The Hamburg Cell (2004 TV Movie) User Reviews

Controversial and punishing, but also quite human and saddening

[PyrolyticCarbon · 8/10 · 19 October 2004]

There is no doubt about it, this is a controversial movie, and it took me a while to see it. Missing it at the Edinburgh Film Festival really got to me but I managed to see it just recently.

I understand that it doesn't yet have a US\Canada release and although there have been talks, nothing has yet been signed up, and no wonder. The subject matter is focused on one of the hijackers of the September 11th Twin Towers attack. Yes. Very controversial and highly emotionally charged topic.

The first thing I'd say about the movie is it is portrayed as an unbiased movie, however that isn't quite true but it's clear to see why. The movie solely rests with the hijackers and the lead up to those terrible events of September the 11th but doesn't concentrate on the events of that day, there are a few shots that remind you of the actual attack, but detail isn't entered into and I think that actually is a good thing.

There's a lot of strong feeling about that day, and very rightly so, but in a movie which tries to take no sides, concentrating on the events would clearly fill any sane person with great sadness and a strong anger against the hijackers and the groups to which they belong.

Okay, so let's put that part to the side and try and concentrate on the movie itself. Antonio Bird has carried through Ronan Bennett's story very well, documenting the process of the main character, Ziad Jarrah played by Karim Salah, transforming from a Western Muslim living the life of a typical student, to a Muslim extremist.

Salah portrays the role excellently, carrying with total believability, the slow change. He starts as a typical student, interested in his own life and ignoring his initial upbringings looking at love and life as a Doctor. Slowly, he is indoctored into a group of Muslims, rediscovering his religion, and from there an extremist pulls him across to their cause and the change in the character is small but obvious. He becomes strong, self assured, and angry.

This carries on for much of the movie, but when the realisations of what is happening and what he is committing to become more apparent, his love for his wife and their Western life come into contention.

From the outset this movie shocks, and it does very well in showing what was behind one of the hijackers. What isn't so good is it doesn't quite hit the mark on this very change. I could see what changed him, and I could understand the peer and religious pressure around him (this is very eloquently shown in the movie) but you still find yourself asking why? A vital few steps are missing, and this may purely be down to the lack of historical information, or the complexity of the subject.

Although an even more difficult subject, I felt the religious and Jihad side could be tackled more, but that might have made the film more inaccessible to the mainstream Western audience.

In the end, the movie condemns what these people did with an extremely loud voice, but not from the extreme Western view that can often be heard today, but from the characters words and actions throughout their brief history. Indeed some of the victim support groups from that day have applauded the release of a film to understand the fundamentalist mindset.

This movie is well worth watching, believe me when I say it isn't all from the side of the hijackers, and it does not attempt in the slightest to justify events, it is an attempt at understanding.

still left questions

[wrlang · 6/10 · 24 November 2006]

The Hamburg Cell is a docudrama about the cell of Muslim fundamentalists that conducted the 9/11 attack. It starts about 5 years before 9/11 and follows many of the pilots in their efforts to get flight training and covers what was going on in some of their private lives. Not sure how much of it was accurate, seemed pretty realistic to me. Most seemed to just be looking for some fulfillment in their lives, but chose an extreme way to get it. It also shows the missteps, in hindsight, by US law enforcement agencies as these people could have been caught many times during their training. I don't think it really explained the reasons the terrorists chose to conduct their attack, but I guess we will never really know all the facts behind it. Technically a good film with few continuity errors and some good cinematography. The acting seemed a little hollow.

Matter of fact, documentary-style.

[mrbiscuit · 8/10 · 19 January 2005]

I like the fact that this film is non-Hollywood in it's delivery. It's unglamorous, but still quite sophisticated in capturing the monochromatic lives of the terrorists-to-be. It presents a concise timeline of events in a pointed and deliberate manner. It doesn't pretend to be absolute or correct, and it knows it's an estimation of how things might have went down.

Inevitably, Hollywood will roll out its own 9/11 films and they will be glossy and full of big budget bloat, but this humble effort will remain as testament to the idea that a simple film can be as compelling and inviting to interpretation without the need for dramatic flair and elaborate crane rigs.

Passed under the radar

[ginger_sonny · 27 August 2004]

Understated docu-drama following the men who planned and carried out the attacks of 9/11

"When the world talks about the men who carried out this holy operation they will be talking about the men who changed the course of history," exclaims a senior Al Qaeda member in this fictional docu-drama from director Antonia Bird. Charting the planning and execution of the World Trade Center attacks by a handful of Muslim fundamentalists led by Mohamed Atta (Kamel), The Hamburg Cell is a devastatingly powerful work that puts faces and personalities to the men who carried out the attacks against the US on the fateful morning of September 11th.

