Posted: 06/25/2007

A Mighty Heart

(2007)

by Karen Petruska

Michael Winterbottom’s A Mighty Heart brings to the screen the story of Mariane Pearl, whose journalist husband Daniel was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan in 2002. The screenplay by John Orloff faithfully follows Mariane Pearl’s memoir that describes the search for Danny and the horrific discovery of his beheading. Winterbottom carefully examines the complexities of investigating terrorism, but he also never forgets that this is a story about human loss. A Mighty Heart delivers a compelling and compassionate recreation of one woman’s worst nightmare.

It is difficult to write about this film without acknowledging Angelina Jolie’s fame as the former wild child, the partner of Brad Pitt, the humanitarian, and the committed mother of four. The tabloid’s obsession with Jolie keeps her at the forefront of American media, and as a result, the question inevitably follows: does her celebrity damage the verisimilitude of the film? Audiences will no doubt debate this issue, but from my point of view, the answer is a decided “no.” Perhaps Jolie does not completely disappear into her character, but her restrained and empathetic performance confirms that yes indeedy, Angelina Jolie can act.

Speaking of verisimilitude, it seems a great value to director Michael Winterbottom (The Road to Guantanamo, Welcome to Sarajevo). A Mighty Heart is shot like a documentary, carefully detailing the search for Daniel Pearl lead by Pakistani police in collaboration with American diplomats and the FBI. Using a handheld camera, Winterbottom and cinematographer Marcel Zyskind capture the chaos of the investigation and the city of Karachi. The movie focuses upon Mariane, but Winterbottom suffuses the film with vibrant shots of Pakistani urban life: the madness of the crowded streets, the morning call to prayer, and a constant sense of menace.

This menace permeates each scene of the film. Early scenes reveal that Daniel Pearl met with more than one authority to ask if he should proceed with a planned interview with Sheikh Gilani, a suspected collaborator of Richard Reid, the “shoe bomber.” He never returned from this interview. The head of the Pakistani police (Irfan Khan), known as “Captain” in the film, cautions that Mariane not tell anyone her missing husband is Jewish for fear that this will further endanger his life.

Menace threatens supporting characters also. Mariane’s Indian friend and colleague, Asra (Archie Panjabi), finds her address publicized in a newspaper that declares her an Indian spy trying to subvert Pakistan. In another scene, the Captain and U.S. diplomat Randall Bennett drive to interrogate a new suspect, whom Captain admits is a member of the Pakistani police. Randall wryly comments, “I love this town.” Betrayal, it seems, is not uncommon in a land torn apart by social and political upheaval.

Some critics have complained that A Mighty Heart is confusing, but I disagree. The pacing is fast and the editing jumps abruptly from one moment to the next, but this style replicates the chaos of the investigation. Audiences follow each step in the investigation, tracking cell phone calls, email addresses, and a growing list of suspects. A chart upon which Asra and Mariane diagram each suspect’s relation to another demonstrates the tangled web of terrorist networks, and Winterbottom successfully conveys the Herculean task of untangling this web.

Though the film moves quickly and rarely offers scenes of prolonged dialogue, Winterbottom provides brief moments of quiet. He juxtaposes Muslims at prayer with Mariane chanting her own desperate pleas. A Pakistani woman and her son offer a sharp contrast to the intense activity of the investigators. She cleans the floor of Mariane’s home and her toddler plays in the background, completely innocent to the desperate commotion around him.

Lighter moments also highlight that life continues even in moments of tragedy: the investigators debate how to encourage the pregnant Mariane to eat and then read up on the dangers of pregnant women refraining from going to the bathroom. These moments of quiet allow the audience a momentary break but also emphasize the humanity at the heart of this story about a woman losing the man she loves.

Jolie is ably supported by a terrific cast. The Captain exudes confidence, but every so often, he exposes his urgent need to prove that the Pakistani government is not complicit in the kidnapping of an American. As Randall Bennett, Will Patton serves as sort of American commentator, providing insight into the complexity of Pakistani culture for audiences. Panjabi takes a graceful backseat to Mariane’s trauma, echoing and at times voicing the fear Mariane is unable to utter. Though Daniel Pearl appears only briefly in the film as a means to up the tragedy by endearing Danny to audiences, Dan Futterman brings charm and gentleness to his portrayal.

A Mighty Heart boasts tight editing, a masterful supporting cast, and a subtle, controlled performance by Angelina Jolie. Though it asks audiences to relive a terrible event in the war on terror, it also celebrates the bravery of Mariane Pearl. The movie succeeds as a film and as a tribute to one woman’s refusal to be terrorized.

Karen Petruska is a writer and film reviewer currently living in between worlds.

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