Knife: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie review
Documentarian Alex Gibney is the man of the moment thanks to his controversial Elon Musk documentary Musk, but he has another project out this year about the 2022 assassination attempt on author Salman Rushdie.
In August 2022, the novelist was about to participate in a public discussion at an institute in upstate New York when a man rushed the stage and stabbed him repeatedly, causing serious injuries to the side of his face, neck, abdomen, hand and eye.
This documentary follows his recovery following the brutal attack, primarily using footage shot by his wife Rachel Eliza Griffiths (who is credited as an executive producer and cinematographer) while he was in hospital. You see an unflinching account of his immediate injuries, what his wounds were like and, most shocking of all, the damage to his right eye.
Outside of the hospital footage, the film also features clips of their home life, holidays, his return to the scene of the crime, as well as a recap of his life and career via archival footage, paying particular attention to the controversy surrounding the release of his 1988 novel, The Satanic Verses, which was considered blasphemous by many Muslims. Rushdie was forced into hiding for many years after an Iranian leader called for his assassination in 1989.
As someone who covered the attack as a journalist, it was interesting to see what was going on privately behind the scenes at the time. It’s very effective hearing Rushdie’s voiceover, including passages from his 2024 memoir, Knife: Meditations After An Attempted Murder. It feels a tad overlong at times, but you will be locked back in when it reaches its unforgettable ending, when Rushdie returns to the institute and shares his memories of that fateful day.
Unsurprisingly, Gibney saves footage of the attack until the very end. We see more than I expected and more detail than I was prepared for. Seeing such a horrifying act of violence is not for the faint-hearted. It is shocking, sobering and deeply upsetting, and I felt tears in my eyes. It’s quite hard to watch, but at the same time, you can’t look away. It’s a miracle he’s still alive.
This documentary can be difficult to watch at times, but it is thorough, enlightening and well worth your time.
Special previews on Wednesday 30th September before general release on Friday 2nd October