Writers: M.B. Traven, Rory Haines, Sohrab Noshirvani
Stars: Jodie Foster, Tahar Rahim, Shailene Woodley, Benedict Cumberbatch
Length: 2h 9min
《The Mauritanian》是一部2021年的美國法律劇情電影,由Kevin Macdonald執導,改編自Mohamedou Ould Slahi的回憶錄《Guantánamo Diary》。電影以Slahi的真實經歷為基礎,講述了他在沒有被正式指控的情況下,被美國政府關押於Guantanamo Bay監獄長達14年的故事。Slahi被指控與恐怖分子有聯繫,但他始終堅持自己無辜,並在經歷酷刑與不人道對待後,透過人權律師Nancy Hollander與Teri Duncan的努力,展開了對司法正義的漫長抗爭。
故事發生在911事件後的美國,當時對國家安全的恐懼及對恐怖襲擊的憤怒籠罩著整個社會,形成了高度敏感的政治與輿論環境。為了盡快平復社會創傷並轉移公眾視線,不排除政府以國家安全名義擅自更改既有的法律程序,甚至以政治操控的方式尋找代罪羔羊。Slahi因此成為目標之一,他被拘押多年,並遭受酷刑以逼迫認罪。然而,輿論對於Slahi是否真的無罪也有過討論,但無論結果如何,無罪與否應由公正、公開且公平的法律程序裁決,而非通過屈打成招或秘密審判來定奪。
Slahi的個案揭示了司法系統如何在安全與自由之間失衡,尤其是在偏見和政治壓力下,中立與公正變得遙不可及。同時,檢察官Stuart Couch的角色反映了個人在體制中的掙扎,他最終選擇堅守真相,拒絕參與政治利益驅動的審判,突顯了追求正義的艱難與可貴。
電影的意義超越了Slahi的個人經歷,它揭示了權力與監察之間難以調和的矛盾。類似的事件並非僅限於美國,在全世界許多地方的黑暗角落中,濫權與人權侵犯的問題屢見不鮮。當權力缺乏透明監察時,自由與尊嚴往往成為代價。《The Mauritanian》不僅是一部法律劇情片,更是一部深刻的反思性作品,它呼籲人們在面對極端情況時,堅守正義與人性的價值,同時警醒世人,權力濫用不僅侵蝕個人權利,也危及社會的核心價值與道德基石。
We know the law is corrupt, and we know the government using fear to control us.
And when I moved to Germany as a teenager, for the first time I experienced living where people do not fear the police… where they believe the law protects them.
For me and for so many people in the world, America is like this.
Even in Mauritania, we have watched Law and Order and Ally McBeal.
And when I first arrive at Guantánamo… I’m happy because I trusted in American justice.
Never… Never did I believe I would be eight years a prisoner without trial, and that the United States of America would use fear and terror to control me.
All my time here, I have been told, “You are guilty.
You are guilty.”
Not for something that I have done or that has been proved… but because of suspicions and associations.
If you have a problem with the United States of America, you will have that problem forever.Slahi