February 28, 2014

Captain Phillips (Oscar list, 7/9)

Hijacking, greed, and America.

The Facts

Between 2005 and 2012, Somali Pirates have asked for an estimated $339-$413 Million dollars in ransom for the vessels, cargo and crew they have held hostage at sea. Modern day piracy is a real problem that has moved from mere fishermen attacking ships to fully organized crime rings that include Elders, Financiers, Commanders, Security Squad, Negotiators, Mother Ship Crew and finally Attack Squads. To put it into perspective, in 2012, 177 attacks took place on cargo ships, and 2013 saw the first drop in attacks with only 138 incidents of piracy occurring. This seems troubling, but taking into consideration how many cargo ships pass by Somalia, pirates only attack about 0.5% of all shipping traffic. And of those attacks, only 0.2% are successful in capturing the ships.

The true story

In 2009, the Maersk Alabama—a Danish ship with an American crew was passing the coast of Somalia when pirates attacked it. Unlike most other successful pirate attacks that can last 60-100 days, this one lasted only 5, but unlike any other pirate attack, this one made international headlines. Just like the OJ Simpson “high speed chase”, everyone from the Winnipeg Free Press, to the Late Show with David Letterman was talking about the Maersk Alabama attack, which ultimately ended with the now legendary US Navy SEALS dramatic simultaneous triple sniper take down.

Captain Phillips is the dramatic retelling of those 5 long days.

– Surveillance photo of Phillips and the Pirates in the lifeboat.

Differences of opinion

It is truly pointless to debate the authenticity and factuality of Captain Phillips, because with 20 crewmen, I am sure we have 20 vastly different interpretations of the events. These differences of interpretation largely appear to be driven by greed and a pending lawsuit.

11 of the 20 crew are currently in legal litigation against the Maersk Line and the Waterman Steamship Corp., claiming for up to $50 Million in damages due to the “willful, wanton and conscious disregard for their safety.” As if trying to profit off of a tragedy is not enough, it also appears that some of the crew are jealous of the newfound fame the captain is receiving. With a published book and now a movie bearing his name, it is possible that the other 19 are feeling a little left out (even though many of them already received a pay cheque from the movie producers).

One person who is benefiting (and should be benefiting) from this film is the lead pirate, Barkhad Abdi. Director Paul Greengrass wanted real Somali actors to add a layer of realism to the film. The problem is that there isn’t a pool of Somali actors to draw from in Hollywood. After researching Somali population distribution in America, a casting call was issued in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was there that among 800 auditioned, that Paul Greengrass discovered Barkhad and his friends. Having never acted before, Barkhad gave an Oscar worthy performance as he drove home the perils of the sea, and the emotion of a hopeful hijacker (not bad for someone who didn’t know how to swim prior to filming). Captain Phillips has given Barkhad the opportunity of a lifetime, and the academy will likely reward him for his “rags to riches” story.

Conclusion

While there were 177 attacks in 2012, this is the only pirate attack you probably have heard of. In fact, the Maersk Alabama has been attacked 4 more times since Captain Phillips in 2009 (but I doubt you’ve heard of any of those attacks either). Why is that? What made this attack different? Was it the bizarre nature of the lifeboat take down? Was it the fact that it was an all American crew? In a wired magazine interview with a pirate (yeah, I’m as skeptical about that as you are), the pirate went on to explain that Americans are the “jackpot”, because their lives are worth the most ransom at the bargaining table. While we may never know what happened at sea during those 5 days, what we do know is that Captain Phillips, the film, is a gorgeous and dramatic retelling of a terrifying 5 nights. With superb acting and endless suspense, it tells the story of a united America who leaves no man behind, and then sues each other for profit.

Christopher Orr summed it up nicely saying…

“Whether or not you find it an inadvertent parable of the political moment (I do), Captain Phillips is a terrific film.”

I would be more than happy to see Captain Phillips take home the Oscar for best film.

Captain Phillips (Oscar list, 7/9)

Hijacking, greed, and America.

The Facts

The true story

Differences of opinion

Conclusion

Further reading

Now read this

American Hustle (Oscar list 1 of 9)