FILM REVIEW: The Insult (2017)

Directed by Ziad Doueiri

* * * *

A loved one of mine was once in a very complicated situation, one so complicated that it would eventually have to be settled in court – I once went to court in support of this loved one. Here’s where it gets interesting: this was my first time ever stepping into a court house, let alone seeing a case unfold in such a setting. What I witnessed was far from what I expected. Seeing the way the judge went from one case to the next, the performance-like expositions of the lawyers, plaintiffs, and defendants, I never once felt the weight of the law in the situation. Rather, I felt like I was back in high school competitive speech, watching the next round unravel. The laughable nature of it all completely altered my perspective on the law and justice forever. I’m much more cynical about it now.

The Courtroom Drama is not one of my more favored subgenres, thus I’ve not seen too many films in the category. Out of the ones I have seen, no film has captured the ridiculousness of the court of law quite like The Insult. That word again – ridiculous. The Insult is where a court case starts a domino effect that eventually results in civil unrest. All over a simple verbal insult.

It is present day Beirut. Tony Hanna (Adel Karam) is living a decent, working-class life with his wife Shirine (Rita Hayek), who is pregnant with their child. They are Lebanese Christians. Meanwhile, Yasser (Kamel El Basha), a Palestinian, earns his living as a construction worker. He is working on a city block when a splash of water falls on his head – it is from Tony, who was watering his plants, due to an illegally placed drain on his balcony. Yasser is irritated, but takes it upon himself to correct the drain. As soon as it is fixed, Tony smashes it with a hammer. “Fucking prick,” Yasser mutters.

And there is our titular insult.

Tony is outraged by it. Yasser’s company attempts to make it up to him, but all without an apology directly from Tony, which he demands. At one point, Yasser approaches Tony, perhaps to apologize, but Tony can only unleash a vocal tirade, at one point exclaiming “I wish Ariel Sharon would have wiped all of you out!” Yasser returns Tony’s vocal offense with a punch, resulting in two broken ribs. Yasser is put in jail for assault, and the situation is taken to court. All Tony wants is an apology out of Yasser, which he does not give. A stalemate hits the court, and the case is dismissed. Tony is infuriated by the court. He goes to a lawyer, still hell-bent on getting this settled. On the flip side, a lawyer approaches Yasser, who believes Yasser was justified in his assault per the penal code.

When I call The Insult ridiculous, I mean that in the best way possible. It’s interesting to note that director Doueiri served as a camera operator on Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and Jackie Brown. It is very clear that Doueiri took notes from Quentin Tarantino, because The Insult’s dialogue is always riveting. That combined with a sense that the walls are always closing in, The Insult possesses a combustible energy on the verge of exploding, and these exemplary qualities shine brightest during the courtroom sequences.

A lesser film would have the viewers asking “Why don’t these two just get over themselves?” But it works here. At the heart of The Insult is two men buried in their own pride. The grayness of their exchanges makes their situation all the more interesting: there is no character in the right or wrong. Yes, Yasser did insult Tony, but Tony’s remark about Ariel Sharon is enough to ignite a wildfire within anybody (this is all made the more powerful from the performances from their respective actors).

The case eventually catches national attention. The politics and history surrounding the fact that the two men are Lebanese Christian & Palestinian stirs the country’s emotions. The gallery gets louder and more hostile with each hearing. One hearing eventually leads to physical exchanges, and that leads to civil unrest. Riots break out, innocent casualties ensue, and the police are put on high-alert. As ludicrous as it sounds, the scenario always seems plausible, which is also why it is so disturbing.

I’m at a really intense tug-of-war with myself in deciding between a 3.5 or a 4 for The Insult. My lack of knowledge with the politics of the situation left me lost at times. In all fairness, this is my fault, but The Insult is very concerned with its politics without clear exposition - until the climax, that is (I also admit that this is probably why this review comes off as rather clunky). But as much as it is concerned with its politics, it never forgets that there are human beings at the center of this. As lost as I may have been from time to time, The Insult always had me gripped to my seat in thrilled unease, and for these reasons I award it a 4. The Insult is one of the nominees for the Best Foreign Picture of 2017. Whether it is deserving of the award, I cannot say – I’m yet to see the other nominees. But I can say with complete confidence that the nomination is fully deserved.