Movie Review: Traitor
http://www.thejournalofstudentministries.com/articles/168/1/Movie-Review-Traitor/Page1.html
Scott Mills
Scott has been working as a volunteer youth worker for the past 10 years.His goal is to help students "own their faith" so that when they leave the
youth group, they don't leave God. Having spent many years in the Christian
music industry, Scott is now a member of the marketing team at LifeWay
Student Ministry which is a major provider resources, camps, and training
that help students develop spiritually.
By Scott Mills
Published on 09/29/2008
What are you willing to die for? Anything? Traitor is an eye opening adventure, full of action and mind turning twists. This movie will give you a glimpse into how terrorists work in our world, country and small towns as a well as explore a man’s conflict with his Faith as he’s trapped in the midst of hard choices.
PG-13
What are you willing to die for? Anything? Traitor is an eye-opening adventure, full of action and mind-turning twists. This movie will give you a glimpse into how terrorists work in our world, country and small towns as a well as explore a man’s conflict with his faith as he’s trapped in the midst of hard choices.
Overview: Traitor stars Don Cheadle as an often conflicted Samir Horn, a Sudanese-born, Chicago-raised former U.S. Army Special Forces operative. The movie begins in 1978 when young Samir witnesses the murder of his father by a car bomb. Quickly the story switches to modern day. Young Samir is now a grown man and is portrayed as a mercenary selling weapons to Muslim extremists. As the movie continues, a conflict grows as to where Horn’s allegiance lies. Is he an American spy acting as a Muslim extremist or a devout Muslim who has traded his sympathies with the west? When an arms sale goes wrong, Samir is jailed in a Yemeni prison where he befriends Omar (Said Taghmaoui), a ringleader of a terrorist organization that is being watched by the F.B.I. After a bold prison break, the pair begin collaborating on a series of bombings throughout Europe. As Samir becomes embroiled in terror plots, it becomes clear that he is playing both sides which results in growing danger to himself and the lives of innocent people. Traitor is an action-packed, suspense-filled thriller that can be summed up best with: "In war, there are no winners."
Teachable Moments: Throughout Traitor you see the struggle Horn faces as he battles the extreme Muslim interpretation of Jihad and what he believes to be true. The manipulation of using religion that promises grand life-after-death to enlist young people to carry out horrible acts of terror is uncovered.
Horn is essentially in the middle of a spiritual battle, not unlike students today. He has to make choices, very hard choices about who he will serve … who is right and who is wrong. The ownership of his faith is what pushes him to make the right choices. While there is not a happy ending, there is redemption. Faith is the big lesson here and begs the question, what is it that drives you? And, are you willing to die for it?
Viewer Discretion: Traitor is rated PG-13 for violence and thematic material, and brief language.
General Appeal: In light of the 9/11 tragedy, this movie is very insightful about what is happening around the world today. It shows how vulnerable we can be in our country. This is a smart movie, with plenty of action as well as educational value.
The Final Grade: Entertainment value: B; Ministry value: C
Overview: Traitor stars Don Cheadle as an often conflicted Samir Horn, a Sudanese-born, Chicago-raised former U.S. Army Special Forces operative. The movie begins in 1978 when young Samir witnesses the murder of his father by a car bomb. Quickly the story switches to modern day. Young Samir is now a grown man and is portrayed as a mercenary selling weapons to Muslim extremists. As the movie continues, a conflict grows as to where Horn’s allegiance lies. Is he an American spy acting as a Muslim extremist or a devout Muslim who has traded his sympathies with the west? When an arms sale goes wrong, Samir is jailed in a Yemeni prison where he befriends Omar (Said Taghmaoui), a ringleader of a terrorist organization that is being watched by the F.B.I. After a bold prison break, the pair begin collaborating on a series of bombings throughout Europe. As Samir becomes embroiled in terror plots, it becomes clear that he is playing both sides which results in growing danger to himself and the lives of innocent people. Traitor is an action-packed, suspense-filled thriller that can be summed up best with: "In war, there are no winners."
Teachable Moments: Throughout Traitor you see the struggle Horn faces as he battles the extreme Muslim interpretation of Jihad and what he believes to be true. The manipulation of using religion that promises grand life-after-death to enlist young people to carry out horrible acts of terror is uncovered.
Horn is essentially in the middle of a spiritual battle, not unlike students today. He has to make choices, very hard choices about who he will serve … who is right and who is wrong. The ownership of his faith is what pushes him to make the right choices. While there is not a happy ending, there is redemption. Faith is the big lesson here and begs the question, what is it that drives you? And, are you willing to die for it?
Viewer Discretion: Traitor is rated PG-13 for violence and thematic material, and brief language.
General Appeal: In light of the 9/11 tragedy, this movie is very insightful about what is happening around the world today. It shows how vulnerable we can be in our country. This is a smart movie, with plenty of action as well as educational value.
The Final Grade: Entertainment value: B; Ministry value: C