The Terrorist
Santosh Sivan

Nicholas Frayn

Only recently released in the UK, The Terrorist was actually filmed in 1998 by Indian director Santosh Sivan. It had the unusual honour of being 'presented' to Western audiences by critic's favourite John Malkovich. He had stumbled across it at the Cairo Film Festival, loved it, and allowed his name to be connected with the film in a clever piece of marketing.

Sivan has described the film as an attempt to understand the psychology of the Tamil suicide bomber who assassinated Rajiv Ghandi in 1991.

Having grown up in Tamil territory, Malli, a beautiful female guerrilla, has never known any life outside the struggle. Her father was a famous Tamil nationalist poet; her brother a fighter who gained notoriety by swallowing cyanide to evade capture. In the opening moments of the film we see her coolly execute a collaborator before distinguishing herself in the capture of a Sri Lankan army base. She is, of course, selected for the prestigious suicide bombing of a high ranking Indian politician.

Once she reaches the mainland, however, she begins to lose the courage of her convictions. Most damaging to her resolve is her suspicion that she has become pregnant after a desperate battlefield coupling with a dying comrade. The simple kindness of the Indian farmer she stays with as she prepares for her mission eventually persuades her that it is better to build a normal life for her child, than to sacrifice both their lives in the service of a political ideal.

The film uses the enchanting landscapes of India as a gentle contrast to the violence of the character's lives (in a similar way to Terence Malik's WWII epic The Thin Red Line). In particular water becomes a repeated theme, whether in the jungle streams of Malli's home (where she washes away the blood of her enemies), or the cleansing shower of the farm where she stays.

The Terrorist is a really fantastic film that deals with huge themes. Some of the Tigers are sacrifice personified. Malli's battlefield lover, for instance, describes the day he left for the camps after burying his beloved books, and vowing not to read another word before securing victory. Others seem to have fallen into the movement through the hopelessness of their lives, such as Lotus, a 12-year-old boy whose entire village has been massacred by the authorities. As the hardship and oppression of the Tamils' lives is revealed to us, we appreciate the irony of the film's pejorative title.

Given the current climate it is unsurprising that Malli eventually 'chooses life' (in a very literal sense) over political principle. Generally, however, the film avoids the crude judgement of the Tigers that Hollywood would have to dish up if it dealt with such subject matter (although the movement's revered leader and Malli's mainland contacts are portrayed as slightly one-dimensional, sinister characters). Particularly given the introspective, self-referential, nature of so much modern cinema The Terrorist is an utter gem. Unfortunately it is a refreshing surprise to be so moved by a film.