History Film / TheInterpreter

* DissonantSerenity: The entire that that Dr. Zuwanie has a gun pointed at his head, he shows no emotion whatsoever, not does he when Tobin reveals to him that his FalseFlagOperation has fallen apart. It's clear that he's resigned to his fate, whatever it may be.

* SanitySlippage: Silvia has this after she learns about the death of her brother. She's so grief-stricken that she finally decides to try and kill Zuwanie herself. And the entire time she's holding him at gunpoint in the UN saferoom she has a bit of a manic look on her face.

This was the final film Pollack directed (though ''Made of Honor'', made three years later, was his last film as an actor).

* TeaserOnlyCharacter: The opening scene focuses on Xola and Simon before they're gunned down by ChildSoldier{{s}} working for Zuwanie.

* FullCircleRevolution:Dr. Zuwanie started as a freedom fighter, before becoming a notorious dictator. FBI Agent King comments on many rulers this has happened to: "They all begin as liberators and 20 minutes later they're as corrupt as the tyrants they've overthrown."

* {{Bulungi}}: Matobo again. It's a recognizable {{Expy}} of {{UsefulNotes/Zimbabwe}} (which is why the actual African country of Zimbabwe has banned the movie).

A UsefulNotes/UnitedNations Interpreter, Silvia Broome (Kidman) returned late one evening to her work station and overhears a [[HeKnowsTooMuch plot to assassinate]] Edmond Zuwanie (Creator/EarlCameron), the leader of her home country. Fearing for her safety a Secret Service Agent in Foreign Dignitary Protection (Penn) is assigned to investigate and keep an eye on her. The movie was the first ever movie to be filmed inside the United Nations including the chambers of the U.N. Security Council.

This was the final film Pollack directed (though ''Made of Honor'', made three years later, was his last film an actor).

* BlackAndGreyMorality: Zuwanie is by all accounts a despicable human being, [[spoiler: but Silvia has also been planning to kill him.]]

* DecoyProtagonist: [[spoiler: Silvia is set up as an innocent person dragged into this plot, when in reality, she's been planning to assassinate Zuwanie for years and it's revealed that Tobin is the true hero.]]
* TheDragon: [[spoiler: Lud]]. to [[spoiler: Zuwanie]].

%%* EvilAllAlong: [[spoiler:Silvia.]] is either this or a VillainProtagonist.

* JustifiedCriminal: [[spoiler: Silvia]]. is portrayed as this for wanting to kill Zuwanie, and doesn't even get arrested at the end.

* ProtagonistJourneyToVillain: Zuwanie was initially hailed as a hero for his role in overthrowing an extremely corrupt government. Now he's internationally despised for his regime's many human rights abuses. [[spoiler: It's however a subversion for Silvia. She's been planning to assassinate Zuwanie for years.]]
* TheReveal: [[spoiler:Silvia is attempting to assassinate Zuwanie.]]
** [[spoiler:The initial assassins were an attempt by Zuwanie to deter his opponents from indicting him.]]

%%* VillainProtagonist: [[spoiler: Silvia.]]

* OhCrap: In the scene where Tobin's colleague Doug is tailing bad guy Gamba on a bus, [[spoiler: just after Gamba gets off a passenger says "Would you look at that - guy forgot his lunch" and picks up a brown bag he left. Doug then says "[[FamousLastWords Oh, man]]" when he realises that the bus is about to blow up...]]

* OhCrap: In the scene where Tobin's colleague Doug is tailing bad guy Gamba on a bus, [[spoiler: just after Gamba gets off a passenger says "Would you look at that - guy forgot his lunch" and picks up a brown bag he left. Doug then says "Oh, man" when he realises that the bus is about to blow up...]]

A UsefulNotes/UnitedNations Interpreter, Silvia Broome (Kidman) returned late one evening to her work station and overhears a [[HeKnowsTooMuch plot to assassinate]] Edmond Zuwanie (Creator/EarlCameron) the leader of her home country. Fearing for her safety a Secret Service Agent in Foreign Dignitary Protection (Penn) is assigned to investigate and keep an eye on her. The movie was the first ever movie to be filmed inside the United Nations including the chambers of the U.N. Security Council.

A UsefulNotes/UnitedNations Interpreter, Silvia Broome (Kidman) returned late one evening to her work station and overhears a [[HeKnowsTooMuch plot to assassinate]] the leader of her home country. Fearing for her safety a Secret Service Agent in Foreign Dignitary Protection (Penn) is assigned to investigate and keep an eye on her. The movie was the first ever movie to be filmed inside the United Nations including the chambers of the U.N. Security Council.

* GenreSavvy: [[spoiler: Kuman Kuman]] predicts the truth about who is behind the assassination plot early on, correctly analyzing how it's something a person like that would do, and pointing out how it would benefit him in such a setting. That scene even gets a flashback once the authorities figure it out.

* GenreSavvy: [[spoiler: Kuman Kuman]] predicts the truth about who is behind the assassination plot early on, and that scene even gets a flashback once the authorities figure it out.

* GenreSavvy: [spoiler: Kuman Kuman]] predicts the truth about who is behind the assassination plot early on, and that scene even gets a flashback once the authorities figure it out.

* GenreSavvy: [spoiler: Kuman Kuman]]. predicts the truth about who is behind the assassination plot the assassination plot early on, and that scene even gets a flashback once the authorities figure it out.

* InternalReveal: Silvia and the Secret Service finding out that [[spoiler: her brother]]. and Xola were murdered, which the audience knows from the first scene.

* SheepInSheepsClothing: [[spoiler: Kuman Kuman]]. is briefly suspected as having killed Daniel and Xola and possible being behind the assassination plot but is innocent of both and says that he would have been willing to [[spoiler: form a coalition government with Xola to oust Zuwanie and rebuild their country]].

* TheReveal: [[spoiler:Silvia is attempting to assassinate Zuwanie.]]
** [[spoiler:The initial assassins were an attempt by Zuwanie to deter his opponents from indicting him.]]

%%* EvilAllAlong: [[spoiler:Silvia.]]

* FullCircelRevolution:Dr. Zuwanie started as a freedom fighter, before becoming a notorious dictator. FBI Agent King comments on many rulers this has happened to: "They all begin as liberators and 20 minutes later they're as corrupt as the tyrants they've overthrown."