“Captain Phillips” was a mixture of a thriller, a heart wrenching drama, and an eye-opening commentary on strife in other countries due to globalization.
The story is centered around a commanding officer from Alabama, Captain Phillips (Tom Hanks), who is the Captain of an unarmed cargo ship that is passing through the Somali Basin. Having been warned that pirate activity was frequenting the area, Phillips is shown taking all precautions to protect his crew. However, the ship is not able to hold off the approaching crew of pirates led by a Somalian pirate named Muse (Barkhad Abdi).
Phillips is eventually taken hostage after a series of tumultuous events. Hanks portrays the character with the perfect amount of emotion, making the character seem like a hero while also seeming real and relatable.
The fact that the movie is based on a true story only emphasized the cultural significance of its message. However, it has become known that the movie was not all fact. According to the New York Post, crew members say that the real Captain Phillips was arrogant and not the hero he has been portrayed as, ignoring the warnings of piracy and taking unnecessary risks.
Nevertheless, the message about the adverse conditions that these people face was strengthened by the presence of a hero. The Somali people are frequently forced into piracy by powerful groups of criminals.
A parallel between life in America and life in Somalia that really spoke to me was in the opportunities, or lack thereof, presented to young people in the modern world. In an opening scene, Phillips expresses concern for his teenage son, that it is much harder to find jobs than it used to be. Later, when Phillips is pleading with Muse, he claims that there must be another way for the pirates to live. Muse simply says, “Maybe in America.” However, there is no other way of life in Somalia.
The actor who plays Muse, Barkhad Abdi, lived in war-ridden Somalia as a child. He was working as a chauffeur in Minneapolis when he saw the casting call, according to the Los Angeles Times. Abdi’s haunting portrayal of the desperate Somali was able to match the performance of his seasoned counterpart Tom Hanks.
Action-packed and tension-filled, “Captain Phillips” will leave you emotional about the characters and concerned for the problem presented. No matter what your movie interests are, I would recommend the film for all audiences.
Karly Horn is an A&E Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.