"Terrorism, nationalism and patriotism defined by politics"

The use of torture by the government may not be ancient history, according to a recent film seminar.

This past Tuesday at the Market Arcade Theater, professors Diane Christian and Bruce Jackson presented "The Day of the Jackal" as a part of the Buffalo Film Seminars (ENG 441).

"The Day of the Jackal" was adapted from a fictional novel. There are, however, factual elements that mirror both 1963 France and the U.S. today, according to Christian and Jackson.

"Many have looked at the film and said that it is a real indicator of modern politics because of the murder and assassinations," Christian said.

The movie centers on the fictional attempted assassination of French President Charles de Gaulle by a professional assassin known as "the Jackal."

The Organisation Arm?(c)e Secrete (Secret Armed Organization), an underground political-military organization formed by French nationalists, hires the Jackal (Edward Fox) to assassinate de Gaulle for promoting Algerian independence.

The Secret Armed Organization was, however, a real group that was considered in its time to be guilty of terrorism. Formed during the Algerian War of Independence, the group utilized violence as a means to maintain French influence over Algeria.

"One of the reasons we picked this film, not only because it is a good film, but also because it deals with a lot of current issues," Jackson said.

The use of torture by a political organization to gain information is one such issue, he said. In a pivotal scene, the French intelligence gains crucial evidence through the use of torture.

"In reference to current times, we have had pictures of prisoners at Abu Ghraib beaten to death by American agents," Jackson said.

In the film's torture scene, a member of the Secret Armed Organization was abducted by French intelligence and systematically electrocuted. This individual died of a heart attack after admitting crucial information to French intelligence.

"This is similar to what has no doubt been typical procedure in Guantanamo, Iraq, Afghanistan," Christian said.

This film has a lot of resonance in regards to intolerance of other countries, Jackson said, in regards to the numerous scenes involving murder, terrorism and torture.

"There is terrorism of various kinds. A great deal of terrorism is really about nationalism, not about international issues," Jackson said. "The film reflects a lot of those issues."

Those in attendance had varied opinions on the film and discussion followed it.

"What the organization is saying is that they're patriots, and what is a patriot if not someone else's terrorist?" said Kenneth Ross, UB alumni and participant in the UB Film Seminars.

Dana Reid, a senior computer science major, said that she thought the film had elements that paralleled current affairs.

"When a larger political entity tries to gain control over a smaller, foreign entity, their attempts to maintain power are often futile," Reid said.