The Insult Film Difficulty Ranking: 2
The Insult demonstrates just how powerful words can be. The trials between the Tony the Lebanese Christian and Yasser the Palestinian refugee are like the OJ Simpson trials on steroids.
From: Lebanon, Asia
Watch: Trailer, Amazon Prime, Rent on Amazon, Buy on Amazon
Next: OJ Simpson: Made in America, Silvered Water, Ajami
Why Watch The Insult?
- To see how two words can ignite racial tensions
- Witness the power of stubbornness
- Learn that there’s racism everywhere
- If you loved The People vs. OJ Simpson TV series
The Breakdown
The Insult starts at a political rally for the Lebanese Christian Party. It’s where we meet one of the protagonists, Tony Hanna. In a few scenes, we learn that Tony is:
- Stubborn – he doesn’t want to move house with his pregnant wife
- Rude – he practically slams the door in the construction workers face, who is only offering to fix his broken gutter
- Angry – he wears a ‘wife beater’ vest, has tattoos, and has a permanent grimace on his face (all characteristics included for their negative stereotypes)
So when the fateful ‘insult’ happens, we side with Yasser, the worker who is only trying to solve a problem, even though he calls Tony a ‘fucking prick’ for smashing the gutter he has fixed for him. We side with Yasser because he deserved to be called a prick. However, as the issue is escalated and Yasser’s job is put on the line, he is forced to attempt an apology.
But it’s the events going off the screen that make the insult and the apology much more significant than it should be. There are anti-Palestinian speeches heard on Tony’s TV that shout that the Christian’s have been forgotten. These off-screen speeches ignite a pretty normal spat into an issue of national security, giving the film some serious drama.
What to Watch Next?
If you want another court room drama with plenty of racial tension, check out either The People vs. OJ Simpson (the TV series on Netflix) or OJ: Made in America (the epic 7 hour documentary).
Or if you want to watch more films focused on racial tensions in the Middle East check out:
- Ajami: tensions between Jewish Israelis and Palestinians in Israel
- Silvered Water: documentary footage of the crisis in Syria
- Mardan: a sobering look at Kurds in Iraq
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