Binarism in the Movie Green Zone

Binarism in the Movie Green Zone 

 

The movie Green Zone directed by Paul Greengrass incorporates with the theme of binarism which is an important element of post-colonial studies. This essay will focus on the binaries existing between the natives and the Americans in the movie Green zone.

At the start of the movie the viewers are been told that Iraq’s capital Baghdad is under attack of the American army and huge blasts and Cruise missiles are been bombarded over the Baghdad city. The reporter of the foreign news channel reports that: “Just a few seconds ago, another huge blast has shaken the city. Cruise missiles and air strikes raining down here in a relenting assault on Baghdad. There is no doubt tonight that war has begun and the Iraqi capital is experiencing shock and awe.”

The citizens of Iraq are under terror and panic. As Marjorie Cohn writes in her article that “despite the absence of Security Council authorization, a quarter million troops from the United States and the United Kingdom invaded Iraq in March 2003. Delivering on their promise to “shock and awe,” the “coalition forces” dropped several 2,000- pound bombs on Baghdad in Rapid succession”. The General of Saddam is shown running from the American army instead of fighting against. Running away instead of facing the truth and reality is a typical notion attached to the native others and imposing orders and authority to suppress the weaker souls is a notion attached to the westerners which is prominent throughout the movie.

The element of binarism is widespread in the movie. Edward Said’s Orientalism is also constructed on the notion of this binary between colonizers and colonized. By setting themselves in the land of the orients they gained their strength and identity which can be seen in the movie as well. While creating this identity they represent the orient as an inferior, exotic, degenerative culture that requires acculturation and modernization. While doing so they made themselves the occident and the orients the others of the westerners.

‘Orientalism can be discussed and analyzed as the corporate institution for dealing with the Orient — dealing with it by making statements about it, authorizing views of it, describing it, by teaching it, settling it, ruling it: in short, Orientalism as a Western style for dominating, restructuring, and having authority over the Orient.’ (Said 1978: 3)

The camera which is capturing the scene is dusty, which is a distinctive feature of the native’s land that it is full of dust and mad. Natives do not have to do anything with cleanliness and greenery. The notion of greenery is only linked with the western natives not the eastern people. The scene automatically shifts to the military storage sight Diwaniyah, reported by the intelligence that weapons of mass destruction are hidden inside the tower. We see that while the team was on was to the site, the Iraqi’s were standing beside the roads and asking for water. The idea of laziness of natives has been shown that they can’t even arrange simple thing as water for themselves and for their family. For that also they have to depend on the foreign power. We repeatedly see an English man giving orders to the natives and imposing their authority over them.

 It was the morning time when the army troop reached the military storage site so they were supposing that nobody would be there but their assumption proved to be wrong when they reached there. The site was full from native looters who were stealing things from the factory. The typical element of stealing and looting of the natives has been shown here. The area which was highly dangerous as it was having WMD’s was surrounded by the looters and plunderers. Binarism is also been created over here that the Americans are putting themselves in risk to save the Iraqi’s but the local people themselves do not want to save their lives and that’s the reason they are looting at such a precarious place of arms. The second this we get to know is that the natives do not have the ability to think rationally but the only thing they are good at is looting and plundering and they are the westerners who have to think about their better good and have to do their work.

As the American army entered the spotted place of weapons, they found nothing there. The place was empty and closed. As one of the soldier reports in the movie: “No reading here, boss. Is this… site weapons of destruction? It is empty.” When Chief Miller investigated about the false Intel he got to know that the information was provided by the intelligence of the United Nations and had already come empty handed from three of the WMD’s sites recommended by the same intelligence.

Here, the reality about the WMD’s was exposed that this plan was created by the government of United States to invade Iraq for the oil recourses stored there. There were no weapons of mass destruction in that country but only a pre planned game by the westerners. In the movie the notion of counter discourse has been shown. The westerners associate the idea of liars with the eastern people but they themselves are the liars and they can do anything for their benefit. Peter Taylor in his review writes that:

“Ten years on from the invasion, Iraq remains the most divisive war in recent history and the greatest intelligence failure in living memory. Much of the key intelligence that was used to justify the war was based on fabrication, wishful thinking and lies - and as subsequent investigations showed, it was dramatically wrong. Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction (WMD).”

