This film is extremely well-done and conveys a sense of suspense (maybe a better word is dread) better than most movies could ever dream of. The cinematography captures life in an Afghan village and the excellent performances by the cast seem true to life and The story is set in pre-democracy Afghanistan when the Taliban were cracking down with a force and brutal efficiency that would have shocked Hitler's SS. Their extremist version of Islam is forced upon the populace without regard to the effect on their lives or the necessity of an already impoverished and struggling people.<br /><br />Women are not allowed outside their homes and require a male escort. In addition they are required to wear a Burka It is a source of constant amazement to me that the same compassionate liberal folks who rightly condemn the third Reich would defend, excuse or rationalize similar atrocities when committed by those in the Middle East. It's really a sort of subtle racism if you think about it.<br /><br />This movie should put the myths to rest and should serve as a sort of "Diary of Anne Frank" for a new generation.<br /><br />The atrocities of the Taliban and other extremist Islamic fundamentalists must be revealed to the resistant and skeptical west and "Osama", the first film to come out of Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban, does just that.