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Plot:
Michael Winterbottom combines fact and fiction in "The Road to Guantanamo" recounting the story of the Muslim men from Britain now known as the Tipton Three. In 2001 they set off for a wedding in Paki...( read more 
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Recent Reviews
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MCT:September 5, 2008
I'd have called it a masterpiece documentary if it wasn't so full of bullshit. It's 95 minutes of lies mixed with everything possible to tell the viewer that Guantanamo's bad (which my point's not that it is or not). There's no point to all this. It's trying awfully to make the three "Brit-Pakistani-Modern-Terrorist"s look like saints. It gives you the rare experience of enjoying and hating a film at the same time.
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MCT:August 19, 2008[rapping] "My name's Shafiq Rasul, and I'm from Tipton, I tell them I ain't Taliban, but they don't wanna listen. You won't believe I just came out here, for my mate's wedding, do you? I never thought my ass, would be heading for Cuba."
The Road to Guantánamo combines fact and fiction to create a staggering and riveting docu-drama that potently illustrates horrifying events currently transpiring in our present-day world. Its relevance to today's existing society is overwhelming. The film's directors won an award at the Berlin Film Festival of 2006 for their powerful illumination of the little-known happenings in that tiny corner of Cuba known as Guantánamo Bay. Presently the United States government has refused to shed light on their activities in Guantánamo Bay camps that contain hundreds of suspected terrorists still held without charge. On that note, the filmmakers must be commended for undertaking this subject matter and even presenting it from the perspective of the victims enduring the inhumane torture.
Personally I feel that the world has witnessed enough American propaganda, and The Road to Guantánamo must be held in high admiration for depicting the American army as more brutal, unfair and callous. Even after this film's global release the United States government still refuses to tell their version of the story. Their pride means that they will never admit to being wrong, and will persist in accusing imprisoned detainees of crimes they didn't commit using forged evidence and faux testimonies. Furthermore, as the torture is carried out on the hopeless victims it appears that the soldiers enjoy their jobs...they take pleasure in verbally and physically abusing the prisoners. Their superiors as well commit atrocious actions, such as threatening a prisoner's entire family. Even when a prisoner's alibi clears them of all charges, they're still incarcerated unless they admit to being part of Bin Laden's Al Qaeda. Too long have we seen Muslims as the stereotyped villains in such American creations as TV's 24.
Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross' The Road to Guantánamo opens our eyes and demonstrates that Muslims aren't the evil terrorists we've been lead to believe that they are.
Inspired by true events of British Muslims known as the Tipton Three, the directors create a dramatisation of the horrifying experiences of these young men inadvertently caught in the heart of the 'war on terror'. These aforementioned British Muslims travelled to Pakistan for a wedding and to visit their families. In the urge of idealism motivated by massive rallies, they travel into Afghanistan with intentions of assisting the war-torn country. They are eventually captured by the Northern Alliance who ultimately hand the prisoners over to the Americans. Before long they're shipped to the harsh camps of Guantánamo Bay. We follow their experiences as prisoners when they are forced to endure dreadful conditions. For two years they're held captive under false charges.
For a moderately low-budget and low-key production, the creative team responsible for The Road to Guantánamo effectively complete their objective. The documentary-style approach is gritty and realistic. The scenes of torture and terrible conditions are relentless and profoundly effective. The editing, though, is what makes the film work so well. The re-enactments are edited together with actual news footage and interviews with the survivors. It lends the film a significant degree of credibility. The gritty camera techniques also place us in the action. Unfortunately the interviews occasionally remove us from the emotionally-straining happenings and the effect is weakened.
It's also worth mentioning that the story of the young men until their capture is extraordinarily difficult to believe. All credibility is thrown to the wind when the protagonists continue travelling into the devastated country of Afghanistan despite looking like befuddled tourists constantly concerned about expenses. It's even less believable that they move closer to the fighting and combat even when they feel uncomfortable about it...I mean why don't they just turn around? They're putting their lives in significant danger for the sake of an adventure and because they believe they should help the Afghani people. Not good enough, because the character motivations aren't explored adequately. The events leading up to their capture move at too much of a brisk pace, for the most part leaving us confused and disorientated...wondering how they've moved from A to B. Things only settle down when they're incarcerated and we're compelled to empathise with them. Still, the terrific work behind the camera is almost enough to keep us believing the proceedings.
On top of these production values, the acting is standard. Considering the low-budget origins the acting is quite impressive, however there always seemed to be something missing. With such wonderfully primed locations and filming techniques, it had the potential to be far more powerful. Even after saying that, the depictions of torture and the horrible conditions will haunt you due to the realism.