Based on a wide range of documentary evidence, from court transcriptions to video footage, this simmering yet understated little movie focuses on Lebanese student Ziad Jarrah (Saleh) as he's transformed from rich-boy student at the University of Applied Science in Hamburg to jihadist hijacker of United Airlines flight 93 (which crashed en route to the White House shortly after simultaneous attacks struck the Twin Towers and the Pentagon).

It's a difficult journey. Immersing us in the secretive, clandestine world of these fundamentalists as they indoctrinate new recruits, train at terrorist camps in Afghanistan and learn to fly at an aviation school in Florida, Bird forces a disturbing intimacy with men destined to become mass murderers.

To humanise the terrorists, The Hamburg Cell deliberately focuses on Jarrah, the weakest link of the group, whose reservations about the jihadist cause are eventually swept away. Rather than styling him as some victim of brainwashing, screenwriters Ronan Bennett and Alice Pearman delicately suggest the powerful lure of infatuation with a self-justifying cause while never losing sight of the fact that, for the hijackers, the jihad is not a first strike on America, but a counter strike in an anti-Muslim war that is being waged throughout Bosnia, Chechnya, Indonesia, Iraq and Palestine.

Claustrophobically shot and making good use of CCTV and superimposed titles to give the sense of the covert nature of the cell's activities, Bird's film refuses to release us from our intimate experience of the jihadists' world. It's a strictly non-partisan film that adamantly refuses to moralise. That will undoubtedly cause significant controversy among those who would rather condemn these men as pure evil. Rather, what this intelligent drama asks us to do is recognise their motivation - not to judge them, but to address the injustices (in particular the Palestinian crisis) that drives such heinous and misguided actions.

Verdict Bravely understated, The Hamburg Cell makes a bold attempt to humanise the terrorists behind the events of 9/11. Its studied detachment on such an emotive issue is impressive.

Excellent chronicle, non-inflammatory except to the most extreme viewer

[Chris_Docker · 7/10 · 28 August 2004]

Dramatisation by renowned filmmaker Antonia Bird of the characters and events involved in the 9/11 attacks. The approach is very laid back, is statedly on the basis of three years research and 'known facts and events.' so is something of a chronicle. It avoids demising the hijackers (so such a film could probably never have been made in America) and Bird points out that not only were they real people, intelligent people, who devoutly believed what they were doing was the right thing, but that it is important for us to understand that and the how and the why. We see the main character as a highly intelligent man, seeking to become a better person by becoming a better Muslim, and thence drawn into the training group. Other factors like the American influence in Palestine (central in most Middle-East Muslims' minds) are mentioned briefly, but the story develops in a natural way - a young man joining those prepared to fight for Islam and 'do something worthwhile'. He switches studies to go to flight school and has perfect skills at 'blending' with westerners. The film is unsensational, but without proselytising for either 'side' manages to at least shed some light on the hijackers motives and mentality.

Eerie, fact based terrorism account dryly parlayed

[oneloveall · 6/10 · 11 November 2006]

Controversial docudrama explores the murky relationships and preparations all of the hijacker's underwent leading up to September 11th, as well as the numerous times they were being watched by US intelligence before that date. Centering around the most conflicted and perhaps westernized of the bunch, Ziad Jarrah, the movie makes good use out of Jarrah's moral dilemmas, his marriage to his wife, and his families pressuring to return back to civilized society, but in turn takes much of the focus away from articulating the heart of the enemy. Karim Salah in the role unfortunately comes of as a slightly tanner version of a Jason Scwartzman which proves distracting from the otherwise Muslim perspectives. While Jarrah may provide interesting counterpoints to his fanatical and less educated brothers-in-arms, the movie needed some better casting to truly punctuate these characters. Instead, The Hamburg Cell deals with the specific, factually based training that led to the suicide attacks while peering into the mentalities these bold pawns relegated themselves to by accepting this task whole heartedly, with mixed results. The acting and direction may lack the spark that is needed to truly ignite this film past an interesting docudrama, but the information and perspectives stay nonetheless fascinating and offer plenty of counter patriotism for thought in yet another attempt to bridge this gap of hatred the massive rift between our two cultures have formed by showing the inherent struggles we all go through to fight for what we believe is right.

