If the critique of the depiction of modern warfare is that the media sanitises the taking of life then a film on suicide bombing by Chris Morris is bound to be controversial. Chris Morris is one of the leading satirists   and comedians of his generation. His sharp criticism of the media through his work has earned him a loyal following as well as a large number of critics. So when it was announced that he would be making a film about Muslim suicide bombers in Britain, many would have thought that this would have been a difficult if not impossible subject to take on. To his credit, Chris Morris has done his rounds in the community, spending some years researching this area including attending the Crevice trial.

Well there is clearly enough material for this kind of film. The desperate antics of the suicide bombers, the fragile and yet tender relations between them, the lack of clarity of their purpose and their obvious ineptitude all show potential terrorists for what they are. Clearly, some of the characters are exaggerations but they are not exaggerated enough to bear no resemblance to reality. It takes an interested outsider’s perspective – in this case Chris Morris – to point to the many issues within the community which perhaps remain untouched.

Morris has probably travelled a long distance from the moment when he first had this idea to the point of the film’s release. This marks him out amongst those that have attempted to tackle this subject, his inclusion of Muslim producers and actors is also to be welcomed. Much cultural production on or of Muslims these days tends to ignore Muslim talent. But most importantly, he has crossed the bridge that many refuse to cross, one that takes them from the point of misapprehension and bewilderment to some measure of understanding. Reading some of the reviewers in the national press, which in most cases are Muslim-free zones, one guesses that they may also have a few bridges to cross.

Does the film make fun of Muslims? It certainly makes fun of some Muslims, some scenes make for uncomfortable viewing, but not in a way that one begins to hate them. But poking fun at extremism and the absurdities of how some people approach the religion has also been a part of Muslim culture. Is this the Muslim version of ‘The Life of Brian’? In many ways, it is. I have always understood the Python critique to be that of Christian behaviour rather than Christian belief. ‘Four Lions’ adopts a similar approach towards Muslim extremism and the war on terror. Those of us who live in the community have our fair share of jokes and anecdotes. Morris has mainstreamed this but in a way that is not prescriptive nor preachy. Rather, the humour instead of increasing the emotional distance between the viewer and those being laughed at, decreases it. It endears them to us. For those who wish to understand the reasons as to why people commit terrorist attacks will be wiser after watching this but this film is not a meditation like ‘Apocalypse Now’ for example on what makes civilised men savage, rather it is one of the most profound pieces of insight into Muslim extremism and all that surrounds it to have been produced in recent years.