character is Malli, a young woman who is a fighter in a guerilla war against an unnamed enemy. The story follows what happens when a suicide bomber needs to be recruited, for the purpose of assassinating a politician. Malli and a bunch of other guerilla fighters volunteer. All are women between the ages of 17 and 20, and Malli herself is only 19. Now here in the U.S., these women are at an age where they would be dating and socializing with their friends, attending school or entering the workforce. Yet they are products of a different culture, a different mindset. One pronounces, “I want to die a martyr.” Another declares, “I want to die in glory.”
Of all the volunteers, Malli is chosen. The scenario follows her in the days prior to her mission, which is guaranteed to end in her death. How does she feel about what she is doing? Does she have any regrets? Is there any possibility that she will not go through with the assignment? If her contact senses that she is wavering he pressures her, reminding her that it is glorious to be a martyr, that her sacrifice will inspire future generations.
Unlike THE LEGEND OF RITA, THE TERRORIST does not explore specific political agendas. There is no information offered regarding Malli’s cause. Simply put, THE TERRORIST is a portrait of a young woman who at first is eager and willing to do what we find so unthinkable.
Neither THE LEGEND OF RITA nor THE TERRORIST condones the actions of their main characters. If anything, they delineate how Rita and Malli are misguided, how they have been misled into believing that violence is a solution to their society’s ills. Make no mistake, these women are not heroines. However, both films depict them insightfully, and as human beings rather than as stereotypical one-dimensional villains. For that reason, they are well-worth seeing-- and contemplating.
Rob Edelman teaches film history at the University at Albany. He has written several books on film and television, and is an associate editor of Leonard Maltin’s Movie and Video Guide.
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