I'm afraid that what's so depressing is, knowing our current administration, closing Guantanamo means that it will continue now in secret at another location. Now they've learned to never let the public know what's going on in their torture camps.

I agree with JMJ. Whether it's through "extraordinary rendition" to countries which practice torture or a secret flight to one of our "black sites," this policy will probably continue long after Gitmo has been closed. Until the Administration repudiates the use of such methods, we must assume they are continuing to use disappearances and torture in the "War on Terror."

I'm pretty passionate about this issue (), but I'm leery of "docudrama." All the criticism I've heard from SUPPORTERS of the film focuses on inconsistincies and simplifications that I find very disconcerting. I'll probably watch it, but I think I'd be more comfortable getting the word out through less sensationalistic means....

When I reviewed THE ROAD TO GUANTANAMO for Slant Magazine, I wondered if it would get marginalized in the USA while UNITED 93 was acclaimed as being patriotic. What do you think?

http://www.slantmagazine.com/Film/film_review.asp?ID=2244

The url that was supposed to be in those parentheses above inexplicably (at least by me) disappeared. Here's another try:

www.notorture.typepad.com

Dear David,

I know this information is out of subject, but I have no other way to inform this. Last night, Uruguayan writer director JUAN PABLO REBELLA ("25 watts", "Whisky") was found dead in his apartment at 4AM by his filmmaking partner PABLO STOLL and also his girlfriend. Apparently, Mr. Rebella committed suicide. He was 32.

You can check the news on Spanish-language newspapers EL PAIS (URUGUAY); ROLLING STONE (Argentina edition) and EL MUNDO (Spain).

After also sudden death of FABIAN BIELINSKY last week, dark days we are living in Latin American cinema.

Thank you, Gonzalo. El País's story is, for me, via Google's translator, a little foggy, but the picture I can barely make out there looks terribly sad indeed.

Naturally, I agree with both you, jmj and Matt, and even considered mentioning rendition and the black sites in the entry, but decided... not to.

Derek, I think we have to allow for many varied ways of telling stories that need to be told. The documentary, Gitmo: The New Rules of War evidently approaches this same subject from an entirely different angle and speaks to its audience in an entirely different tone (I say "evidently" because I haven't seen it). With a story as large as this one, there is room for in-your-face opinion, stone-cold objectivity, what have you. IMHO.

Jeremiah, I do agree with the point you make in your review. You're right in that one of the differences between United 93 and Guantánamo is the degree to which is gives permission to audiences to take these stories in passively (i.e., 93 does, Guantánamo most certainly does not). Also, of course, is the difference between the perpetrators of violence: "them" in 93 and WTC; "us" in Guantánamo. Or another way of putting it: the first two films relieve guilt; they are reminders that we were done wrong and encourage a response along the lines of, Anything we've done in the five years since is justified.

Guantánamo, however, is a guilt trip in a way, and who wants that around the Fourth of July?

As Derek acknowledges, there are problems with the film. Winterbottom's story depends so much on the presumed innocence of his subjects that he may distract us from the larger issue-- that torturing anyone (regardless of guilt)is wrong.

In their interviews, the real life Tipton Three remain maddeningly opaque, and while I don't believe they're "guilty," Winterbottom doesn't shine much light on these men as individuals. The Pentagon released them, so I don't think they should continue to be treated like terrorists, but Winterbottom doesn't make them any more vivid for us.

One thing that the film can be credited for is its very careful depiction of the interrogation methods at Gitmo. All of the tactics used in the movie are already acknowledged by the Pentagon. Some critics are claiming that there is no proof of the things the movie shows us. Frankly, those critics need to get their noses out of the entertainment section and read the rest of the newspaper. This is official policy.