Brainwashed Terrorists

[ozlem_trejo · 7/10 · 9 September 2005]

I just saw this movie on cable TV here in Australia and really liked it. It actually gave me goose bumps as it was really eerie. The actors were wonderful and the writing is exemplary as it really gave the story a human face without sympathizing with the act of terrorism. It showed how strange it is in this day and age that grown men can be so brainwashed into thinking that once they commit such a terrible act against humanity that they are going up into Paradise where Virgins are waiting for them. Nowhere in the Koran or the Modern Muslim world would this be accepted. THese terrorists had minds of their own and in no way would be supported by a rational Muslim society. I thought to myself while watching this movie, the Holy Prophet Mohammed would have been disgusted with this act if he were watching from above. The Prophet Mohammed was such a humanitarian that he would not have supported this kind of terrorism in any way.

I hope this movie has shown people the effect of brainwashing and what it can lead to - Just like the David Koresh's of the world or the other Cult leader who had his whole cult commit mass suicide - Brainwashing is the worst thing that can happen to someone. So please let these kinds of movies or acts be a lesson to us all and not let ourselves get caught up in such IGNORANT beliefs and doctrines as to lose our humanity. Peace be upon everyone in the whole world! Now is the time we all need each other - No matter what religion we are!

TAKE CARE EVERYONE!

A Very Intriguing and Gripping Film

[KM7909 · 10/10 · 7 February 2005]

I am an American who thinks that all Americans should see this film. It was just shown on HBO On Demand and I accidentally ran across it on the listing and wonder what is was about. I see nothing offensive by anything in the movie. I don't see where you would necessarily sympathize with any of the terrorists. I don't believe that was the purpose of the film. I believe the purpose of the film was to show you how someone could easily be influenced and "brainwashed" in believing what apparently Ziad Jarrah chose to believe. (By the way, I though Karim Saleh's portrayal of Ziad was excellent).

Look back at history - Jim Jones, David Koresh and the Branch Davidians, etc. - they were all brainwashing murderers and were very good at convincing people what to believe! If Americans were not offended by any of these individuals, then they shouldn't be offended by this movie.

I do believe it was sad how Ziad, who at the beginning of the movie was just an ordinary young man and was so easily turned into a terrorist.

The reason I say all Americans should see this movie is because I believe so many people are even beginning to forget 9/11. I don't - there's not a day that goes by that I don't think of what happened. I could never understand how someone could hate so much and were told that they would go to heaven by doing what they did. The movie made me understand how their minds work.

I will probably purchase the movie and save it for my grandchildren. My youngest grandson was born on 9/11/01 and I have saved everything I can so he will one day understand the significance of his birthday.

I give this movie, writers, producers and especially actors (since it must have been a hard role to portray) a "thumbs up". I hope other Americans watch this and can truly see what the film is all about - not sympathizing with the terrorist but giving a hard look into the terrorists' minds.

This is just one American's view.

Hamburg Cell was a good, interesting and thought provoking movie

[Robertwchorba · 7/10 · 25 January 2005]

I am surprised at some of the negative comments made about this movie. I didn't see anything controversial in its handling of the 9/11 Bombings. People who opposed the Points of View expressed in "Hamburg Plot" were probably the same people who felt that Osama Bin Laden shouldn't have been Time Magazine's Man of the Year (when he clearly should have been). America believes in dissent and the characters in the "Hamburg Cell" expressively portrayed a certain point of View. I agree overall with the rating of 6/7 Given the movie. This was a good movie that showed a different point of View. I especially liked the Male and Female Leads.

Religiously Mislead

[Nubian-3 · 10/10 · 7 February 2006]

I just taped this off HBO this morning and watched it later on tonight.Reading the TV Guide synopsis it suggested like a previous poster stated that some would find the film objectionable because of how the terrorist were portrayed.

No they were not given to us as some evil monsters as most would choose to believe.I'm glad instead we got to see who and what they really were.A group of men who looked upon the decadence and vast moral decline of this modern world as a direct influence of the United States upon other nations.

Their Muslim beliefs,as they interpreted it led them to singling out America for the devastating attack Sep 11,2001.Religious beliefs have been taken this far before in the past resulting in unforgivable atrocities done to the innocent.

One would just wonder whatever religious belief a person might have,wouldn't a true God fearing heart question even the thought of committing such acts?Looking at their views on the subject and my being a Christian I find it quite absurd that they would imagine any rewards awaiting them in the afterlife.Come on now,upon their death they will be greeted by a number of beautiful virgin women?An intelligent mind would or should ask itself "Is this really how my God works"? They might say well yes we are fighting our enemy and we kill innocent people just like the American soldiers.Soldiers who believe they are fighting a war condoned by God too.They feel their acts are honorable just as our boys feel their military duty is honorable.

