UNIVERSITY OF

PETROLEUM & ENERGY STUDIES

SCHOOL OF LAW

B.A.- LL.B. (HONS.)

SEMESTER VI

ACADEMIC YEAR: 2021-22 SESSION: JAN - MAY,

2022

MOVIE REVIEW

FOR

ALTERNATE DISPUTE RESOLUTION

(CLCC 3026)

Under the Supervision of: Ms. Gunjan Saxena

NAME: PRAKHAR DUBEY

SAP NO: 500077324

 ROLL NO: R450219156

MOVIE REVIEW FOR OSLO

“We will facilitate and facilitate only.”

Oslo is great movie where the main theme of the movie surrounded on the aspect of
negotiation between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Liberation Organization
during the period of 1993. The film is document is such a way where first both party refrain
to talk to each other later it can be seen that things start to build by light talk the whole idea to
intended behind the permanent resolution to a age old conflict Israel- Palestine where it can
be seen that in the past where the Gaza was burning with renewed bloodshed. For several
nations with no direct connection to the Middle East, Western news coverage has been the
only legitimate window into the violence. And more notably, the politics behind the violence.
But more on that later.

It was just before the case when the guest had arrived at Norway’s Booregaard Manor, and
this is when Mona Juul who plays the role of effective third neutral party along with her
husband Terje Rd-Larsen. Firstly, the conversation starts without the official government
consent, the Norwegian couple established secret back lines, where the Norwegian were
trying to avoid any kind of conventional diplomatic process along with, they wanted to make
sure that the USA cannot know about their plan. Here in the entire movie the couple has tried
their best to “promote” a healthy discussion between Israel and the Palestine Liberation
Organization under the auspices of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (where Mona
works) and the Fafo Foundation (Terje’s think tank). While in the whole story Mona and
Terje did not interfere but they were only there to facilitate their entire discussion. The 1993
Oslo Peace Accords, which are the subject of HBO’s Oslo were the outcome of all of this
discussion which created the background.

It seems that there was no diplomatic security when the guest arrived and it can be seen that
Terje is the one who drives everyone to their destination in a rented automobile. Two
academicians from the University of Haifa, Yair Hirschfeld and Ron Punda, and Ahmed
Qurei, the PLO Minister of Finance, and his liaison Hassan Asfour, convene in the beautiful
foyer and the atmosphere seems it is bleak and untrustworthy. Terje passes a healthy remark
hoping that everyone would be friends and thus he ordered whiskey to ease the friend-making
process, which appears to succeed initially, although there were with a few odd snags. When
Marxist Hassan haughtily remarks, where he was found stating that “The petty bourgeois idea
of family does not interest me,” a little dialogue about their childhoods is diverted. So, let’s
get this party started! Mona and Terje stand by the doorway, nervously watching their
children’s slumber party devolve into a risqué game of spin-the-bottle.

As the story goes by the Israeli professors are then replaced by some serious players who are
leading the way for the chain of command including that of the Uri Savir, Director General of
the Israeli Foreign Ministry, who is hear for stalking dressed from the “The Matrix”, and Joel
Singer, legal advisor to the Israeli government, after the first round of talks. Yasser Arafat,
who is in exile, is frequently referenced but seldom seen. Minister of Foreign Affairs Shimon
Peres is included. The discussions are continually on the point of breaking down. Everyone
believes that “the Americans” should be kept in the dark.

In the entire movie what Mona’s experiences in war-torn Gaza are a particularly low point,
both physically and thematically. The things she has witnessed during the war which led her
to the use her position of power at the Ministry to kickstart the “peace” process, these
flashbacks mostly focus on her terrified expression. As if the film wants us to participate in
Mona healing her personal scars by seeing “peace in the Middle East” or whatever, this
emphasises her experience in extremely unpleasant ways. It’s a narrow line, and the film
teeters on it whenever the relationship is the focal focus.

Here in the entire movie the central couple’s awakening is undeniably noble but also
desperately white: where we see Mona gets sepia-toned nightmares of their trip and when
Terje dines with the Israelis in Jerusalem and even one cannot forget the scene which shows a
yellow-coated Mona walking in a sea of black winter coats – a nod perhaps to Spielberg’s
iconic Schindler’s List image of the red-coated little girl in an ocean of monochromatic
darkness. Mona’s flashbacks, too, feature crossfire dotted by Palestinian flags and
aggressions in the West Bank.

An early scene has Mona swearing her husband to utmost neutrality. She reminds him that
they are simply mediators who cannot interfere, irrespective of their personal bend. When
one of the participants demands to know what he should do after hitting a roadblock, Terje is
instinctively about to advise him, before Mona shuts her husband up. The implication, of
course, is that Terje nurses an opinion – a distinctly human trait that the American film
pretends to eschew in favour of ‘equal footing’. We all know how that goes
To summarise we can perfectly see the seven principles of negotiation applied can be seen in
Oslo 2021.

1. Interest which both Mona and Terje have given fundamental importance in
negoatation to meet the needs and wants as often there may be things which might go
hidden and unsaid
2. Legitimacy where see the fairness is being maintained throughout the discussion in
negotiation and it should not have been the case where one party is taking advantage
of other and because of which offer can be rejected.
3. Relationship this is the key to manage the relationship as in the present movie both
side Israel and Palestine have their own set of narrative and this culminated into a
problem which was shown in a way where they start with healthy talk of here and
there and then things started to shape for discussion.
4. Alternatives and BATNA in tis movie we can only see though the parties were tring
to negotiate but they were sticking to their point of having the best alternative course
to their side which come of the entire negotiation session.
5. Options it is something which needs to presented during the entire course from both
the party which allow them to see what is more beneficial to them.
6. Commitments. This is best thing which can set the tone for agreement which shows
that both parties after discission are committing to abide by their agreement which
culminate at the end of the proceeding.
7. Communication. It is most important thing where you express what you expect from
the discussion when both the parties are coming out and making the process more
flexible.
Overall, this movie serves the classic example of how successful negotiation
works and how can each party reach the best decision.