Syriana

[flitzermusik]

I am back in town on "family business" so I spent some time with an old friend. We went to the local cinema to catch an evening showing of Syriana. Fucking $9.50 for a popcorn and a slushee. But this post is about more important things than the rising price of movie concessions.

Comments

Intrigued...

[ixchelmala]

I've not read what you hid under the cut, but it sounds like a film that's right up my alley.

Let me know when and where and I'll be there with bells on love;) Just from your little blurb on your main page, I'm intrigued to check this flick out. And a matinee sounds like it would do, as you seem keen on discussing it. Also, I know unreal_cinema would jump in to discuss this as well.

*goes back to sorting things in iPhoto and the like*

Thoughts on Syriana Part 1 of 2

[ixchelmala]

Syriana is a very provocative movie that explored the deep corruption and powerful politics behind the profitable international trade of oil. There were about 23 different plot lines going all at once (I kept count!) but seriously, there were a lot of subplots going all at once, but they all came back together into one central sticky, viscous mess: black gold. Texas tea. Bubblin' crude.
I'm really interested to know about the 23 plots you counted. In many ways this films felt it borrowed the structure of a Tom Clancy novel... come to think of it, I think this is the first time I've seen a film that's kept it's complexities from it's text origins

Thoughts on Syriana Part 2 of 3

[ixchelmala]

cont.

...a Syrian king--little more than a puppet in the hands of Uncle Sam (more on that later)--whose sons were vying for control of the kingdom. One prince wanted to use his country's oil to free them from bondage and debt; the other was happy blowing money out his ass, just as long as the United States was his best customer.
Again, this is reminiscent of the days of Feudal lands, Kings and their 1st and 2nd sons. Uncle Sam being not unlike the Pope of The Church of days of old. Giving his 1st son to the Crusades, not knowing if he'd come back the same, only knowing that "it was the right thing" to do... much like the 1st son here is sent to America to gain a good education so he could turn his country into a better place. His second, greedier son, in the shadow of that position, has been seduced by those things that satisfied the urges of "now" at the expense of his people. Think Robin Hood. Prince John and King Richard (King Richard being more like the 1st son in this case

thoughts on Syriana Part 3 of 3

[ixchelmala]

Cont.

Then there are these devout Muslims students, searching for answers to life, who are befriended by another Muslim and he begins to lead them astray and recruits them for a suicide mission to...I won't reveal that, either.

The recruiter, to me, was part of the Muslim school. Did you catch that the students were Pakistanis? They were the equivalent to 3rd world immigrants such as the ones that are just trying to make a living to keep their tummies from rumbling.

In a way, I think the film tried to show a certain parallel to 1st son and his group of supporters. One was extreme and the other less so, both with aims to have the people benefit in the end.

Suicide? Not so much. Part of a greater holy war? More likely, yes, that's what they were led to believe knowing that in the next life paradise was to be found. That their actions, however grievous would benefit the greater masses. Simply put, the sword is replaced by a rocket launcher.
And finally, the embedded financial journalist.
Ah, well that's supposed to be the audience