Well this is what this film shows us.I think is is necessary for us to see their real mental frame of mind.I know they and others following those beliefs are truly mislead.Many thanks to HBO and contributors across the Atlantic for this interesting look at the factual story that led to the Sep 11 disaster.

Well-made and informative

[goldiemjavfc · 10/10 · 25 September 2021]

I'm not good at working with this large a scale so I'm just gonna put 10 to say I liked it, but this film was actually better than I thought it was gonna be. It's very informative on the formation of a terrorist cell, their recruitment by al-Qaeda, training in Afghanistan and US, etc. But I think it can not only provide backstory and what was going on in their heads, but also raise awareness towards just how easily someone can be radicalised. The film focuses on Ziad Jarrah, the one terrorist who had any significant doubts about the attacks. Without an overly religious upbringing, some fundamentalist peers encouraged him to embrace Islam, but not in the way that any of us would like. The film was well-made, had good acting, and overall was a good and very informative film. Recommended.

Certainly Pointless

[Theo Robertson · 4/10 · 3 September 2004]

Director Antonia Bird and scriptwriters Ronan Bennett and Alice Pearman have made this year's most controversial drama production which deals with the terrorists behind 9/11 . It's also the most pointless production of the year down to the fact that it's a work of fiction . Okay it's based on true events and characters but that doesn't mean there's any truth in the details . Take for example when terrorist to be Ziad Jarrah discusses Lebanon his country of birth to a Jihadist . The Jihadist mentions the atrocities carried out by Christian phalangists at the Shatilla and Shebron Palestinian refugee camps in Southern Lebanon in September 1982 which seems to motivate Ziad . But ask yourself this . Why would a Muslim be motivated to become a terrorist through this conversation ? These Christian phalangists were under the command of the Lebanese Christian government at the time , while the civilians they murdered were vaguely associated with relatives who were in the PLO , a secular Marxist Leninist organization . Christians murdering atheists , now why would that stir Muslim feelings of revenge ? We also have no proof this discussion took place and is almost certainly an invention on the part of the scriptwriters

I do feel there is an agenda with this movie as portraying the hi-jackers as too human , as if they were victims of indoctrination misguided by more extreme world jihadists who were using them as pawns and that they weren't fundamentally cruel . There's a point where this view should be allowed but THE HAMBURG CELL over steps the mark . Take the scene where the terrorists are being shown physical methods on taking over the jets . " Surprise is your greatest weapon " says one of the instructors as he grapples with a volunteer showing him restraining methods . From what we know of the hijackings themselves surprise wasn't the greatest weapon - Sticking knives through the eyes and throats of the cabin crew were , not unarmed combat . Shock and horror was used to intimidate the passengers , not surprise . Trying to tell me someone capable of stabbing a air stewardess to death is misguided ? That they never had the potential to become a cold blooded murderer all along ?

As stated there's no scenes of the terrorists murdering anyone ( The footage of the twin towers negates to show the shocking scenes of people trapped jumping hundreds of feet to their death ) but shows Bosnian muslims with their heads and limbs blown off . The Balkans conflict was terrible especially for the muslims living there . Perhaps I should point out if it wasn't for NATO intervention in Bosnia in 1995 and Kosovo in 1999 there would have been few if any muslims left in the Balkans today . What country leads NATO ? The same one that suffered on 9/11

There are a few positive points to THE HAMBURG CELL . One is that the script via one of Ziad's relatives points out that these Islamic terrorists are corrupting the words of Allah , but I feel this is down to political correctness where the producers don't want to be accused of showing all muslims as terrorists . It's also Antonia Bird's best film as director which considering her volume of work is only a backhanded compliment . I will also give faint praise to the script for pointing out that Osama Bin Laden was behind the atrocity . Even today some people deny he had any involvement despite all the evidence

I'm sorry if this review isn't as complex as it should have been . I had planned to make it very analytical but I'm not really in the mood since I spent the afternoon seeing a real life horror show coming out of a school in Southern Russia where as many as several hundred schoolchildren have been murdered or mutilated by terrorists . The only happy story I have heard today is that some of the fleeing terrorists were beaten to death by Russian mobs . I'm not proud of these feelings

Well-Directed, But Unclear

[duibe · 11 January 2005]

As I began watching this film on HBO, I started to feel uneasy because all the trademarks of a TV Movie-of-the-week began to manifest- boring cinematography, unrefined performances, contrived momentum, etc. However, as the film progressed, I was drawn into certain story angles, and the plight of some of the lead characters became engrossing. Kamel's understated performance as Atta, as well as the two young leads playing husband and wife, kept me interested. The film gradually grinded into thriller territory, and the final moments were admittedly chilling and well-constructed by director Antonia Bird. However, what was most lacking from this film were the PSYCHOLOGICAL motivations of the characters. A story of such grand scope is difficult to tell in detail, as one can assume, but the most important elements driving these characters- the disgust and anger towards American foreign policy- seemed left out of this film. It seemed "hinted at" in certain scenes, but the screenplay never fully explored the burning hatred from the inside. It was still unclear to me why the once-agnostic Lebanese medical student allowed himself to be so easily roped in by the cell's extremist philosophies. Had the screenplay explored this in more detail, this film would be what it should have been- a tragic portrait of manifested hatred among young, misguided Islamic jihadists.

