Syriana, released in theaters on Nov. 23, 2005, is an ambitious, mosaic-like film that meticulously details the complex, often sinister, relationships between Big Oil, American foreign policy, global espionage, and Middle Eastern politics.
Rather than following a single protagonist, the movie weaves together disparate narrative threads across multiple continents, demonstrating how seemingly minor decisions in Washington or the Gulf can have devastating global consequences.
The story revolves around several key figures whose paths eventually intersect, showing the human cost of the oil trade.
George Clooney delivers an Oscar-winning performance as Bob Barnes, a veteran CIA operative navigating the murky world of intelligence in the Middle East, a life that demands betrayal and sacrifice.
His journey runs parallel to the corporate machinations of Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon), an energy analyst in Switzerland who suddenly finds himself in a position of influence with an ambitious Gulf Prince (Alexander Siddig) pushing for modernization and economic diversification.
Meanwhile, the corporate side of the energy sector is managed by power brokers like Bennett Holiday (Jeffrey Wright), a lawyer investigating the merger of two major oil companies to maintain American control, and Jimmy Pope (Chris Cooper), a powerful Texas oil executive.
William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson, and Christopher Plummer also feature prominently in the political and legal frameworks attempting to control the narratives of these events.
Jamey Sheridan, Robert Foxworth, Kayvan Novak, Amr Waked, Max Minghella and Amanda Peet round out the cast.
George Clooney in Syriana (Photo/Warner Bros.)
Reception for Syriana
Syriana grossed $553,530 on its opening weekend, in limited release on five screens. The film would expand into wide release on Dec. 9th and gross $11.7 million to finish second at the box office.
Syriana would gross $94 million worldwide.
Roger Ebert gave the film four out of four stars in his review.
Legacy
Syriana‘s legacy is its uncompromising, non-linear approach to exposing the true geopolitical price of oil.
It is a demanding film that refuses to simplify its subject matter, treating every character, from the highest-ranking official to the most marginalized worker, as a necessary component in the massive, ethically compromised machine.
The film serves as a crucial, complex document of the early 21st-century global power struggle, challenging audiences to rethink the hidden costs behind every barrel of crude oil.
