At 9:30 p.m. on November 26, 2008, Mumbai, India, two terrorists suddenly broke into the busiest local train station in Shivaji and fired indiscriminately at the crowd without warning using an AK-47 rifle...
In an instant, the crowded passenger hall was in a mess, littered with luggage and blood. In less than an hour, 58 people were killed...
But this was just the beginning, when people were terrified by the attack on the train station, the time bomb on the taxis driving in The Vile Parle and Wadi Bunder exploded...
Nearly at the same time, places such as café Leopold, Dakarma Hospital, and the famous Taj Mahal Hotel were attacked, and even the local police headquarters were attacked...
A total of 12 locations in Mumbai's southern district were attacked that night, and the whole city fell into panic. This is more like a blatant declaration of war than a normal terrorist attack...
The attack, which lasted three full days, killed 164 people and injured 308, shocked the world with the ferocity of the attack, and the incident was even known as "India 911".
In India's history, there have been many terrorist attacks, but they are basically suicide bombings, which are a one-time form, and this one was an organized indiscriminate massacre in 2008, which turned multiple locations into brutal battlefields, and this elaborate surprise attack made it difficult for the general police force to deal with...
It is not difficult to see that the attackers chose the highly crowded tourist locations, and among the 12 attacked sites, the Taj Mahal Hotel has a more unique significance.
So what really happened at the time? There's a movie that's been very popular and discussed that takes the view of this hotel and takes us back to that nightmare of the year.
Hotel Mumbai
"Mumbai Hotel" is a film that focuses on the attack on the Taj Mahal Hotel that year, showing the original appearance of the terrorist attack in an all-round way, and many domestic fans have given a good evaluation of this film.
One of india's most famous luxury hotels, the Taj Mahal Hotel is full of exotic sophistication and luxury, and in addition to tourists from all over the world, it is also a frequent place for politicians and elites from all walks of life.
The Taj Mahal itself is like a business card, telling the fusion of different cultures, it represents a concept of harmonious coexistence, like a bridge across countless practical differences, it stands silently in India, a country with many internal contradictions, creating an ideal utopia.
The film opens with multiple perspectives, and it's hard not to notice the looming discord between Mumbai's streetscape and the hotel, which also hints at the source of all the contradictions in the film, namely the staggering gap between rich and poor in society as a whole. This also gives the Taj Mahal another layer of meaning in this attack.
Unlike any previous film with the theme of terrorist attacks, director Anthony Maras chose to restore the truth to the greatest extent as the tone of the entire film.
Perhaps only those who have felt the horrors of the blood can truly understand the fear and courage of those who are in the hotel at the moment, and may feel the strength of their every choice...
In the film, terrorists are indoctrinated with the distorted idea that "only through this bloody method can they ascend to heaven".
So we saw the coldest-blooded massacre...
The director doesn't cover up any "humanitarianism" about the indiscriminate attacks of terrorists, and he doesn't let you get any trace of the "fun" inherent in genre elements with each attack. The sudden explosion was followed by a continuous tinnitus and deafening gunshots, and the figures fleeing in the smoke fell one by one...
Without any pity, without any hesitation, you may subconsciously remind yourself that the images on the screen that kill people without blinking are fictional, but you can't do it in front of the attackers of this film, because that's what terrorists really do...
This also led to the reluctance of any of the six major Hollywood players at the time to take over the North American distribution of the film, and it was Bleecker street who was ultimately responsible for the North American distribution of the film.
The director has managed to create a breath-taking tension, how real are the bullets here? It's so real that you don't have time to be angry about it, and all emotions are squeezed out by fear and despair.
In this experience, the audience will have a great sense of substitution, which is exactly where "Hotel Mumbai" succeeds, because most of the victims have no idea what will happen next... They may have been just passing through here, and may only travel here once in their lives.
Hotel Mumbai is a convincing group portrait that doesn't flatten either side of the attack because of its egregious nature or for the dramatic needs of the plot.
Hotel workers, tourists and terrorists, the film presents three main groups in two hours, the length of time does not hinder the internal interaction of each group, and Anthony Maras and John Corey, who work as screenwriters, do not ignore any of the secondary characters, through effective short lines and interactions, outlining vivid portraits. John Corey, in particular, whose past works will make you think that Hotel Mumbai is a miracle.
It's hard to imagine that the terrorist who committed such atrocities would have been an ordinary person, but this is what the film presents, and although the film does not have the energy to continue to dig into the deep reasons behind this incident, it has already pointed out the reason for the "gap between rich and poor" through many details in its focus on the event.