A brilliant 'anatomy of a crime'

[yduric · 9/10 · 9 September 2006]

I saw 'The Hamburg Cell' for the third time a few days ago and read all the 20 comments written so far. What struck me the most is that the comments on this film (I will use the term 'film' because the term 'made-for-TV movie' seems a bit pejorative to me in this case)are, in my opinion mostly (though not all) polarized around two things: the film is considered either as biased or as underdeveloped, bringing nothing new. I will try to show that it is neither biased nor simplistic. First, a few words about director Antonia Bird: as everyone can see from her complete filmography available on IMDb, she is not a 'Michael Moore-type' director specialized in political films, nor is she known to be affiliated to any radical group whatsoever. Now, if we examine the film closer, although it immerses us in the intimacy of the terrorists, it can definitely not be argued that it shows sympathy towards them: with the exception of Ziad Jarrah, (to whom I will come later) all of them are portrayed as intolerant, full of hatred and completely fanatic, which is what they were, because it must not be forgotten that their way of thinking is considered extremist by the vast majority of the Muslims themselves. For example, at one moment in the film, Mohammed Atta, when discussing with two young Muslims who accuse him of using the same hateful words against the Jews as the Nazis, replies: 'Well, it might be true that they have been slaughtered by the Nazis, but finally, it was to their advantage, they gained a lot out of it!!!' Or later in the film, when he is giving instructions for his funeral, he insists that no woman be allowed to come to visit his grave. Portraying such an individual hating and despising everyone (including women) who is not a Muslim thinking like him and his fellow fanatics, is definitely not showing sympathy towards him. Now, for what affects Ziad Jarrah's depiction, it is true that he is portrayed as more human and much less fanatic than the others, what he indeed was at the start. Here comes, in my opinion, the most frightening element of the film: this man underwent a virtually complete lobotomy from part of his 'fellows': I'm using the term 'lobotomy' on purpose, because contrarily to brainwashing,which consists of making you accept everything a given 'leader' says without discussion, lobotomy only targets a portion of the brain, the one needed, while still giving you the illusion of free choice. How is this lobotomy performed? Gradually, in a very insidious way: if we examine the film carefully, we can see that Ziad Jarrah is not sent to Afghanistan training camps straight away, but that he first starts doing some charity work, dispatching food to Palestinian children from Germany. Here, they have touched his 'sensitive string'(According to numerous sources, he was involved in several social welfare programs in Lebanon prior to coming to Germany,a fact certainly known to Al-Qaida members). Moreover, at several moments during the film, Mohammed Atta says: 'Ziad is not ready yet'So, by showing him the 'positive' aspects of their work, they gradually persuade him that he could do 'more for the Muslim cause'. This is how you turn a basically good-hearted man into a terrorist. He feels 'he has to do it' as he writes to his wife just before the 11th of September 2001. Now, for those who might think that the film is one-sided, it must be also underlined that 'The Hamburg Cell' is no way tender with W's administration. While carefully avoiding any allusion to alleged acquaintances between it and the terrorists or people supporting them,which would be a new, but unverified element, it thoroughly enumerates various facts which have been well known: apart from some famous purposefully ignored memos, it mentions various reports made to Condoleeza Rice, meetings of high ranking CIA officials with the White House Staff giving warnings that civil aircraft may be used as weapons, and the presence on U.S. Soil of Cheikh Mohammed, Al-Qaida's chief of operations, several times during the year 2001, all known to W's administration, with always the same answer: no action to be undertaken. So, why set up a complicated 'conspiracy'when you already have a band of crazy fanatics ready to 'do the job' for you? Just do NOTHING and both sides will be satisfied. The first one will promote and glorify its so-called 'holy war', the second one will promote and glorify its so-called 'war on terror'. And, seriously, what do the lives of more than 3000 innocent people mean to crazy fanatics or cynical calculators? Nothing. This is why this film is so disturbing to many people...

Quality Time

[AlexS1804 · 9/10 · 23 May 2006]

If you give this movie some quality time you are in for a treat.

