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Zero Dark Thirty

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Zero Dark Thirty
Kalli Hartman
Section Four
1/14/2013
Topic: Particulars and Details
Word Count: 701

Zero Dark Thirty, Affecting America

Describing the murder of Osama Bin Laden, Zero Dark Thirty remains top in the box office, garnering over five Oscar nominations and deeply affecting its audiences. Disturbing and poignant, this “R” rated production accurately depicts the nature of war in countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan, while viewers vicariously experience the violence of terror attacks and observe the involvement of America’s Military and Intelligence Communities. Scenes exhibiting torture techniques spark controversy, leading to discussions about the ethics surrounding their use. Lastly, the dramatic story highlights the career of Maya, a female CIA operative determined to bring about the capture of Osama Bin Laden. Zero Dark Thirty introduces viewers to the horrors of the war on terror and those who fight the battle, the controversial subject of torture, and the inspirational character Maya.

While dinning at a premier Pakistani hotel, Maya and her fellow diners’ lives abruptly change when the room around them explodes, the result of a suicide bomb. Through the portrayal of events such as these, Zero Dark Thirty reveals the horrific conditions under which American military and intelligence personnel work. Far from the minds of most American’s, but constantly in the minds of those on the front lines, looms the thought that each day could bring death for themselves or their colleagues. Living under these conditions, the mind snaps leaving one in every eight soldiers returning from overseas suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, proving that the pain of working in these circumstances scars the soul.

Zero Dark Thirty introduces not only the horrors of torture, but the necessity of obtaining information. Struggling with the idea of forcefully extracting information from detainees, America’s shifting political environment after a presidential election



Cited: “Zero Dark Thirty” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1790885/ “Study of 9/11 Emotional Response” http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2015528,00.html “1 in 8 returning soldiers suffers from PTSD” Associated Press. Date Last Revised: 6/30/2004.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5334479/ns/health-mental_health/t/returning-soldiers-suffers-ptsd/ “Election will decide future of interogation metods for terrorism suspects” Charlie Savage http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/28/us/politics/election-will-decide-future-of-interrogation-methods-for-terrorism-suspects.html?_r=0

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