Product Description

Big oil means big money. Very big money. And that fact unleashes corruption that stretches from Houston to Washington to the Mideast and ensnares industrialists, princes, spies, politicos, oilfield laborers and terrorists in a deadly, deceptive web of move and countermove. This lightning-paced, whip-smart action thriller grips your mind and nerves with an intensity that doesn't let go for an instant.

DVD Features:
Featurette
Interviews

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7580 in DVD
• Brand: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Released on: 2006-06-20
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: Arabic, English, French, Persian, Urdu
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 126 minutes

Features

• Big oil means big money. Very big money. And that fact unleashes corruption that stretches from Houston to Washington to the Mideast and ensnares industrialists, princes, spies, politicos, oilfield laborers and terrorists in a deadly, deceptive web of move and countermove. This lightning-paced, whip-smart action thriller grips your mind and nerves with an intensity that doesn't let go for an insta

Amazon.com
Syriana is an oil-based soap opera set against the world of global oil cartels. It is to the oil industry as Traffic was to the drug trade (no surprise, since writer/director Stephen Gaghan wrote the screenplay to Traffic): a sprawling attempt to portray the vast political, business, social, and personal implications of a societal addiction, in this case, oil. A major merger between two of the world’s largest oil companies reveals ethical dilemmas for the lawyer charged with making the deal (Jeffrey Wright), and major global implications beyond the obvious; a CIA operative (George Clooney) discovers the truth about his work, and the people he works for; a young oil broker (Matt Damon) encounters personal tragedy, then partners with an idealistic Gulf prince (Alexander Siddig) attempting to build a new economy for his people, only to find he’s opposed by powers far beyond his control. Meanwhile, disenfranchised Pakistani youths are lured into terrorism by a radical Islamic cleric. And that’s just the start. As in Traffic, in one way or another all of the characters’ fates are tied to each other, whether they realize it or not, though the connections are sometimes tenuous. While Syriana is basically a good film with timely resonance, it can’t quite seem to measure up to Gaghan’s ambitious vision and it very nearly collapses under the weight of its many storylines. Fortunately they are resolved skillfully enough to keep the film from going under in the end. To some viewers, Syriana will seem like an unfocused and over-loaded film that goes, all at once, everywhere and nowhere. Others will find it to be an important work earnestly exploring major issues. In either case, it’s a film that deserves to be taken seriously, and it’s likely to be one that will be talked about for a long time to come. --Dan Vancini

Customer Reviews

Syriana is not for Everyone; Then for Who..?
I won't try to restate or expand upon previous reviews found here for Syriana. Many contributors have offered a better reviews of the content of Syriana than I could describe.

But I will point out that whether Syriana is for you or not, has more to do with the movie-goer, than the movie itself.

Consider:
1) Can you check your political prejudices at the front door?
2) Are you willing to attempt to follow four "chess games" simultaneously?
3) Have you the courage to feel really upset at the end?

If you can answer "YES" to all three questions, then Syriana may just be one of the most worthwhile movie releases of 2005.

If you answered "NO" to any of these points, you'd better pass on Syriana.

Everything is connected
Syriana is powerful and very truthful film.This one of the films of 2005 that made feel some true emotions on what's going in the world today with oil.The primary emotion was anger on how greed is what rules this earth and that interests of foreign affairs is more important than other peoples well being.

This a hyperlink film.Hyperlink is a new term for films that have separate characters in separate stories which in the end they are connected to each other.One story is Robert Barnes (George Clooney) a CIA agent and his working in the field that are connected to oil.The other is of Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon) a energy analyst.He loses his son in the home of the Emir.Emir is the king of a middle east region country.After the loss he meets with the Prince Nasir (Alexander Sidding) which he becomes their advisor.Then there is Jimmy Pope who runs Killen and the merger of the company with Connex.While the merger is being smoothed by a law firm headed Dean Whiting (Christopher Plummer) who hires a taciturn Bennet Holiday (Jeffery Whright) to fix things up.The last important story is of two Pakistani workers of Connex oil and how difficult their life gets when they lose their job and are pressured and accept the path into terrorism.Every story is connected to each other.

The film is written and directed by Stephen Gaghan the Academy Award Winner for the script of Traffic.This film is just as good as Traffic and similar to its structure.In Traffic we had separate stories that were connected by drugs.In Syriana the same thing with connecting factor being oil.The script is very good and Gaghan's directing shows strength.Unlike his feature film debut Abandon which came out got really bad buzz which I hadn't had the chance to see.But also a talented writer was offered to adapt the Da Vinci Code which he declined.The other great thing about this film is George Clooney.Now a Academy Award winner for his part in the film.

Syriana the name of the film is actual term used by Washington think-tanks to describe a hypothetical reshaping of the Middle East.That shows how much we care about other people's regions and our own interests at home.We are looking to create a new state in the middle east.And the problem is putting democracy in those countries is not wrong but by force which is what going on today is the wrong way to do it.Even though the film addresses truths of oil game.There have been criticism for the film for having crude cliches? on the Government,the CIA and oil companies.Which even if they are cliches?Isn't it the truth.What should have the film had done?Lied?Make the film to pc and like everything is ok in the world.The other criticism of the film is supposedly Anti-American views.If its so Anti-American then why are Matt Damon and George Clooney portrayed as good guys if its Anti-American.And another thing isn't the primary goal of a company profit.What the film shows is the truth.And isn't oil tied to government and vice versa.So if showing how the U.S. policies on foreign matters in oil is wrong.Does that mean its Anti-American i think not.I think it gives a great message on how we should change are politics and look for common ground of pleasing interestes at home and at a broad.But if the U.S. keeps on with same tactic the world will keep on hating us.We might be doing good to our economy for profit and for retaining the superiority in oil.But lets not forget we are humans.Dont we suppose to care about other peoples problems as well?

The extras on the DVD are a number of deleted scenes, a Make a Change, Make a Difference featurette, and a conversation with George Clooney.

One the best films of the year will not be liked by all for its subject matter.I think this film asks some interesting questions and has a good meaning at the end.Oil is touchy subject today.Everbody wants it and everybody is fighting for it.One day it will run out.Until then we just have to be attendants to this horrible war of oil that takes place.

Provocative film lost to an audience expecting "24"-the movie
Gagan's ideas based film -- while lacking the visual virtuosity of Traffic -- raises some very interesting questions indeed. But all is lost to a collective audience who thinks the "24" is complex and challenging or "Crash" is deep...

It seems that the US audience are so used to "film as pure sensory entertainment" that it infuriated them when nothing is resolved. I find most "bad reviews" (either here or in the press) are laced with misinformation, xenophobia, partisanship bias and juvenille comments. It is unfortunate that doing a narratively complex film offering an alternative view (esp. regarding terrorism) would incite more hate and ignorance as opposed to dialogue.

I find the film to be very well made and the issues it raises are very interesting (esp to those informed in Network systems and the Chaos theory), to a certain extent, Matt Damon, the actor and the narrative his character carries is the weakest part of film and is what I assume a concession to the joe q public -- to present the point of view of an "Average Joe".

Syriana stands proudly alongside The Insider, The Constant Gardner, Traffic and to a lesser extent, Munich (which wraps its ideology in easy to digest Thriller genre conventions ) in honoring the "New Cinema" of the 70s when filmmakers pushed against the grain, but unlike the 70s, there is no longer an like-minded audience (except for the critics) here in the States. I would predict the film to do a lot better in the rest of the world.