Movie review: 'Obession'

Last update: September 7, 2006 - 3:17 PM

*** out of four stars

Unrated.

Where: Oak Street Cinema.

Subtitled "Radical Islam's War Against The West," this is an explosive examination of Islamist terrorism and the genocidal religious fanaticism that fuels it. Produced with the assistance of Minnesotans Against Terrorism, the well-crafted documentary draws extensively from Arab TV broadcasts few Americans have seen. The virulent anti-Semitic propaganda and belligerent legions shouting "Death to America" are chilling enough; more disturbing are interviews with children parroting their ambition to become martyrs fighting "the infidels."

The film scrupulously notes that most Muslims are peace-loving citizens, and provides historical perspective with a section on the cooperative efforts between Adolf Hitler and the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, who recruited Muslims into the SS to help annihilate Jews. The film stumbles in two key area. It ignores the issue of why the Sept. 11 attacks caught us comatose, and most crucially, it lacks a point of view on what to do now, offering only the weak hope that when militant Muslims realize the advantages of freedom and democracy, they will take off their explosive vests. Viewers are likely to exit "Obsession" with a heavy heart, but no clear agenda.

COLIN COVERT