They destroyed different places, towers, factories, on the basis of false intelligence reporting. Marjorie Cohn in one of her article writes that Bush marked the war in Iraq against the WMD’S but this decision had less to do with the self defense but the main motive was that of dominating the oil-rich middle east. She further says that this war was an outcome of aggression, and it was a crime committed against the peace- exactly the kind of war America was trying to prevent from. Her report states that “beyond making false and misleading statement about Iraq’s attempt to acquire nuclear weapons, the record shows the Bush administration must have known these statements conflicted with known international and domestic intelligence at the time”. Hence, it was clear that the war was conducted on the false premises conducted by the Americans.

The scene again shifts to the Saddam International Airport where the reporter Lawrie Dayne from The Wall Street Journal meets Mark who gave her the false information to write on the WMD’s in Iraq and the reporter does that believing that the source was authentic without even investigating about it. She was been rejected by Mark when she asks him to get an access to the source that was Megellan. Here the hypocrisy of the westerners has been shown that the reporter writes about something for which she was itself not sure and had no research and the other person gives false information to the journalist to write on.

            Saddam returns to his country after a long time and when he is asked by the reporters that how was he feeling after returning he says that Iraq is his birth place and he feels very happy to return back. He further leaves a message for his country people that he wants them to look forward upon the liberation of the country for tyranny. His statements were highly ironical. First he returns back to the country showing that he was concerned about his country but actually he wasn’t. Secondly he asked the citizens to cooperate with the Americans to liberate the country from tyranny but actually he was a part of the plan made by Americans against Iraq and its resources.

            Miller talked to Lord about the poor intelligence but Lord asked him to keep quiet and said that they are doing all this because they want some report to put on the CNN nothing else. As it is clear in one of the article published in The Guardian by Julian Borger that “Saddam Hussein destroyed his last weapons of mass destruction more than a decade ago and his capacity to build new ones had been dwindling for years by the time of the Iraq invasion”. When Miller asked him to talk to someone about the weak Intel, Lord refused and said ‘it’s not the right time.’ This incident shows that the Europeans are least concerned about the Iraqi’s. All they want is to promote their media and to make their selves prominent because they know that the world is watching them. Miller who wanted to resolve the issue was also asked to keep calm.

            After the meeting conducted for the next 48 hours program, Miller meets a C.I.A agent, Martin Brown, who told him that it is useless going around and finding the reservoirs of the weapons because they are not in the country. He further asked him to call him if he finds out anything regarding the weapons. Brown makes a remark against the Iraqi’s that ‘the Iraqi’s do not fight, no weapons. Since we came here we have not found anything, there is something wrong here.’ An element of mystery is always associated with the eastern land and this aspect of muddle and mystery is evident over here in the movie. 

            We come across one more incident in the movie where the American army is moving towards the next located place of WMD’s on their vehicles and on their way the Iraqi’s make their troops stop. The local people are blaring and shouting on the American army and continuously asking for water in their native language. Here the element of agitation and sluggishness is evident that the natives can’t even arrange such a simple thing like water for themselves.

            The scene automatically shifts to the Old Palace of Saddam, Provisional Headquarter where the Americans are taking decisions about the fate of Iraq’s. While discussing about the upcoming power and leader of Iraq’s they claim themselves to be the experts ‘in the middle east’. Brown suggested to take help from the Iraq’s army to make the country under control but the other officer refused saying that American army has destroyed it so the power remains under the American army. He further says that American treasure and lives of many Americans cost to fix the problem of WMD’s and now they won’t take any help from the army.

A scene has been shown where the General Ravi and his fellow men are having meeting in a local house where they are talking about Saddam that he has departed leaving the country and the people to be controlled by the Americans. The typical element of running away instead of facing the situation has been shown in the nature and instinct of the native people. Throughout the movie we see the native Iraqi’s running away from every situation, whether it is Saddam, General Ravi or Freedi.

In the meeting the General decides that they are going to fight against American not by fighting before them but by acting their proposal when they will offer them and then that will be the time when they will decide the future of Iraq. In the movie it is evident that the future of Iraq is being decided by the people in power not by the local people themselves. Whether, the power is of Americans deciding for the Iraq or General Ravi deciding for it.

