Last fall, I watched an incredible movie for a class on media and terrorism. What started as an assignment became a better understanding of my own Islamic upbringing versus those who choose a life of fundamentalism and violence. Below, I explore how the film surpasses typical depictions of terrorism and instead forges a nuanced view.
Four Lions is an irreverent satire about British-Pakistani suicide bombers who are pursuing “jihad.” Directed by Chris Morris, it depicts the story of five men: Waj, the dopey one, Omar (played by Riz Ahmed), the ringleader, Faisal, the innocent one, Barry, the white and violent convert and Hassan, the wannabe rapper.
Informed by Brigitte Nacos, a Columbia University professor and expert on terrorism, we know by definition they are domestic terrorists, intentionally targeting victims in their country to shock and inspire. The group is especially focused on propaganda of the deed because Omar concocts a plan to bomb the London marathon, where costumes will hide their bombs and their martyrdom will be recorded on live television.
"What we’re gonna do has to last in history, echo through the ages,” Omar said.
Yet, in the moments leading up to the marathon, it is clear the group of men are entirely inept. The first scene depicts the group filming a propaganda video (It is possible Director Morris is poking fun at what society thinks Muslim men do in their free time). Though complete with the stereotypical clothing and backdrop similar to bin Laden’s videos released on al Jazeera, the scene ensues into a hilarious argument between Barry and Omar about whether Waj’s fake AK-47 looks too small.
It would be easy to portray terrorists as master manipulators and pure evil, as many dramatic films and news organizations do. Yet, this scene exhibits the nuances of everyday life, the stupid reality for people who want to commit a horrific act. It removes the deindividuation of terrorists and adds a bit of humanity as well as ridicule.
Omar later watches their propaganda video “outtakes” with his wife and young son in a contemporary home. He is a loving husband and caring father, but discusses his suicide bomber plans with his family, amplifying how “normal” he, and his friends, believe his plans to be.
The film explores each man’s various reason for pursuing terrorism, whether it be Barry’s need for violence or Waj’s desire for a fast track to heaven. Deeper explanations are at times ironic. Barry tells Hassan that going to mosques is useless and they need to return to the Islamic golden age—thus, implementing what two researchers say are integral to the Symbolic DNA of Terrorism.
Allah is never mentioned and Omar and his wife even taunt Omar’s conservative Muslim brother (who deeply opposes violence), proving that neither Omar nor his friends are particularly religious. Throughout the movie, Waj continually looks for justification for their actions and Omar continually spoon foods him moral disengagement. “We’re soldiers in the mujahedeen,” Omar told Waj. “Do the right thing.” In this instance, Omar justifies violence through a generalized moral imperative and continues to do so throughout the film.
The men are not violent to each other, but they spew violent rhetoric that seems out of place, considering that during training camp in Pakistan, Omar did not know how to use a rocket launcher and Waj calls himself “Paki Rambo.” When asked by his uncle if Omar would kill Waj, he responds, “I’d rip your guts out, spill it out on the floor, like Moral Kombat!” referencing the 1992 controversial and gruesome video game. Four Lions, through humor, demonstrates that speaking of violence does not mean every terrorist is inherently violent. Instead, it reflects the stubbornness and brutality of fundamentalist thinking.
The film also draws upon real life, echoing the Boston Marathon bombing as well as the fact that in 2014, 500 British citizens left their homes to join ISIS (according to this article in The Atlantic).
At one point in the film, Barry wants to create an "Islamic State of Tinsley." In a monologue, Omar comments on the backlash of globalization, which David Kilcullen cited as a reason terrorism spreads in The Accidental Guerrilla: Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One.
Omar believes they have to “bring havoc” to Britain, a “consumerist, godless, Paki-bashing, Gordon Ramsey-taste the difference-specialty cheddar, torture endorsing, who-gives-a-fuck-about-dead-Afghanis? Disneyland!”
Yet, Four Lions also rejects typical representations of terrorists. Analysis of terrorism in the news show that three labels consistently emerge: Muslim, al-Qaeda and terrorist. The only time any of these words are mentioned in the film is when Barry begs Omar to go to training camp and says, “Listen, I’m the most al-Qaeda one here.” The movie reflects real life but calls out the unfair depictions.
Funny and thoughtful, Four Lions shows the characters’ desperation for glory and its consequences, but does not condemn them. For example, the viewer learns that Omar’s cousin died defending a mosque in Bosnia, an incident that perhaps fuels Omar’s moral justification. Later, the group transports bombs from one area to another. Faisal haphazardly runs through a meadow with his bomb and trips over a sheep, unexpectedly setting off the explosive. The day of the marathon, they immediately get caught and chased by police.
Although there is no portrayal of noble victims, the “four lions” slowly become victims of the fundamentalist mindset themselves as they accidentally wreak havoc in London.