...
Syriana (2005) ...
The appearance of this film may not bring pleasure to everyone, especially if you're not a fan of television's golden age.
| Released: | 2005 |
| Running Time: | 126 minutes |
| Cast: | Kayvan
Novak .... Arash George Clooney .... Bob Barnes Amr Waked .... Mohammed Sheik Agiza Christopher Plummer .... Dean Whiting Jeffrey Wright .... Bennett Holiday Chris Cooper .... Jimmy Pope Robert Foxworth .... Tommy Barton Nicky Henson .... Sydney Hewitt Nicholas Art .... Riley Woodman Matt Damon .... Bryan Woodman Amanda Peet .... Julie Woodman |
| Writers: | Robert Baer (book) Stephen Gaghan |
| Director: | Stephen Gaghan |
| My Rating | **** |
"Syriana" is a
geopolitical thriller film directed and written by Stephen Gaghan. It has won an
Academy Award in 2005 and it features George Clooney as main character, next to
Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wright and Mazhar Munir. Gaghan adapted his screenplay from
Robert Baer's memoir "See no Evil", thus "Syriana" deals with the influence of
the oil industry whose social, political and economic effects are experienced by
CIA operative Bob Barnes, Clooney's character.
Opinions upon this movie are multiple and different. "Syriana" has been regarded as a political slap in the face of reality check or as a thesis on the culture of corruption, but the fact is that you have to see it to understand it.
Indeed, "Syriana" is a powerful, suggestive film
which presents the degre
e in which
corporate conglomerates and governments can place their ambition of world-wide
control above the citizens' well being. There's no place for good guys in this
game of power, no negotiation, no principles, so it's not a matter of good
versus evil. It's a matter of discerning the ultimate bad from the other
villains.
The tangled script reveals a net of corruption and self-interest, all fueled by the struggle for oil supremacy. Two soon-to-merge oil companies' owners stop at nothing to make the merge work, as the new founded company will become one of the most powerful in the world. In the same time, the law firm representing the company becomes itself eager to cash in on the new economic success of the company. Meanwhile, the attention of the American government is attracted somewhere towards an unspecified Middle Eastern country (everybody agrees that we're dealing with Saudi Arabia), where a power struggle between two sons of an aging king has arisen.
Operating through the CIA, American business gets involved, as it is interested in which of the two sons will inherit the king's throne. Obviously, it doesn't want the eldest son to be the next in line, as he is reform-minded and his priorities will be building a country to benefit his own people. On the other hand, the younger son proves to be eligible to continue relegating his country to a cozy spot in the USA's pocket, taking orders directly from its president.
Basically, the film's most chilling plot strand shows the audience how the struggle for oil feeds the radical Islam movement in the Middle East and how young men having a strong feeling of brotherhood and righteousness can face a world who has turned its back on them in favor of Western corruption.
Clooney's
character, Robert Barnes, is a veteran CIA field operative sent in the Middle
East to stop illegal arms trafficking, who discovers the hidden face of arms
dealing and war. He is caught in this dangerous game, and from a hired assassin,
he becomes a prey himself, left aside by the company, who portrays him as a
rogue agent. He succeeds staying alive and in the end tries to warn his
bourne, prince Nasir, but gets killed in an explosion.
The title "Syriana" has various interpretations. Some say that it comes from "Pax Syriana", an allusion to the necessity of peace between Syria and United States, regarding the oil business. Others state that this is a real term used by Washington think-tanks when describing a hypothetical reshaping of the Middle East. The movie director, Gaghan, says that "Syriana" is "a great word that could stand for man's perpetual hope of remaking any geographic region to suit his own needs." I guess we can take this as a perfect description of the concept.
Bottom line, "Syriana" is a movie which tries to make the audience think for itself and connect the dots to get the entire clear picture of the Middle East situation. It has been stated that it deals with political issues. It has been said that it deals with violence, corruption and perverted governments. No matter these statements, "Syriana" remains a masterpiece of the year 2005. It is the second best movie of this year, after "Crash" and it is one of the best movies George Clooney has starred in. "Syriana" is not only about unveiling the truth about an ambiguous war; it tries to make things clear and make the audience perceive this war in a correct way. "Syriana" also deals with feelings, with frustrations and with desperate attempts of surviving.
