The Interpreter is a 2005 thriller film starring Nicole Kidman, Sean Penn, and Catherine Keener. It was the final film to be directed by Sydney Pollack.
Plot
Silvia Broome (Nicole Kidman) is an interpreter working at the United Nations in New York, who was raised in the Republic of Matobo, a fictional African country.
The United Nations is considering indicting Edmond Zuwanie (Earl Cameron), president of Matobo, to trial in the International Criminal Court. Initially a liberator, over the past 20 years he has become as corrupt and tyrannical as the government he overthrew, and is now responsible for ethnic cleansing and other atrocities within Matobo. Zuwanie is soon to visit the United Nations and put forward his own case to the General Assembly, in an attempt to avoid the indictment.
A security scare forces the evacuation of the UN building, and Silvia returns at night to reclaim some personal belongings. At that time she overhears discussion of an assassination plot, and runs scared from the building when those discussing the plot become aware of her presence. The next day, Silvia recognises words in a meeting where she is interpreting from phrases she overheard the night before, and reports the incident to UN security; the target of the plot appears to be Zuwanie himself. They, in turn, call in the United States Secret Service, who assign Tobin Keller (Sean Penn) and Dot Woods (Catherine Keener) to investigate, as well as protect Zuwanie when he arrives. Keller learns that Silvia has, in the past, been involved in a Matoban guerrilla group, that her parents and sister were killed by land mines laid by Zuwanie, and that she has dated one of Zuwanie's political opponents. Although Keller considers Silvia a prime suspect, the two grow close and Keller ends up protecting her.
The assassin is discovered while Zuwanie is in the middle of his address to the General Assembly, and security personnel rush Zuwanie to a safe room for his protection. In the confusion, Silvia attempts to take revenge on Zuwanie for all that has happened, and Keller arrives just in time to prevent her from murdering him. The assassination plot is revealed to be a sham; Zuwanie planned it to enhance his own credibility, and thus avoid the indictment, while also eliminating his political opponents. Zuwanie is indicted, and Silvia is expelled from the UN, returning home to Matobo soon afterwards.
Production
Filming in UN buildings
Kidman and Penn in a scene inside U.N. General Assembly
The Interpreter is the first movie ever filmed inside the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council chambers. Earlier films used only the exteriors or were filmed back when the buildings were under construction (and did not really have an "inside"). The producers approached the U.N. about filming there before, but their request was turned down. The production would have relocated to Toronto with a constructed set; however, this would have substantially increased costs, and so Sydney Pollack approached then-Secretary General Kofi Annan directly, and personally negotiated permission to film inside the United Nations. Annan commented on The Interpreter that "the intention was really to do something dignified, something that is honest and reflects the work that this Organization does. And it is with that spirit that the producers and the directors approached their work, and I hope you will all agree they have done that."
Because the UN Security Council can call an emergency meeting at any time with 3 hours notice, the film crew had to take into account that they could be asked to leave almost immediately.
Ambassadors at the United Nations had hoped to appear in the film, but actors were asked to play the roles of diplomats. Spain's UN Ambassador Inocencio Arias jokingly complained that his "opportunity to have a nomination for the Oscar next year went away because of some stupid regulation."[1]
Matobo and Ku
The country "Republic of Matobo" and its corresponding constructed language "Ku" were created for this film. The director of the Centre for African Language Learning in England, Said el-Gheithy, was commissioned in January 2004 to create Ku. Ku is based on Bantu languages spoken in Eastern and Southern Africa, and is a cross between Swahili and Shona, with some unique elements.
The tagline for the film, "The truth needs no translation.", in Ku is Angota ho ne njumata.
Cast
The Interpreter and Zimbabwe
There are strong parallels between Robert Mugabe and the character Dr. Zuwanie in the film, as well as between Matobo and Zimbabwe - which banned the film after it had been shown in the country. The parallels include:
- Both Robert Mugabe and Zuwanie were once respected freedom-fighters.