Overall, The Road to Guantánamo is an important, confronting contemporary film that relentlessly depicts the horrible happenings in Guantánamo Bay. It's undeniable that the film was initially fairly controversial and it will continue to spark controversy. It's still unclear as to whether these events are actually true or if it was actually all a work of fiction. Nevertheless the brutal treatment of prisoners is convincing and staggering. If the filmmakers didn't injure the film's integrity in the opening 20 minutes, and if the acting was a little better, this could have been a superior film. -
MCT:August 19, 2008
really nice drescription on guantanamo in between true and fiction .. u should see this to know what shit happen there ..
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MCT:August 13, 2008The Road to Guantanamo is a riveting watch that should pile fuel onto an already flaming controversy. However, a problem arises if one steps back to assess this Michael Winterbottom-Mat Whitecross work as film apart from the controversy it seeks to raise. This is not so much that reaction will depend on the viewer?s prior political convictions, or even on the depth of his or her concern for human rights. Rather, whatever one?s opinions, and reiterating that this is an emotionally charged screen experience, the nub is that this ?true story? will impress many -- is calculated to do so -- as a documentary record, whereas it is in fact acted re-creation carried along too often by the real victims? headshot narration and some minimal archival footage in carefully selected ironic and overview TV news clips.
Think back to even more powerful, one-hundred-percent dramatized (by Oliver Stone) Midnight Express, a not fully faithful rendition of a not entirely true story which also simplified into good innocents versus bad hypocrites who torture, rape and do not seek out higher-up drug traffickers. In contrast, and while in no way looking to defend the indefensible, Alex Gibney?s Sundance Channel and Court TV The Human Behavior Experiments relates present abuses to three unnerving ?scientific? experiments of the 1960s and ?70s in order to hint at the potential for depravity in men big and small, while on NPR Gibney commented on the complexity of torture and its ?layers of blame? extending from small to big.
President Bush opens the film in a speech later repeated, with ?the only thing I know for certain is that these are bad people,? and the English ?part documentary? reverses the designees in chronicling the twenty-eight-month nightmare of three first-generation Muslim British nationals (the fate of a fourth, disappeared early on, is unknown). Eventually celebrated as the Tipton Three, from their Midlands residence, their terror began innocuously in late 2001, when Asif Iqbal (Arfan Usman) traveled to a northern Pakistan Punjabi town to be introduced to and marry the girl his mother had chosen.
The intended best man suddenly unable to attend from England, another friend, Ruhel Ahmed (Farhad Harun), flies out as replacement, accompanied by Monir Ali (Waqar Siddiqui) and, anxious to revisit his native land after thirteen years, Shafiq Rasul (Riz Ahmed). Joined by cousin Zahid (Shahid Iqbal), the five meet in Karachi for a last-days-of-bachelorhood tour and stay at a mosque to avoid hotel expenses.
A prayer leader?s call for aid volunteers to Afghanistan appeals to their youthful idealism and desire for experience, but the overland trip to Kandahar and then Kabul does not go smoothly. There are language difficulties, Asif is running a high fever, and the first American bombs start to rain down. Intentionally grainy camerawork -- which many will take for real -- nicely re-creates the general confusion as, feeling useless and increasingly nervous, they try to return across the border but instead are carried north into Taliban mountain retreats.
Granted theoretical safe passage as non-citizens, they head south again, minus Monir, are caught in more bombing raids, rounded up by the brutish Afghani Northern Alliance, visited by deceived Red Cross observers and, consciously ignored by British embassy officials, finally handed over to American forces. Kept at an air base, they are separated -- later reunited -- then flown to Guantánamo, Camp X-Ray and, some time afterwards, Camp Delta.
Denied legal counsel, hearings or trials, and basic necessities, interrogated, degraded, browbeaten, cajoled, intimidated, bullied, lied to, they hear threats against their families and are assaulted physically and emotionally by people who appear to enjoy the job -- ordinary soldiers (one of whom is female), CIA, a redheaded man claiming to be Irish and another from the U.K.?s MI5 (whom end-titles say was really a disguised U.S. military officer), and officials from Washington.
