The Road to Guantanamo

Though Michael Winterbottom is undeniably one of the most prolific filmmakers of his generation – The Road to Guantanamo marks his seventh effort in six years – his output is generally as uneven as it is plentiful. And while the director has never quite made a flat-out bad movie, his filmography is chock full of maddeningly erratic works such as The Claim and Code 46. With The Road to Guantanamo, Winterbottom – working for the first time with a co-director – delivers a disturbing, often unpleasant film that certainly succeeds in provoking an emotional response from the viewer. Based on a true story, The Road to Guantanamo follows four British friends as they travel to Pakistan to attend the wedding of one of their own. While there, they inexplicably decide to take a day trip into neighboring Afghanistan and arrive just as the United States has begun bombing the country. After being rounded up as suspected Taliban fighters by the Northern Alliance, the three survivors (the fourth disappears and is never seen again) are taken into custody by American soldiers and shipped off to Guantanamo – where they are systematically tortured and beaten for over two years. Co-directors Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross employ the same sort of cinema verite, shot-on-digital vibe that was prevalent in Winterbottom’s In This World, though The Road to Guantanamo instantly establishes itself as a far more urgent and engaging piece of work. This is despite the fact that none of the characters are developed beyond their most superficial attributes, as Winterbottom and Whitecross waste little time in thrusting the four hapless victims right into the thick of their perilous situation. That a good portion of the dialogue is rendered intelligible due to some seriously heavy accents certainly doesn’t help matters, nor does the confusion surrounding several early plot points (ie why are the guys even in Afghanistan?) That being said, there’s no denying the effectiveness of Winterbottom and Whitecross’ harsh portrayal of life within the Gitmo prison camp. The methods employed by the trio’s captors certainly fall under the category of cruel and unusual punishment, as the prisoners are forced to endure various forms of torture (ie they’re chained to the floor of a tiny room while death metal blares). The Road to Guantanamo is far from an easy watch – the movie is often depressing and thoroughly unpleasant – but one suspects that that is precisely the point.

**1/2 out of ****