On Torture and Zero Dark Thirty

Much has been written and said about Zero Dark Thirty’s responsibility to American audiences and how exposed they should be to the dark side of their recent history. We speak here of course of torture. Kathryn Bigelow’s film does not shy away, nor enhance unrealistically scenes of torture. Zero Dark Thirty approaches torture as necessary in the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, in fact it is information received through torture that leads to his capture.

Yet the idea that torture uncovers information of no value is not uncommon, therefore Bigelow’s film very purposely takes a firm pro-torture standpoint without juxtaposing it with a criticism of American policy. This is a brave move and one that has earned the film much criticism for even daring to show torture. However, Americans and the world over know that torture is a part of their recent history and therefore it is legitimate to present it. Whether torture led to the capture of Bin Laden is another matter, but one that Bigelow, in her attempt to create a piece of entertaining narrative cinema, need not abide by.

Regardless of the historical facts (and Zero Dark Thirty would do itself many favours by removing its opening declaration of verisimilitude), Zero Dark Thirty is a gripping thriller, fantastically acted, directed and structured and one that need not answer for its images.