Most of us are relatively healthy and grateful for the blessings of family, friends, and communities that contribute to our well-being and flourishing. Being threatened by terrorism is a chilling reminder that we must never take these blessings for granted. In a blink of an eye and the blast of a deadly weapon, our precious life can be ended. In our world of volatile hatreds, easy access to deadly rapid-fire guns, and the zeal of those who are willing to sacrifice their lives for their beliefs, it is very tempting to bring to the screen the high drama of terrorism events which have already taken place.
That is the case with Hotel Mumbai based on a well-orchestrated attack by ten jihadi Pakistanis in November of 2008 which began on the streets of the crowded Indian city where innocent people are killed at random. The massacre ends at the famous Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, a favorite luxury spot for the rich and the famous. We follow the trail of several young uneducated Muslims who are given orders and pep talks over their cell phones from a persuasive unseen presence they call Brother Bull. At one point, he admonishes them: "You feel strong. There is no fear in your heart. You are like sons to me. I am with you. God is with you. Paradise awaits."
Among the Indians whose karma it is to play special roles to play in this deadly dance are Arjun (Dev Patel), a Sikh waiter at the Taj who has a pregnant wife and young daughter, and Hemant Oberoi (Anupam Kher), the head chef who is a natural leader. Both of these courageous men put their lives on the line to protect the hotel guests and staff.
Among the wealthy guests at the hotel are Zahra (Nazanin Boniadi), her companion David (Armie Hammer), and their nanny (Tilda Cobgham-hervey); they endure horrific and extended periods of fear trying to keep the couple's little baby alive as the two terrorists stalk the halls of the hotel looking for more Westerners to shoot or to take as prisoners.
The actual terrorist attack in Mumbai took place over four days and left 160 dead and over 300 wounded. One of the things that makes this movie nearly unbearable is the many ways in which the terrorists seem to derive pleasure from killing men and women, young and old, face-to-face. Since the entire film revolves around the slaughter of innocents, we wish the director and screenplay writers had dialed down the violence, but in this kind of thriller based on real events, that would have been suspect.
Still, the Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hahn worries that violent movies such as this one do nothing more than water the seeds of violence in each of us. Is this something we want to do? Indeed, while watching this film, we longed for someone — anyone — to stop the terrorists in the only way possible — by killing them. We found ourselves wondering, as do some of the characters, why the military and special forces capable of stopping them took so long to get there. The only counter-attack was launched by a few guests and hotel workers and a handful of local policemen. The message of the drama is obvious. The best way stop such terrorist attacks is to improve the availability and firepower of anti-terrorist fighters.