Hostage Review: A Jaw-Dropping Portrait of War Reporter John Cantlie
This compelling documentary about British war correspondent John Cantlie, who was kidnapped by Islamic State and is believed to have died in an airstrike, is filled with remarkable and unsettling stories. Reporters on the ground are essential to pierce the fog of war, but in the asymmetric conflicts of the early 21st century across North Africa and the Middle East, this task has become extraordinarily perilous. These regions, often grappling with blowback from previous Western interventions, present battlefields with blurred frontlines and multiple obscure antagonists, making journalists prime targets alongside combatants. Wearing a flak jacket and striving to send home coherent reports is not a vocation for the faint-hearted.
The Enigmatic Figure of John Cantlie
So, what kind of man was John Cantlie, the British photographer and reporter likely killed in Iraq in 2017 after his 2012 kidnapping in Syria? Hostage dedicates three episodes to unraveling this question. The absence of Cantlie's family, who declined to participate, deepens the mystery, suggesting much remains unknowable. Contrary to expectations of a reverent tribute to a respected profession, the opening instalment portrays Cantlie as a maverick, a danger to himself and others, as enigmatic as the brutal chaos he repeatedly immersed himself in.
"If we don't make it out of this, it's been fun!" Cantlie declares in an early selfie video from Libya in 2011, where he was embedded with Western-backed troops overthrowing Muammar Gaddafi. He stood right on the frontline, a scenario he might not escape, yet one that seemed to exhilarate him. Fellow foreign correspondents, heavily relied upon in the series, recall his garrulous machismo, a carryover from his earlier role as a presenter of motorcycling documentaries on British cable TV. Beneath this confidence lay a struggling freelancer, eager to secure major media gigs that peers had already attained. Nonetheless, Cantlie's impromptu smartphone reports possessed a visceral immediacy rivaling more established journalists.
Dangerous Fascinations and Captivity
One colleague was US journalist James Foley, who partnered with Cantlie in Libya and reunited with him after Syria's civil war erupted in 2011. Their guide was local photographer and fixer Mustafa Karali, the programme's key witness. Karali recounts warning them about crossing an Assad regime checkpoint into Binnish, where they could face gunfire. While Foley remained calm, Cantlie was exuberantly enthusiastic, visibly disappointed when bullets didn't fly. "He hoped to be shot [at]," Karali notes.
From there, Karali, who holds deep affection for his lost friend, shares a series of astonishing tales about Cantlie's interactions with the group that would become Islamic State. Notorious for extreme ideology, ruthless kidnappings, and many British members, IS fascinated Cantlie. His capture by jihadists twice, followed by fortunate rescues by the Free Syrian Army, only intensified this obsession. He now pursued the big story that could define his career, ignoring warnings of grave peril to return to Syria and seek out young British men turned violent fundamentalists.
In December 2012, Cantlie and Foley were abducted by IS, with Karali's account proving jaw-dropping. It occurred after an internet cafe encounter where Foley reportedly urged Cantlie to silence to avoid getting them killed. After captivity, Foley was murdered; Cantlie survived, making himself useful by presenting grotesque propaganda videos for IS. Whether this was a survival tactic or indicated he had been "turned" sparked anguished speculation.
A Tangled Legacy
Cantlie's time as a hostage occupies the final two episodes, highlighting how incarceration and torture revealed his courage and kindness, adding nuance to his complex portrait. Yet, the overall picture remains tangled and incomplete, with the full truth lost to noise and smoke. Hostage aired on BBC Two and is available on iPlayer, offering a gripping exploration of war reporting's darkest corners.
