An Analysis of the Movie Syriana - Essay Example

An Analysis of the Movie Syriana The history of American involvement in the Middle East has been a long one. The social, economic and political involvements of the United States of America in the affairs of foreign countries is indeed a practical experience to many people who have served both in the military and other important economic sectors. While such involvements should not be curtailed, America being the world superpower, it is important to realize that the proceedings that have formed a part of these activities have taken varied forms. A justification of such proceedings can be best given by military professionals who have been at the center of the American interventions. Quicksand is an academic book written by one Geoffrey Wawro. The author’s academic background on military matters and the long-term experience as a teacher of the Naval War College grants him an ability to write from a political perspective. He gives a historical perspective of the incidences that have been pioneered by the American government in the Middle East and relates the incidences to the political and economic significances that are the driving forces behind the involvements. This paper seeks to give an analysis of the movie Syriana and in turn give a relation between the main theme communicated by the movie and the propositions given by Wawro in his book Quicksand. Discussion An analysis of the movie Syriana Syriana is a 2005 film written by Stephen Gaghan. The film focuses on the interplay that exists between political and economic drivers in the world today. The influences of the United States in the oil industry are addressed in the movie. The movie begins with a major US oil company, Connex, losing drilling rights to a Chinese company in the Middle East oil fields in a kingdom ruled by the Al-Subaai family (Syriana, Minute 15). This turns out to be a great disappointment to US oil industry. Connex, therefore, settles on establishing a merger with Killen, a comparatively smaller oil company that has recently won the rights to drill oil in Kazakhstan. The position of Connex in the oil industry is hence greatly affected and its position in the world among the oil drilling companies drops to twenty-three. The merger with Killen gave Connex an additional control over drilling activities in the Middle East though the US is not happy with the decision taken by Prince Al- Subaai to turn to China instead of offering the rights to Connex. To assure the US that the merger with Killen was constitutional and justified, Connex law firm, headed by Dean Whiting, assign Bennett Holiday to demonstrate to the judicial system of the US that the merger was conducted through observance of the required regulations. This is to allow the activities of the merger to proceed (Syriana, Minute 58). The United States responds to Prince Al-Subaai’s decision by assigning an agent named Bob Barnes to assassinate the prince. This process is pioneered by the CIA who in the process investigates a case of illegal weapons in the kingdom headed by this prince. This step is prompted by the ideas that further leadership of the prince would continually undermine the interests of the United States in parts of the Middle East (Syriana, Minute 78). This is a mission of guarding the political interests of America. As the oil saga precedes, Bryan Woodman, who is based in Geneva, becomes associated with Emir, father to Al-Subaai through a tragic occurrence. During this time, Woodman learns of the intentions of Al-Subaai to westernize his kingdom. Al-Subaai had learned of the western culture of economic diversity and democracy and had hence settled on this idea of leadership. If Emir discovered these hidden intentions of the heir apparent to the throne, Al-Subaai would not be allowed to ascend the throne since it would as well pose a threat to the process of leadership in the kingdom, which was not a form of democracy (Syriana, Minute 89). This, together with the oil saga develops into a dramatic movie in which migrant workers are forced to quit because of the merger that has taken place between Connex and Killen. Based on several story lines, this movie communicates the political and economic interplay that has formed a basis of the societal setting today. A reflection of the movie with what is learnt from the book Quicksand Relating this movie to the postulations in the book Quicksand, a great similarity is revealed. The movie’s plot is organized in a way to bring oil to be at the center of the interventions by the United States. In Quicksand, Wawro in the Chapter concerning Saudi Arabia identifies the centrality of oil wells as a major influential factor in attracting the involvements of the US in the affairs of foreign countries (Geoffrey, 341). The increased dependence of America on oil has seen it grow into a strategic planner who is attracted by minimal incidences especially in the oil producing countries. Wawro describes a kingdom in Clausewitzian and terms it a “Center of Gravity of the World Oil Production.” Middle East countries have increasingly been at the center of American strategies due to their great potential in the oil industry (Geoffrey, 490), one of the most stable economic determinants of the world today. The decision by the CIA to send an assassin to do away with Al-Subaai due to the economic threats that he is likely to pose is a demonstration of protection of America rights in oil rich countries. Wawro similarly postulates that American military and economic interests are derived directly from the interests that it has in the oil rich countries. In developing an understanding of the tension that is existent between the Iranian leadership and America, Wawro in the chapter titled “Ajax” of the book Quicksand provides a historical basis of the tension. Operation Ajax was a jointly conceived plan by the American and British forces in the beginning of the second half of the 19th century. It was aimed at overthrowing the then popular and legally elected prime minister of Iran, Mossadeq. The prime minister, just his predecessors had fought for an internalization of the oil companies that were supposedly owned by western companies (Geoffrey, 500). In comparing to the movie, the decision by prince Al-Subaai to give a drilling contract to a Chinese company is a similar case. Though this is not a process of internalizing the whole process, but rather an economic strategy meant to obtain maximum gain from the entire process of drilling, the decision is against America. The CIA, just as in the case of the Mossadeq, assign an assassin to kill the prince since his leadership serves as a threat to the interests of the United States (Syriana, Minute 65). The development of American doctrines in other countries is also given an insight in the movie. The rise and fall of American principles in the course of the leadership of the Arab nations is clearly demonstrated by Wawro. He claims that this influence reached its peak during the dispute involving the Suez Canal (Geoffrey, 671). The interventions of the United States into Iraq in 2003 are also indicated by Wawro as a clear demonstration of such doctrinal interferences. In the movie, the ideas possessed by Al-Subaai of thinking of westernizing the kingdom are a clear demonstration of the varied thoughts possessed by leaders on the nature of American system of leadership. While Emir thinks that it is not right to introduce a sense of democracy into the kingdom, the heir apparent has such ideas. The interplay of political ideas is thus perfectly reflected in the movie and in the book, Quicksand. Conclusion Political ideas stem up from economic interests that are possessed by political leaders. The movie, Syriana, and the book Quicksand are typical explanations of the forces that push countries, especially the United States of America to make military interventions in foreign countries, Middle East ones in particular. While Wawro fails to suggest practical solutions to this menace of American involvement, it is undeniable that such interventions are necessary in bringing peace to the world (Geoffrey, 701). References Geoffrey Wawro, (2010) Quicksand: Americas Pursuit of Power in the Middle East, t, Penguin Press, New York, pp. 24-740. Print. Movie Syriana (2005). Video. Read More