Essay Questions

Why does the mission involving the terrorists changed from capture to kill?

Despite the fact that the terrorists had vital information that could have been used by the United States, United Kingdom, and their allies, the mission involving the terrorists is changed from capture to kill because the military discovers that the terrorists have outfitted themselves with suicide vests. Although the authorities would have liked to capture the terrorists, they determine that the risk to the community and to the country as a whole would be too severe for their capture mission to continue.

What is one of the film's messages?

Eye In the Sky has quite a few messages. However, its biggest and most impactful message involves drone warfare. Specifically, Eye in the Sky argues that drone warfare, although advanced and relatively new, is inhuman and minimizes the potential loss of human life. Director Gavin Hood summed up that message well, saying that "Drones are new but still a weapon of warfare. It doesn't matter if it's a drone or a sniper rifle, the question is: 'Did we kill the right guy?'"

What is a COBRA meeting?

COBRA, which stands for Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms, are meeting rooms in London which are used when dealing with events that are integral to the safety and security of the United Kingdom - both domestically and abroad. Characters in the film had quite a few COBRA meetings to discuss what should be done about the situation involving the terrorists and drones.