- In real life, Mugabe had ruled Zimbabwe for 25 years when the movie was released. The movie's Zuwanie had been in power for 23 years.
- Australia and New Zealand are pushing for Mugabe to be indicted by the UN Security Council for trial before the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity; Zuwanie is indicted by the UN Security Council for trial before the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity.
- Both Mugabe and Zuwanie were teachers before being involved with politics.
- Mugabe tends to wave his fist; Zuwanie his gun.
- Mugabe hired Ari Ben-Menashe, who claimed to be an ex-Israeli secret service agent, to arrange an assassination attempt which would see Morgan Tsvangirai tried for treason. Zuwanie is portrayed as arranging for a Dutch former mercenary to arrange an assassination attempt on him, since - as described in the film - "a nearly-assassinated president gains credibility and sticks around to enjoy it".
- Mugabe has a preoccupation with the British and accuses Tony Blair of trying to unseat him. Zuwanie thinks the French are doing the same.
- The flag of Matobo bears a strong resemblance to the flag of Zimbabwe.
- Zuwanie is the dictator of the fictional country of Matobo, an apparent reference to Matobo National Park in Zimbabwe.
- The film has a scene where there is a demonstration against Zuwanie at the UN; one of the anti-Zuwanie demonstrators is a holding a poster with the open-handed symbol of the main opposition party in Zimbabwe: The Movement for Democratic Change.
Zimbabwe's government has itself spotted the parallels between Mugabe and Zuwanie
- In September 2005, the Herald, a government-controlled newspaper in Harare, Zimbabwe, attacked the film, calling it an anti-Zimbabwean work supported by the CIA. The film has been approved for release and distribution inside the country by the country's official censorship board. Acting Minister of Information and Publicity Chen Chimutengwende said, "The CIA-backed film showed that Zimbabwe's enemies did not rest. They have resources and are determined to wage their war on the economic, social and cultural fronts. The names of the main character in the film are Shona," Mr Chimutengwende said, referring to Zimbabwe's main ethnic group to which Mugabe belongs. "The film talks about an African president going to the United Nations and our president is going to the UN next week so the connection is so obvious," he said. "But we will defeat them and we will defeat neo-colonialism. We have defeated a powerful enemy before which was colonialism," he said. Tafataona Mahoso, chairman of the Zimbabwe government Media and Information Commission, said it was "cheap American and Rhodesian propaganda . . . typical of the tactics used during the Cold War".
- Zimdaily.com reported on 23 September 2005 that the President's Office had issued an interdict banning screening of The Interpreter. The interdict, seen by Zimdaily, stated that the film is "mischievous" and a "subtle denigration of our head of State by the Bush administration and the CIA." It states that screening the film risks contravening Section 13(1)(A) as read with subsection (6) of the Censorship and Entertainment Control Act, and that it is in contravention of the Public Order and Security Act, which outlaws communicating statements deemed to undermine the head of State.
- Zimbabwe's government also linked the film to efforts by Australia and New Zealand to have Mugabe indicted by the UN Security Council for trial before the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity.
Box office
According to Box Office Mojo, The Interpreter had a domestic gross of $72,708,161 and an international tally of $90,236,762, bringing the picture's worldwide gross to $162,944,923. Its budget was $80 million.
Awards
In 2005, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association awarded Catherine Keener as Best Supporting Actress, for her parts in several films including The Interpreter.
See also
References
External links
- Official website
- The Interpreter at the Internet Movie Database
- The Interpreter at Allmovie
- The Interpreter at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Interpreter at Metacritic
- The Interpreter at Box Office Mojo
- Comments of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan o n 'The Interpreter'
- Reception Held at UN Headquarters for Film "The Interpreter", UN.org, April 23, 2004, retrieved on May 31, 2007
- Press Conference: Filming of "The Interpreter" at UN Headquarters, UN.org, March 9, 2004, retrieved on May 31, 2007
- Dialogue transcript of The Interpreter
