“The Recruiter”
Looking at Kazakhstan
Amos Lassen
When we think of Kazakhstan, I doubt that we think of beauty. I have learned that Kazakhstan is indeed a land of beautiful landscapes—there is great beauty in the starkness there. Picture This Entertainment has managed to release another movie of how children are used to do the jobs of adults in “The Recruiter”, a visually stunning film. A 15 year old Kazakh youth, Mustafa, is told by his mother’s boyfriend that he must procure young boxers so that they can fight illegally and men can gamble. When one of the young boxers receives a terrible blow to the head, the boyfriend sends Mustafa to deliver the prize money to his (the boxer’s) girlfriend and young son. Mustafa finds them living in an almost poverty like shack somewhere in the middle of nowhere and immediately falls in love with the girl and decides to raise the young boy. But he only knows how to support people in the way he has been taught and instead of attempting to lead an honest life, he continues in his illegal activity.
This is not an easy film but as I watched I learned so much. I first learned of the country of Kazakhstan and of the nature of the people and the beauty of the country but more than that I learned of the use of youth to do an adult’s job. I felt myself full of rage as I watched the young kid throw his life away by succumbing to the demands of his mother’s low-life boyfriend. I do not understand how children get involved in this sort of activity; I understand even less why they continue with it.
Even with that, I must confess that everything about this movie is first class. The acting is wonderful, the characterizations are epic and believable and the photography is crystal clear. The script is literate and beautifully written and this movie will expose you to many new ideas
Reviews by Amos Lassen 