Not a gratuitous shallow treat, but a gripping story that believably explains how suicide bombers come into being. This film really made me think.

By 'quality time' I mean that you need to watch this movie whilst sober with no other distractions. The film is not wham bham thank you mam, and whilst the film is also not a crime thriller with multiple twists and turns, you really need to be able to concentrate on the whole film to get the most out of it.

Probably the best DocuDrama I have seen to date.

Note: I only watched the film because a friend is in it (he's pretty good too, as the sleazy recruiter at the beginning) but am very pleased that I did.

Brilliant ! A great portrayal of 9/11!

[siddiqui247 · 10/10 · 18 October 2005]

I saw this movie back in Dubai last year during its premiere in the Dubai International Film Festival.

The thing I liked most about this movie was the fact that it wasn't biased towards a certain point of view, and even though I believe that you can't have complete objectivity in anything, I think this movie did a superb job in trying to portray the entire process of how those students became suicide bombers, which is something I'm sure people wonder about nowadays, especially in the west. At the same time, it also shows the intelligence mishaps that were played out by the US government before 9/11.

What I found amusing was that the entire Arab audience that watched the movie was angry and started singing their song..."it shows all Arabs as terrorists...etc" whereas half of the other audience (non-Arabs) didn't feel it was like that at all, and naturally the entire audience ignored the actors and the producers during the Q and A session and started arguing amongst each other. Which basically shows how controversial this movie is and why it hasn't really been released yet. A shame really. I think the American audience (and the rest of the world) could use a little more light on the incident.

In conclusion, I hope it can be released soon so I can own it on DVD asap. It's definitely worth watching again and again.

Poor reconstruction only (no questions, no answers and no new investigations)

[wacd · 4/10 · 10 September 2004]

I think this movie showed only a very small part of the story leading to the 11th of September and I was rather disappointed by it. It was (sometimes too schematic) chronology of the group of men that attacked America.

Furthermore, it didn't showed the real background of the whole event, I mean the ideologists, political and theological correlations and the men who invented it all. Damn, are these information secure and thus cannot be shown in movie? To get know more of social background of the hijackers and to try to analyze the social climate and people's opinions in the Islamic countries. Or, nobody is dare enough to see the truth by thinking beyond the borders built of cliché and myths, which majority media and western politics are constantly flooding us?

The ending of the film was only a short abbreviation of TV shots, with no attempt to reconstruct the dramatical events in the planes itself. I'm still awaiting strong and relevant movie raising questions and trying to find answers not only a chronology. This one was poor ... I rate it 4 stars and its enough!

The Arab perspective

[ahmed_kafafi · 18 December 2004]

As soon as The Hamburg Cell, a British television production was screened at the Dubai International Film Festival 2004 ( DIFF), many voices echoed in the spacious hall of Madinat Theatre to ask the same question : ' What is the intention of producing such a film? It still remains a big question why the movie had to be shown in an Arab country-based international film festival even when its screening was expected to trigger trouble rather than promote understanding. It was fortunate that the educated cultured Arab expatriates who viewed the film were not stirred beyond certain limits. Egyptian born actor Kamel, interestingly declining throughout the event to reveal his family name, told news agencies that he feared that the audience's reaction could have erupted into violence. " I thought somebody could throw something," said Kamel. " When I was coming up the stairs I thought this could be the moment." He also expressed concern that one day he would have to confront the hijackers' families. Even though the movie was screened elsewhere, it was in the Dubai that kamel came to view it for the first time.

But back to the question of intentions, it was hard to say that the production was basically directed against the culprits or their countries as much as it was against their crimes. But the film in its totality came lacking in several respects with regard to in-depth analysis and cultural facts that made it appear more like a suspense movie rather than a dramatic treatment. But after all the 9.11 attacks were definitely possessed of a high suspense element and could inspire a perfect disaster genre. However, Finola Dwyer, the film producer who was also present, played down the suspense aspect, stressing the political and the social dimensions of the issue. Considering the film from that latter perspective, it is worth underlining the factor of timing: it is as yet too early to produce a movie about that mammoth terrorist happening. Not all facts relating to the disaster are available and we expect much more to be unraveled in the future. Dwyer refused to recognize the question of timing and went on to add that for the film to avoid appearing tilted towards the West, a team of Arab actors were selected to cast in the film. But how would that matter when the actor is not the one who constructs the screenplay! Claims came that the movie was accurately researched with some of the facts provided by the CIA. But the viewing of Hamburg Cell still didn't add much to what came in the media reports throughout the last three years.

