The film also explores the "terrorist's paradox." The hijackers wanted to highlight the plight of Palestinian prisoners. By refusing to negotiate, Israel launched a spectacular raid. In the short term, Israel won. But the raid also turned Entebbe into a myth—a myth that inspired future hostage-takers to be more ruthless, and future governments to be more paranoid. The film suggests that violence begets a cycle of violence that a single dance or a single rescue cannot break.
Padilha structures the film as a countdown. We know the deadline is coming, but rather than just cutting to the soldiers on the tarmac, the director forces us to sit with the anxiety. The film is split into three distinct narrative strands:
ends with a text scroll listing the dead. It notes the number of Ugandans, Israelis, and Germans. It does not cheer. It mourns.