The legendary Moroccan series that brought to us many famous names in the cinema right now. Began streaming in 2008, one of the most remembered episodes is Tobis. To be honest it's the most intense 45 minutes I witnesed in Moroccan cinema. Welcome to today's article! Enjoy!
Story
This episode speaks about Rabii and Amine,two young boy living in the slums trying to make a living out of stealing. It is morally incorrect but they don't have another choice. They both get on a bus to try and steal a phone, everything goes south when a police officer steps in. Will he catch them? Are they gonna run? Everything is out of the expected.
The Stanford Prison Experiment (1971)
Context
24 students devided to 12 guards and 12 prisoners as part of the experiment, the latter was intended for two weeks. It was terminated in 6 days because of the physical and psychologocial abuse guards practiced on the prisoners. The experiment was made to answer the single question : "Do good people turn evil because of who they are, or because of the situation they're put in?" . You might wanna ask yourself now, what does this have to do with an episode of a Moroccan series. I'll explain to you .
Policeman
His name wasn't said in the series, maybe for generalisation purposes at the time. From the moment our policeman gets on the bus to the end of the episode, you can sense he has a huge ego. In his strongest phase, taking the cigarettes from the bus conductor, to his weakest point, being shot by Amine. You may have developed some sympathy for him in the start, but when he gets back his gun you understand who is really the victim in that bus.
The Gun
When our policeguy describes the gun that Amine holds. A Berreta 92, he uses the term "رجال فحولة" it means real men,he considers himself the only man in that bus, all are just little kids trying to reach him on his high horse. The gun throughout the movie symbolises The Stanford Prison Experiment whoever gets the gun becomes the guard. That's when their true personality comes out, as you can see no one even thinks of opening the bus door and letting everyone out. Everyone thinks of what they want, even when the country bumpkin gets it.
The Buisness Man
Have you ever read Animal Farm? Napoleon is the most contreversial in the book,well this guy reminds me of him. Let me introduce you to him, a normal buisness man taking the bus to work, nothing much to say, at least from the outside. But When he is hold by gunpoint, the only thing he speaks of car loans, money , clients. It's as if the 9-5 corporate guy mindset isn't a mindset anymore, it's a lifestyle for him. He tries to help Amine and Rabii just because they are the boss of the situation when they had the gun, it's like he is climbing a corporate ladder, stepping on his "collegues". We can feel it really when the bus conductor takes the gun, he gets behind him and does everything he says. Literally everything, even holding Rabii's hand to be shot, and the girl to be cut. Things take a turn when he gets possesion of the gun, he makes unrealistic demands and calls his boss for an salary increase. Mind you, this was a "random" person in the bus. We did not bring him out of a psychological hospital.
Bus Conductor
At first you see a modest man, from his accent you know he is from the countryside and illiterate. We know he acknowledges power when he sees it, giving the policeman his own packet of cigs. Everything turns around when it's his turn to have the gun, we see a deep hate, like really a deep hate for the new generation/young people. At first he calls Rabii " Wlidi" my son, when he has power, he literally shoots the boy hand for no specific reason. He cuts the face of the girl who did nothing, just because he wants to ruin her beauty. I've personally had some encounters with people like him. They think this generation is bad,ugly and doesn't deserve to even live. Why? We have an open mind (this specfic term gets them on edge) we have our own opinion,we don't follow the croud. One last thing I need to point is that he began praying when the gun got to him, he was praying to god.
The Girl
Before she gets cut in the face, she does what any healthy person would do amidst all this chaos: call the police. After she gets cut in the face, we understand something.Read the Se7en (1995) article go to the pride section and readShe had the same mind as the pride victim in Se7en, all she cares about is her face, it's her pride. She turns crazy after and kills the bus conductor, even tries to kill the Buisnessman. He shoots her in self defence.
The Activist
The first to be robbed, when the policeman boards the bus, he hides his face. We soon Understand why he did so, he was an activist on a protest that day and the policeman punshed him. The latter doesn't even remember him, that shows he is a real man, as he says. Two things demonstrate a big trait in this guy's personality, at first he refuses to gut open the policeman for the key to Amine's handcuffs, second he refuses to kill Rabii even when he has a knife to his throat. It shows he is a peaceful activist, all he wants is Freedom, that is written on a piece of clothes he has.
Freedom
This bus needs freedom, not from Amine, not from Rabii, but from their real personalities. Themselves.
Amine
Believe it or not, this is the only single healthy minded person in that bus. He took the gun for self defence, all those 45 minutes. Amine's only purpose was to open the cuffs, although he tried to gut open the police officer for the keys but wouldn't we all in that situation? He is innocent to the point where when the police ask what are their demands, he asks Rabii "what demands?". It shows he is far from being a kidnapper, he thinks he is kidnapped.
Rabii
Amine's friend and subordinate in crime. One thing they have in common is that both of them are low iq dudes. When Rabii was about to demand the keys for the handcuffs, Amine says they will bring a sniper to shoot him.
Demands
Rabii and Amine demand food and clothes which show their social class and narrow mind. The buisness man demands a helicopter and money which show his corporate guy lifestyle. The bus conductor demands that the police keep away and he knows what he is doing. It shows the countryside where he grew, problems are handled between families even if death is involved.