In Hamburg- the coastal German city- where the terrorists were said to have started planning for the deadly operations which claimed 3,000 lives, we encounter bearded fundamentalists who brain-wash young students with secular tendencies. In one example, that of Atta, there is a fleeting scene in which we understand that pressures by his father to get a PhD might have driven him towards such activities. But at no point are we enlightened about why those students succumb to the fundamentalists' wishes while their Saudi accomplices were pushed to the sidelines!

On the cultural platform we are told that the attackers, besides the political motives, were disgusted by the Western materialistic lifestyle in which an individual's goal is no other than property like a villa, a car and other perks that accompany an executive position. The political motive was hardly there, only a short fight and a dispute between Jarrah and a Palestinian mate remain one among a few other details highlighted to accentuate the political aspect of the terrorists' motive. No images of their original background in their home countries was ever there. No images of Israeli and American aggressions on Iraq and Palestine were directly cited, although these are still the only excuse left for people in the Islamic world to express sympathy for the cause of the terrorists.

It is important to note that the Arab and Islamic countries have undergone similar terrorist attacks by extremists in their recent history. What makes 9.11 different is the magnitude of the aggressions and their target being the US, the sole superpower. The production and related articles, however, are not primarily meant to turn the discussion into a political controversy. It is more about the drama and whether it fits into the subject matter. Karim Saleh said that every one has reacted to the 9.11 attacks, so why not the cinema. Right, but more daring would have been a documentary in which the producers could have focused on the attackers as well as the victims' families, the ground that breeds fundamentalism, the ambiguity that still surrounds the operations. It is understandable that this would have been a cumbersome task with much being kept as top secrets. But again if this is the case how could the Hamburg Cell be realistic if a lot of information is still in the realm of secrecy!

At this stage we need a down-to-earth version of the disaster. In drama a lot can be added or deleted as in Titanic and other disaster films. At least in a matter as sensitive as the 9.11 attacks, still one of the main players on the political scene, a sensational like Hamburg Cell should figure at the bottom of the list. More than a suspense, in these troubled waters marking the world's political scene, we need works that provide more understanding than ones which increase tension. And at a film festival meant to bridge cultures the Hamburg Cell should have been excluded, just for the sake of peaceful moments enjoyed amid the conflicts that endanger world peace, stability and a prosperous future for humanity.-----( ENDS)

Zzzzzzzzzzz

[rps-2 · 4/10 · 16 January 2005]

It was the most dramatic event of the decade and probably as significant in the history of the new century as the Great War was in the old one. So how was it possible to produce such an up-tight, self obsessed, bad movie about it. Oh sure, some the camera work is effective...tight, gritty images of bad guys up to no good. But it never really comes to-get her. We don't realize who these people are, why they're doing what they're doing or much else about them. Nor is the surveillance of them in Germany and the US ever clarified. Is the film sympathetic to Al Quaeda? Not really. But many will jump to that conclusion. We all know how events unfolded on 9/11. Yet in this movie they are muddled and confusing. It could have been so much better if it had also taken up the story of some of the passengers and some of those killed in the collapse of the WTC.

No such thing as truly non-partisan

[Dilophosaurus · 3 September 2004]

THE HAMBURG CELL has been praised for managing to be "a strictly non-partisan film". This is a difficult thing to achieve, considering the subject matter, and I don't think the makers of this story manage to pull it off. It's interesting to note that only fleeting glimpses of the damaged twin towers and a crashing plane are shown: there are no shots of the World Trade Center workers falling to their deaths, or re-enactments how how the hijackers slit the throats of airstewardesses. This is supposed to be a non-partisan film, remember? But wait, close-up footage of murdered Bosnian Muslims IS shown earlier in the film. We see a murdered Muslim woman, shot in the back, in close-up. I detect some bias here...

Meandering and a Waste of Effort

[BruceUllm · 2/10 · 23 July 2007]

This picture was a waste of effort to produce and is a waste of effort to understand. The characters do not elicit any sympathy from me and represent nihilists and losers. If THEY can't have success, then NOBODY can. So, they join a so-called holy war and become terrorists. History is full of such fools who decide that all modernity is wrong simply because they can't or won't fit in.

If this picture accomplished anything, it deepened the American suspicion of all things and all people from the Middle East. One minor and somewhat amusing thing I noticed: our main character never could get a decent shave -- even on the Big Day.