On the other side, on the place of WMD’s, a local man Farhad Juss Alcaham wanted to talk to Chief Miller. The sergeant laid him down on the ground before the arrival of Miller. Freedi got hyper when he was laid on the ground without any reason. When Miller arrived, Freedi accused them for throwing him on the dirt. Miller asked the reason why he was there, so he claimed to have some important information about Saddam’s people having a meeting in some local house. When Miller inquired that why should he believe him so Freedi replied it’s not easy coming and talking to an American? If he has come and gave information so that means he is a friend to him. He further says that digging all day long into the ground and searching for WMD’s is illogical because the locals use to live here and it’s not logical that nobody saw someone putting the weapons into the ground.

The notion of counter discourse is prominent over here. Westerners consider the eastern people to be unscientific and illogical but here a local person considers them to be illogical and unscientific. When Miller planned to take over the house with his team, one of the officers asked that it might be a trap so Miller said him to put on the mask of a player. The element of ambush is associated within the orients. Again the binary has been created between the orients and occidents.

When Miller attacked the white house where the meeting was being conducted, a man was killed and one was taken up by the American army. The house where this highly undisclosed meeting was taking place was full of women and small children. The idea of foolishness is prominent over here. They didn’t even care about the females and children in the house while planning for the meeting. Miller while making the hostages calm, comprising of women and children, instructed one of the soldier to make them stay in the room because on dead body was out there in the house. The element of sharpness and care for the children and women has been shown here for the westerners.

While interrogating with Sayyed Hamza, the hostage the white house, Miller had a deal that he will protect his family in return of the information provided against General Rawi. The selfishness of the natives has been portrayed over here that he was not willing to give any information in return of something by the Americans who were actually trying to save the natives from the chaos created by the General Rawi and his fellow men.

At the mean time the interrogation department took the hostages to some other place and Miller was only left with the book which he gave to Freedi while the officer of other unit was searching for it. Freedi after taking the book ran away from the scene. Miller when finds Freedi running catches him and asks him the reason for running he says that he was afraid from the people who took Sayed away and he was just saving his life.

Miller also got to know that one of the legs of Freedi was artificial and he lost it in Iran in the war between Iraq and Iran. The notion of artificiality is prominent in the people of the orients. The impression of binarism is created that orients are incomplete and defected by all means but only the westerners are complete and original.

Miller assured Freedi that he would get the reward for what he did and for the information he provided. Freedi claimed that he did not do that for any reward or money, he did that for himself, for his country and because he care about his country. He further says that he wants good for his country more than the Miller thinks for Iraq.

The scene shifts to the Republican Palace in the Green Zone where the viewers has been shown greenery, swimming pool, people drinking beer and enjoying their life unaware from the life outside the green zone. It can also be observed that outside green zone people are starving and leaning for water but inside green zone people are enjoying swimming and drinking. Binarism has also been created while capturing the green zone area which is clear and green and fully furnished and while capturing the area outside the green zone which is dusty, sandy and filthy.

 Miller conducted a meeting with Martin Brown inside the green zone and informed him about the operation conducted inside the white local house and also informs about the hostages taken by the intelligence people. Miller gets the permission to meet the prisoner taken away from the interrogation department and he was also instructed to bribe Sayyed for not opening his mouth in front of the American intelligence. The notion of power generated through money is evident over here that the Americans can do whatever they want to because they have money and power.

Pentagon came to Miller at his living place and inquired about the book. Miller told him that the book was with Martin. Pentagon tried to convince Miller saying that they are the ones who are doing good things for Iraqi’s and they are going to built up the places after the war will end and they will get hold of the WMD’s. He further asked Miller to contact him if he gets to know something about the book. The hypocrisy of American people has been shown here that they are the ones involved in the destruction of Iraq on the name of WMD’s and they are themselves claiming to rebuild the places which are being affected by the war.

Miller met Sayyed Hamza who a prisoner and got by the interrogation department and there he got to know that the meeting was conducted in Jordan between the General Al-Rawi and some officers. He further told that General Al-Rawi did everything. After this meeting Miller being an active American meets the reporter, Lawrie Dayne from The Wall Street Journal, who wrote many articles on the operation of WMD’s. Miller inquired about the source but she refuses it saying that it is highly official. Miller gets annoyed on the reporter saying that how could she write on something which is not true? This incident also links up to the counter discourse saying that the westerners are illogical and foolish that without knowing the reality they can conduct a report against the eastern countries.

