Civic Duty is a well-made, well-acted film with some confusing messages. While the script is a bit weak in dialog in some places, all together the story holds together well. My biggest problem with this film is it's overall message. Up to the last few minutes, the message was clear depending on your political persuasion.
For the conservative, the message seemed to be that our democratic system was too soft, allowing sleeper terrorists carte blanch to plan their nefarious deeds under the protection of the law. The average citizen should keep their eyes open, be vigilant but level headed, and pursue their instinctual suspicions. The Arab living next door could in fact be the next murderer of innocent people.
For the liberal, the message appeared to be a warning call. The media instills fear in us - these days about terrorists hiding among us. So powerful is this daily bombardment of messages, that a simple guy with too much time on his hands can become possessed with suspicion, and lose his mind and reason.
But the last few minutes, in which it seems evident that the suspicious Arab in question was in fact a terrorist, seems to justify the more right-wing take on the matter. Disturbing to say the least.
For the conservative, the message seemed to be that our democratic system was too soft, allowing sleeper terrorists carte blanch to plan their nefarious deeds under the protection of the law. The average citizen should keep their eyes open, be vigilant but level headed, and pursue their instinctual suspicions. The Arab living next door could in fact be the next murderer of innocent people.
For the liberal, the message appeared to be a warning call. The media instills fear in us - these days about terrorists hiding among us. So powerful is this daily bombardment of messages, that a simple guy with too much time on his hands can become possessed with suspicion, and lose his mind and reason.
But the last few minutes, in which it seems evident that the suspicious Arab in question was in fact a terrorist, seems to justify the more right-wing take on the matter. Disturbing to say the least.