Mesmerizing Docudrama

[hamburgcell · 10 January 2005]

I just saw the Hamburg Cell on HBO in the U.S. First I'd like to say that for all those non-Americans who don't think Americans could stand watching this film, keep in mind that we've seen it first hand already. We lived it, as so many other people across the world who have suffered at the hands of terrorists. Regarding the film, I thought it was fascinating and mesmerizing, even though it's true as others have commented here, that there wasn't any new information. But how could there be? No one really knows for sure how these men really felt, and what motivated them to commit such an act. We could only imagine what went through their minds and how they could so blindly follow an ideology bent on destruction of themselves and innocent civilians. But I think the film makers were correct in showing some key elements that might hint at the motivation of this group of men. It seems likely to me that people who want others to perform unspeakable acts for them would have to find people who are disenfranchised, lonely, misfits, unacceptable to their families, and searching for meaning in their lives...just as these men were. The terrorist leaders gave these men guidance, purpose, attention, a sense of importance, and a sense of belonging. Then they systematically manipulated and brainwashed them. Since they felt like they belonged to an important ideology and purpose, they would do anything for their leaders who gave them what no one in their own families gave them....respect. There is nothing new about evil people getting other people to do horrible things for them. Adolph Hitler did it, Charles Manson did it, cults do it, gang leaders in New York, LA, and Chicago do it every day, the Mafia does it, and pedophiles do it all over the world. Nevertheless, this is not to forgive or rationalize the actions of the hijackers, because they had a free will, and knew what they were doing, but I could see how they were sucked into a mentality of hate. Let none of us forget that September 11th happened for one reason, and one reason only. Usama bin Laden and the rest of his terrorist thugs hate the Jews, and America does not. We support Israel, and they hate us for that. That is the only reason they want to destroy us. All the other excuses are just that....lies and excuses. UBL doesn't care about Muslims, Palestinians, Western culture, modernity, wealth (except for his own), freedom, etc. He just hates the Jews. He's pathetic and so is everyone like him. This film affirmed that for me.

Thought this was pretty shoddily made, with an especially poor screenplay

[Jeremy_Urquhart · 4/10 · 4 February 2021]

Am guessing this was a TV movie or extremely low-budgeted- if so, the acting and visuals are just okay. By theatrical film standards, though, they're not very good at all.

When it comes to the screenplay, regardless of the budget, it's just bad. The most interesting aspect of this movie was giving the audience some potential insight into what drove these men to launch such an attack, but it's really only explored at a surface level, if that. They talk about how America is bad and how American values are bad and that the attack is what their god wants, but it's all just expressed in dialogue, and bad dialogue, at that.

Made me wish I was rewatching Four Lions or United 93 instead (and yes, I know the former is a comedy and completely different tonally, but at least it did something interesting with a similar premise, and when it got a little more intense, it functioned better as a drama than this movie does to boot).

The technical limitations imposed by what I'm guessing was a low budget is one of the only things that makes me feel it's okay to cut this film some slack (the admittedly intriguing and bold - for 2004 - premise might be another). Otherwise, it's honestly quite bad.

Nauseated.

[ericdetrick2002 · 16 March 2006]

I was waiting for a public service announcement at the end saying, "Terrorists- they are not bad people, just mis-informed". Ugh. You know, I am a well educated person; I am in no way "close-minded". Don't serve me a platter full of dung and tell me it is actually desert. I don't like it when writers and/or directors pull the emo trip on their audience, especially with this particular subject. Hitler was a bad guy, I don't see any films about him being mis-understood.

These terrorists (and don't forget to call them what they were) were not mis-informed. Nor was this something that they did out of panic, instinct, or defense. This was one of the most well planned, and yes, thought out, murders in history. There's more blame insinuated on the American leaders then the terrorist (who are indeed made out to be martyrs). For a film maker to put out such a piece of propaganda, in hopes to make people understand what these poor mis-guided people had to go through, reminds me of why I own a DVD player- I don't have to worry about crap like this coming through my video monitor.

On a technical level this film worked. In fact, if this tragedy had not happened, and this was just a story it probably wouldn't have bothered me as much. But I know the reality of this, and unfortunately there are people who are actually forgetting the truth and reality behind it. Film can do that. Which, is why i'll stick to my own viewing collection. What's on tonight's list...I think i'll watch "Cannibal Holocaust"...

Decent

[nikoutso · 14 January 2005]

Dealing with such a sensitive issue, I believe the film did a "decent job" with telling a story about how one hijacker may have been persuaded, and I do emphasize the "may". Outside of all the political ramifications and reasons we may discuss, the one thing we cannot discount is that these men were persuaded into committing a terrible act. The reasons why would be difficult to illustrate using a standard narrative screenplay format. I did however feel that the focus on the main character relied heavily on a subjective viewpoint, one that may never be proved. As a story of the power of persuasion, it worked for me.