The Interpreter

It loses some of its force because it is fictional. But it could be about any number of countries in Africa that are all too non-fiction: genocides, ethnic cleansing, brutal slayings, mass graves, thousands of victims, thousands of refugees, thousands of the disinherited and dispossessed, thousands of expatriates yearning to go home, except home will never be the same.

Any movie that begins with an execution by children is going to be sobering throughout.  “The Interpreter” is a serious film intended to be taken seriously. 

Nicole Kidman plays Silvia Broome, an interpreter at the U.N. She is fluent in an obscure tribal dialect because she grew up in the part of Africa where it is spoken. Her family was there until her parents and her little brother were killed by a land mine. Her response in political involvement then gave way to a more militant approach, just so someone would pay attention. She quit when she had to shoot a boy who was trying to shoot her. She ran to the U.N., hoping that diplomacy would find a way when the guns had not.

We, as viewers, find all this out later.  At first, all we know is that she is only one of a number of linguists, until the day when she overhears the whispers of conspiracy within the confines of the United Nations building.  When she reports it, she is subject to much scrutiny herself, mostly from a Secret Service agent named Tobin Keller (Sean Penn) assigned to protect diplomats. It seems that the one he is assigned to protect is the one she thinks there is a conspiracy against.  But it’s not as easy as merely pumping her for information. She has her secrets, and so does he. There is a lot of dancing about words. But then, that’s what interpreters do.

Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn are unquestionably the focus of this movie. Most of the dialogue revolves around them, and when they are together, the star power is evident. They could probably be talking about pizza delivery and it would be compelling to watch. Give them some substance to their dialogue, and the results are mesmerizing. Kidman plays that vulnerable/smart/mysterious role like the pro that she is. Penn is the realist struggling with emotions he can barely name. It is not really a romance, because it is not going to consummate in the predictable way.  But there is definitely a connection. And the viewers are left to consider the connections we can make to people other than the obvious.

The story is told in this movie about mourning in Africa, where the guilty party and the victim’s family are led out together to a riverside. The convicted is bound and thrown into the river. The victim’s family has the choice of allowing him to drown, or moving to save. It is said that if they allow the drowning, they may find “cheap justice”, but they will go on mourning for the rest of their lives.  If they save the perpetrator, they are finally able to move on, finally able to put their grief behind them. It is an interesting concept, like the other African custom of not mentioning the names of the dead, lest their spirits not rest in peace.

Yes, in our personal lives, we have to move on. And there is also a sense in which we have to figure out how to move on as nations, as well. We have to figure out how to make peace not by attempting to rectify the past, or redress perceived grievances, or continue to recite the litany of wrongdoings, but instead, leave it all behind, and go forward. Yes, it sounds a bit idyllic, and even naïve. It also sounds like the kind of principle upon which is built The Kingdom of God (Matthew 8:21-2).

Questions for Discussion:

1. “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).
   When does a society rightfully extract vengeance? Are there circumstances where an individual rightfully extracts vengeance?

2. How long should the period of mourning be, before you can trust your emotions again?

3. Do you think the U.N. is the world’s last and best hope for peace, or merely a useless dumping ground for serial diatribe?

4. Is any translation necessarily an interpretation? If so, what does that say about the influence of the interpreter? What does that say about biblical studies?

 Ron Salfen is pastor, Westminster Church, Dallas, Texas.