Dir: Stephen Gaghan, 2006, US, 130 mins
Cast: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wright, Alexander Siddig, Christopher Plummer, Amanda Peet, Chris Cooper, William Hurt
Review by Robb Horsely
George Clooney has risen to prominence recently – not as Hollywood’s favourite heartthrob, but instead as something of a political activist. Released a couple of weeks after Good Night and Good Luck (Clooney’s take on the McCarthy era), Syriana is a strong critique of America’s role in the global oil industry.
Despite taking inspiration from See No Evil (the memoirs of former CIA operative Robert Baer) Syriana is primarily a work of fiction. The central theme – America’s manipulation of the global oil market – is well documented, and this film pulls no punches in its depiction of the CIA as a corrupt global mafia, exploiting small middle- eastern countries to secure cheap oil for the USA.
The usual approach in issue-based movies would be for a heroic character to embark on a crusade for justice, but in much the same vein as The Constant Gardener, the truth is a grey area, with everyone carrying a certain amount of guilt. Taking a journalistic approach, writer-director Gaghan lets the focus shift from one person to the next, constructing an elaborate series of connections and relationships, switching from the perspective of CIA agents to that of the boardroom execs, and then on to the factory floor, following the progress of exploited immigrant workers at the oil refinery.
Despite the fictional storyline, Gaghan has crafted a veneer of realism, which he exploits throughout, borrowing from the documentary form with loose camerawork, naturalistic lighting and chopped up editing. Violent scenes are shockingly realistic – particularly the torture scene in which Bob (Clooney) has his fingernails removed. Authenticity is emphasised by the decision to shoot on location, with the wide-ranging landscapes providing a rich atmosphere and texture. The Middle East has a tragic barren beauty which contrasts well with the austere colonial architecture of Washington DC.
A weakness of the multi-plot genre (Magnolia, Short Cuts) is that we have little time to relate to protagonists. Gaghan seems to relish this limitation, creating a series of deliberately ambiguous characters, each of whom are guarded in their actions and unwilling to open up to the audience. Holliday (Wright) is a case in point, giving us little or no indication of his inner turmoil as he betrays his mentor to cover up a corporate scandal. Clooney’s Bob (CIA agent) is perhaps the most open, if only in the sense that he shows fear and confusion. Unlike clichéd special agents, he is merely a pawn in a larger game, unable to control his destiny and unsure of his own loyalty to the cause. Bob is as close as this film comes to offering a central character – Clooney’s performance is both ambiguous and intriguing.
In many ways, Syriana feels like a companion to Traffic (also written by Gaghan) – another film that tackles a real issue through the eyes of fictional characters, but this time around the action feels less contrived, perhaps because Gaghan takes a more objective perspective. There are no good guys or bad guys per se, just an ensemble of characters – each with their own motivations, both selfish and human.
The story is complicated, perhaps too complicated, and it is difficult to find someone to root for amongst such a collection of morally compromised individuals. Despite this, Syriana is raw, gripping, and ultimately compelling, maintaining its momentum to a powerful climax that leaves you feeling somewhat shaken.
Robb Horsley 2006
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Warner Home Video have announced the UK Region 2 DVD release of Syriana for 10th July 2006.
Extras include:
- A conversation with George Clooney
- Deleted Scenes
- Make a change, Make a Difference (featurette)
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