Although the people who carried out the terrorist attacks in the film are young, they are all professionally trained terrorists. These "Lashkar-e-Lash" are constantly brainwashed in the process of training, just as their bosses continue to convey hate speech in their headphones, and all their misfortunes, the misfortunes of the entire Muslim community, are to blame for what they see as "infidels".
This is the demagogic rhetoric of extremist religious elements, and "poverty" gives these people the opportunity to spread distorted ideas through the minds of young people.
Imran, the attacker played by Amandy Singh, laments that this is heaven after entering the hotel, whether it is flushing toilets or hotel food, every ordinary thing seems fresh to him.
For a moment he was like an ordinary child, curious about everything. Compared with the few remaining accomplices who devoted themselves to serving the Allah, Imran still had a basic humanity left in him. He cried and called his father, hoping that he would get the money through his own sacrifice and live a better life.
This moment seems very helpless, regardless of nationality and religion, is this not the most common wish of every child who works outside? These attackers are also afraid of death, they will cry, but they also know what they are doing, otherwise Imran would not have made that choice in the end... (I won't give you spoilers here)
The film reveals tragedy, but the attackers are still unforgivable, and even if it produces anger, "Hotel Mumbai" is not willing to rudely stir up the emotions of the audience and make the anger cheap, because it unilaterally instills "hatred" in the audience, which is different from the people the film criticizes?
Among the customers trapped in the hotel, David, played by Amy Hammer, is very eye-catching, after all, he is a famous actor who has seen the most genre film "hero" in the past, but every minute and second of the film about him seems to tell the audience that he is just an ordinary person.
Every time there's a hint of "Jedi Strikes Back," Mumbai Hotel can pour a big basin of cold water on it and tell you to be sober.
David and Zahra, played by Nazanin Boniati, are a couple. Throughout "Hotel Mumbai", except for the executive chef, all the characters do not use the real names of the parties, and the main characters are constructed with the experiences of multiple parties in order to better show the events.
This is especially important for Americans and Muslims in the face of hatred and division, and this starting point itself shows the director's position.
Different cultures and different religions breed hatred, but they also produce love and affection that are difficult to give up.
The couple is a typical example of the "guangweizheng" among the guests, and the Russian Vasily Gordonsky, played by Jason Isaac, is even more impressive. Soon after the opening of the film, the person's meanness and pickiness are conveyed through a dialogue with the chef, and the subsequent acts also confirm the title of "rude person".
But it is such a rude person who, when he fell into a desperate situation, did not lose the bloodiness that he should have as a retired officer of the former Soviet Special Forces...
In the midst of the chaos, the hotel's staff also showed unprecedented unity, thanks to Executive Chef Hermant Ouberoi.
In the face of a sudden disaster, he calmly organized employees to protect guests and take everyone to the safest place in the hotel. The character's prototype himself became a national hero in the hearts of Indians after the incident.
Arjun, a waiter played by Dave Patel, is more representative in many details, and he can be said to represent the attitude of ordinary people in Mumbai to the disaster.
In order to abide by the belief that "the guest is God" and fight for his life, in the suspicion of the spread of the initiative to resolve the contradiction, in the film Arjun twice for the guests and choose to give up the turban representing their Sikh beliefs, in order to save lives and put down everything, Arjun also contributed a highlight moment of the whole film.
Statistics from the aftermath show that half of the victims killed in the Taj Mahal hotel were hotel staff who gave their lives to protect their guests...
In addition, there are many small people, two policemen who go deep into the tiger's den, and the front desk staff who do not want to deceive customers. Throughout the whole "Hotel Mumbai", you will find that the highlight moments of each character are de-dramatized, they are covered in blood, trembling or shedding tears because of fear, after all, how many big heroes are not afraid of death in reality? Even if they are embarrassed, a second's action is enough to prove the nobility of their souls.
Corresponding to this is the inability of the authorities to respond to emergencies, and the National Security Guard in New Delhi arrived at the scene three days after the attack on the hotel, which is a real thing. In fact, there are more stupid things than this, such as the suspicious behavior of the terrorists after landing, which arouses the suspicion of the fishermen, who immediately report the crime, but the police do not respond.
Some commentators believe that the director does not show a clear position, and even exaggerates violence, but in fact, the "truth" of the film is already the greatest respect for the deceased.