Zero Dark Thirty

Kathryn Bigalow directed the excellent Hurt Locker and now she has directed and co-produced Zero Dark Thirty, the story of the manhunt and eventual killing of Osama Bin Laden. I love Hurt Locker. I think it's one the most suspenseful and gripping films I have ever watched. I was less gripped by Zero Dark Thirty, perhaps because I knew the outcome.

This is, of course, a true story and it's informed by firsthand accounts from the people involved. Even so, I find some of the events and actions of the CIA and armed forces hard to swallow. The interrogation of captured terrorists seems completely unfocused and arbitrary. I suppose that is the nature of this type of process, but I find it hard to believe that it can deliver any concrete or reliable outcome. I found some of the questions asked by the CIA interrogators completely unbelievable. "What does he look like?" Really? "Er..he has a long beard and wears a turban." The prisoner at least tried to be helpful and answered: "he's tall".
The way the Camp Chapman attack is portrayed also seems unlikely to me. Would you really allow people who are known suicide bombers to drive an unchecked car right into a US military camp? Even if there was a risk of spooking a potential informant, I would have thought this is outweighed by the almost certain risk of being blown to smithereens.

Then there's the matter of the stealth helicopters. When we first see these menacing looking machines in a hanger someone mentions that they are experimental and that the project to develop them was abandoned. Is this then really the best choice of vehicle for such a critical mission? Of course, as we all know, the Navy Seals manage to crash one of the helicopters, or it malfunctions, which did not make for a very smooth operation.

I find it hard to believe that the US forces would go in and kill this person, and be prepared to kill not only everyone in the house, but even those in surrounding houses coming to his aid, without firm confirmation of his identity. Based on the movie they were not sure it was Bin Laden until his body was identified by the CIA agent (played by Jessica Chastain). How could she even be sure it was him? She could only every have seen photos and videos of him just like everybody else.

I can't help but think that there must be more to this story than shown here, no doubt kept secret for good reason. These gaps in information detract from what is otherwise a very well made and acted movie.