Osama

Knowledge of the Quran and social norms, along with an understanding of the entirely different mentality of the Afghan people, will likely be essential when watching Osama. Utilizing these tools, the viewer can navigate the film's narrative and thematic intricacies with the grace of a ballet dancer. With the absence of each of the facts listed above, the limit of comprehensibility is automatically radically reduced. I won't claim that I navigated the film with complete ease, but the basic plot structure, its power, emotional charge, and most importantly its idea stuck in my head. The simple form can be summarized as follows: In addition to the alternation of shaky and static camera shots with a television-like filter, there is nothing interesting or, let alone, revolutionary to be found in the film. So wherein lies the power of Osama? All in all, in nothing, because although it may seem like a cry of one girl in a crowd of boys at first glance, it ultimately gets "overwhelmed" by the crowd and, despite its urgency, it will likely be as effective as spitting into the ocean. (10.07.2005)

Osama reflects quite credibly the plight of women in Afghanistan since the Taliban came to power, through the example of a girl who has to dress up as one of them in a male-dominated society. The whole film takes on a sombre and hopeless tone, and when the last scene ended, as a Czech and male viewer, I said to myself that I was glad I wasn't from a similar place to the main character. It's a film that brushes up against both the issue of religion and the eternal argument over the equality of the sexes in a fairly non-violent way. (22.12.2014)