Even the most naïve cannot believe that such practices are limited to one side only, just as surely as the staunchest patriot hawk cannot in any way defend them. The film?s propaganda rush does not let up, and although there are stretches like one caged praying prisoner?s mint-condition Koran defiled only after at least a year has passed, and although the violence is appreciably less bright-gore than in much current fare, the viewer is appalled at what he sees -- which is the purpose. The three young men find inner strength and solidarity and, wonder of wonders, when finally released without any charges having been pressed, are astoundingly composed and not filled with hatred when they close the film. -
MCT:July 14, 2008I saw a few month ago in Pakistan and I saw at July/2/2008.Wed , 04:37 Pm to The end in Pakistan again .
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MCT:July 8, 2008
Seen partial of this documentary and i was shocked with he violence of the guards against the 'supposed guilties '
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MCT:June 25, 2008
Outstanding, shocking and disturbing documentary about the Tipton Three when they were held in Guananamo Bay. Although this is also part drama (fiction), its effect on people is the desired one. Do not let this go and witness some of the existent atrocities committed nowadays.
85/100 -
MCT:June 22, 2008
Based on a true story, The Road to Guantanamo tells the story of the Tipton Three, three British citizens who were arrested in Afghanistan in early 2002. The three men- Ruhal Ahmed, Asif Iqbal, and Shafiq Rasul, were detained at Guantanamo Bay for two years. While detained they were denied legal representation and experienced severe mistreatment and coercion under duress in attempts to solicit confessions. They were released in 2004 and have provided some of the best first hand accounts of what the government is doing to suspected low-level terrorists. The meat of the film, which is basically a fifty-minute montage, depicts members of the Tipton Three dragged before American interrogators where they are yelled at, sworn at, and belittled. They are thrown into dank cells, put into stressful positions, and kept in solitary confinement with confession to being a member of Al Qaeda the only means to relief. These are chilling scenes, and will cause extreme disturbance, as you will surely be imagining all the other innocent people who are put through similar treatment, and all of those still going through it.
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MCT:June 2, 2008J'ai pas vraiment le traitement du tout. Le mélange de documentaire et de recréation des événements n'est pas très bien réussi. Le film n'est pas venu me toucher autant que je l'aurais cru. Un film intéressant quand même sur les atrocités de Guantanamo.
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MCT:May 30, 2008
A politically charged story, that manages to be told in a rather levelheaded, personal and (most impressively of all) non-propagandistic manner. This is, no doubt, a little miracle.
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MCT:March 30, 2008
Michael Winterbottom's latest film tells the incredible story of how three young lads from Tipton ended up in the world's most notorious maximum security jail. Their case, which made international headlines, ended with them being released and found innocent of all charges, and now Britain's most versatile director shows exactly how it all happened. Told in the young men's own words, The Road to Guantanamo is not an easy film to watch, but deserves a wide an audience as possible.
This makes for compulsive but extremely uncomfortable viewing. If you saw the lorry scene in In This World (the Winterbottom film this most resembles), then you may have some idea of what to expect. A similar scene in this film, in which a crowd of prisoners are hoarded on to a locked lorry and left to die, is just one example. The various ways in which pain - both mental and physical - is inflicted on the group are some of the most harrowing scenes in recent cinema.
Winterbottom uses a style similar to Kevin Macdonald's Touching the Void, in which the real men tell their tale to a single camera, while actors recreate their terrible journey. It's a decision that pays off, as it not only makes the film believable, but shows the resilience of these extraordinary characters. The inner strength they found to survive an ordeal which is almost beyond imagination is a testament to the human spirit. The film also, cleverly, avoids making a political statement: while some of the antics of the Americans are clearly beyond the pale, some of them are shown in a positive and helpful light. If anything the picture's message is about man's inhumanity to man and it's mind-boggling to think that events such as these can occur in the 21st century.
A film every American voter should see.
Michael Moore -
MCT:March 30, 2008
Us Americans need to wake up as to what we are doing in the name of protecting ourselves from terrorist!! Are we becoming terrorist ourselves?
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MCT:March 10, 2008THE ROAD TO GUANTANAMO (2006)
directed by Michael Winterbottom & Mat Whitecross
starring Riz Ahmed, Farhad Harun, Waqar SiddiquiThe Road To Guantanamo is a documentary/re-enactment about four friends originally from Pakistan but now living in England. They go back to their country cause one of them is getting married. While over there they decided to go to Afghanistan to see for themselves what its really like - its all happening less than a month after Septmber 11, 2001 - but thats when trouble begins. One of the firends disappear and the three others get caught by the American military and are put in «jail» where they'll be asked many questions and stay for over two years.This film is important cause it shows how the American Military can overuse its power to try to get what they want. It shows the psychological torture those poor innocent men had to go through and all the violence that happened there. My only problem with the film is that it wasnt effective enough, the violence wasnt brutal enough and despite being an extremely interesting subject I think something was missing. It would have been interesting to see how those men kept their sanity while being stuck there and what their family thought or how they kept their hope they were still alive. Not bad though, just to see the after-effect of 9/11 was worthy. All Americans should see it to really understand what is going on overthere.
