Syriana

Directed by Stephen Gaghan

Warner Bros. Pictures

4 1/2 stars





“Syriana” is hardly the feel-good movie of the year.

The audience has little to latch onto: there are no tidy conclusions, no moral victories. Jagged scenes, choppy story lines, and sharp dialogue bemuse and befuddle. The plot snakes in and around itself, yet the narrative entanglement revealed by the narrative peak lacks any sort of clear solution.

But this uneasiness sets “Syriana” apart as striking and provocative. The movie raises questions about politics, war, and the Middle East through the lens of the world’s—particularly America’s—addiction to oil without offering easy answers. Such abstractions and complexities seem to authentically reflect the atmosphere of the post-Sept. 11, 2001 world, where political and moral tensions temper our economic relationship with other nations.

Written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, “Syriana” is a gritty film that traces oil corruption from the golden deserts of the Persian Gulf to Capitol Hill. Gaghan, Oscar winner for his screenplay for “Traffic,” formats the film in a similar style, choreographing the careful intersections of multiple plots and characters through common dependencies.

The writing and acting manage to successfully illustrate Gaghan’s complicated themes. George Clooney quietly reveals the vulnerability of his character, disillusioned CIA agent Bob Barnes, without showy heroism. Playing against his suave, macho type, the former Sexiest Man Alive gained over 30 pounds for the role and seems as trapped in his body as his character is trapped by the machinations of shadowy government archetypes.

Matt Damon, as energy analyst Bryan Woodman, tackles technical jargon with authority while simultaneously showing the reasoning behind ethically ambiguous decisions. Jeffery Wright’s (“Angels in America”) smooth portrayal of lawyer Bennett Holiday serves as another anchor, showing that a good side does not guarantee a good man. Several talented supporting actors, including Chris Cooper (“Adaptation”) and Amanda Peet (“A Lot Like Love”), make sure that scenes never lose persuasive authority.

Like “Traffic,” Gaghan keeps the focus on his characters, literally and figuratively. In numerous shots, the cinematography is manipulated to sharply focus on the actor, leaving the background in blurred obscurity; this stylistic choice draws the viewer to the character’s performance and forces ideological identification. Gaghan wields his camera analytically to showcase the palaces and slums of exotic countries, but never loses sight of the corrupted inhabitants.

The developed characters and crisp cinematography are further enhanced by an impressively haunting score. The music boldly deepens the film’s emotional impact without drawing too much attention away from the narrative. More importantly, the score offers a sense of unity in a potentially disorienting film.

“Syriana” cannot be labeled as a simple political criticism—this is not “Fahrenheit 9/11.” Gaghan’s frustrations with the oil industry and its relationship to foreign policy in the Middle East underscore the entire film. However, at its heart, the film exposes the radical blindness that clouds the moral judgments of players on different sides of the issue and the ambiguity involved in every action.

At one point, Clooney’s Bob Barnes is instructed to assassinate a foreign prince because it is in America’s best interest—an action which damages the future stability of the country and creates incentives for two young men to join a terrorist organization. Such unintentional repercussions demonstrate how the narrow-minded aims of the powerful elite dictate much more than they could anticipate. Gaghan juxtaposes terrorists and senators to prove that no one, despite their best, or worst, intentions, has seen the big picture.

Critics may accuse “Syriana” of being unpatriotic for condemning the oil business or linking our military intervention with dependence on foreign oil, rather than freedom. In reality, Gaghan exposes the dark underbelly of an international operation on which we all rely. Unlike other films—from “Fahrenheit 9/11” to “Jarhead”—Gaghan’s agenda is not to vilify the Washington insider or laud the soldier, but instead to raise awareness of an extremely corrupt system in which we, the average consumer, are the primary benefactor.

“Syriana”’s success depends not on box office receipts, but in its power to make its viewers think twice about their own behavior while illuminating the slick inner workings of the oil industry.