The scene transfers to the incident where the American military is attacking on the safe houses of Al-Rawi mentioned in the book. Miller got a hold on one of the men of Al-Rawi while he was coming out of his home. He asked him to convey his message to Al-Rawi that he wants to meet him tonight and he did as he was asked. At the mean while Pentagon got to know about the meeting arranged between Miller and Al-Rawi and he called upon an announcement in which he declared that the promises has been fulfilled. He continues to say that America has saved the Iraq from the tyranny of Saddam and his people. He informed that the American army has been dissolved from their duties and are returning back to their countries and now from now onwards Iraq will be a modern democratic society free of the Saddam regime.

Miller, on the other side, was kidnapped by the men of Al-Rawi and was taken at some unknown place where he came across the General. When Rawi asked the reason of meeting then Miller disclosed his offer to him that he could go to the America and tell all the truth about WMD’s but he refused the deal and ordered his men to kill Miller. This is another incident of the foolishness of Iraqi people. General could have saved his life by shaking hands with Miller but at that time also he was only concerned about himself not for his country.  

General is running from the American army and orders his men to shoot the helicopter and the Americans who come across his way. When Miller gets him, Rawi asks him that ‘is this was the deal you were talking about’. At the mean time Freedi shoots the General and replies to Miller that ‘you are not the one who is going to decide what happens here’. This incident clarifies the fact that Freedi choose the larger misery when he kills Al-Rawi instead to choosing the lesser ones. It has been the notion throughout the discourse created by the westerners that the orients are brainless, and they don’t have the power to think and even if they manage to think anything it would definitely be the wrong decision.

Saddam Hussain while giving an interview to the press says that: “it’s a new beginning for Iraq. The end of tyranny and the beginning of freedom”. His statement did not happen to be true because Iraq never got freedom from the Americans; they were been under constant oppression from the American army and the people in power. As Cohn states in her article:

“Loss of life isn’t the only shocking and awful consequence of “Operation Iraqi Freedom.” The United Nations concluded in its July-August 2006 report that bodies found “often bear signs of severe torture, including acid-induced injuries and burns caused by chemical substances, missing skin, broken bones (back, hands and legs), missing eyes, missing teeth and wounds caused by power drill or nails.”

Towards the end of the movie the scene has been shown where different leaders belonging to different sects gather to decide about Iraq’s fate and still they are screaming and blaring. It is now clear at the end that even after leaving them to decide about the fate of Iraq they are unable to take any one decision on which all could rely on. They still need the foreign power to decide for themselves. 

Miller writes an article about the truth of Magallen and sends it to all the news papers and to Lawrie Dayne as well and asked her to represent the story in a right manner. The very notion of goodness is only attached with the white people throughout the movie. If Miller is doing something for Iraqi’s so he is a good guy and then again he is an American. The movie portrays the natives’ evil and backward who are unable to do any good to anyone, not even to themselves.

            The notion of Binarism is also been shown in different American and British movies in which the blacks or the orients are shown backward and barbaric. Not even movies but in the cartoons as well e.g. Aladdin, and many others, either the main hero is shown primitive, liar, or a thief. if we see the movie ‘true lies’ the very notion of binarism is very clear. If also portrays the Arabic and eastern people primitive, liars, and primeval.

Hence the notion of binarism has been created throughout the movie Green Zone with the help of visual aids. We can clearly see the distinction in the movie when the natives living place is shown and when the green zone is shown where the Americans live. If is also clear by the mysterious language they speak which is not Arabic but a mixture of different languages and the language of Americans. Binarism is also been created by the portrayal of the native people who are always in dirty clothes and the Americans who are neat and clean wearing suits or uniform. Therefore, it can be said that the movie incorporates with the idea and theme of binarism between the orients and the westerners.  

Work Cited

Borger, Julian. "There Were No Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq." The Guardian. Guardian

News and Media, 07 Oct. 2004. Web. 04 Jan. 2014.

Cohn, Marjorie. "Iraq: A War of Aggression. No WMDs, No Connection to Al Qaeda."Global

Research. N.p., 19 Mar. 2013. Web. 04 Jan. 2014.

Green Zone. Dir. Paul Greengrass. Universal, 2010. DVD.

Taylor, Peter. "Iraq War: The Greatest Intelligence Failure in Living Memory." The Telegraph.

Telegraph Media Group, 18 Mar. 2013. Web. 04 Jan. 2014.

Said, Edward W. Orientalism. New York: Vintage, 1979. Print.