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MCT:January 2, 2008
Takes forever to get to the point and ruins itself almost completely before it does. After they get to prison it's decent and gets it's point through.
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MCT:October 11, 2007
A good documentary that lost it's credibility when i found out more about the 'victims' after this was made. According to a show called lie lab that aired in the uk. Ahmed confessed to have visited an Islamic training camp. Now that doesn't make it right for the way they were treated, if that's how it really is there.. but, if he lied about it he definitely could be lying about other things so therefore making me disappointingly without a choice but to lose respect for the whole documentary.
Still worth a watch though. -
MCT:August 29, 2007
A good documentory about life in guantanamo bay.Even you are innocent they tread you like animals i think much worst then animal.And what we read in the papers about the torture is really happenin' in there...luckily there's people whom had experience it told the story of their brutality..
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MCT:August 26, 2007
These people are treated apallingly. Do watch for an insight into how the US treats so called "terrorists"
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MCT:August 22, 2007One question.. How the hell did they get some of that footage?.. I highly doubt that they were being followed with a camera during that trip.. I realize that alot of it was staged for the filming.. but some of it was EXTREMELY graphic for staged footage.. (such as when one of them is helping dig graves for the victims of the bombing).. You can generally tell where the real media coverage was used, and the actors they used were not terribly good, so you can tell that.. I don't know.. some scenes seem a bit too much to be reinactments..
Okay, aside from that.. this is deeply disturbing.. I think the worst part is that after they were cleared they were still treated like criminals.. imprisoned for over a year AFTER they were OFFICIALLY cleared?.. because they would not sign a paper saying they were affiliated with Al Quiada..when it is a matter of record that they weren't.. that all the shit they tried blaming them for.. (such as the "pictures and photo's of them listening to Bin Laden that happened while two of them were in jail in ENGLAND and the other was WORKING in another country).. was completely falsified and honestly should have gotten some people booted from the militatry.. . I don't know what else to say.. and don't really care to.. Interesting film.. -
MCT:July 17, 2007
Den kunde gjorts mer lättillgänglig. Innehållet var intressant, men det slöa tempot och allt berättande var lite påfrestande, faktiskt, tyvärr.
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MCT:July 15, 2007
Película que denuncia la situación de los presos islamistas detenidos en la base norteamericana de Guantánamo, en Cuba. La base es la historia de cuatro amigos británicos que, en septiembre de 2001, viajaron desde Tipton, en las Midlands inglesas, para asistir a la boda de uno de ellos y, de paso, disfrutar de unas vacaciones en Pakistán. Su viaje los llevó desde Tipton hasta Karachi, Kandahar, Kabul y Kunduz, donde fueron capturados por la Alianza del Norte (formada por distintas facciones de grupos armados unidos por el objetivo de derrocar al régimen talibán) y luego pasaron a manos de los estadounidenses, que los condujeron a Kandahar. Desde allí, tres de ellos (Shafiq, de 23 años; Asif y Ruhel, ambos de 19 años) fueron trasladados a la base norteamericana de Guantánamo, en Cuba, donde permanecieron más de dos años prisioneros, sometidos a incontables humillaciones y torturas. El 5 de marzo de 2004 fueron trasladados al Reino Unido. En Londres, tras ser interrogados, fueron puestos en libertad sin cargos.
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MCT:June 26, 2007
Completely factual? No. Immensely interesting? Yes. As critical as it could be? Not by a long shot. This documentary styled movie works for a single reason, people are interested in what is happening in Guantanamo Bay and to the "enemy combatants". It is definitely saddening and maddening how some arabs are treated just because of their birthplace.
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MCT:June 13, 2007
The film is difficult to watch at times but thanks to it's documentry style it works. Howeve it fails to capture the fear and horrors of Guantanamo Bay. It still makes you ashamed of George W. Bush's job as president. ("I can say that because I'm not famous enough for anyone to care.")
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MCT:June 10, 2007
This was an eye-opener. You really have no idea what other countries are like, being locked up in your own little bubble makes you naive. But this movie (among others) makes you realise that things happen in this world that suck and the scenes depicted haunt you.
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lildesigalposted 780 days ago
