‘Increasingly we live
in a world where nothing makes any sense. Events come and go like waves of a
fever, leaving us confused and uncertain. Those in power tell stories to help
us make sense of the complexity of reality, but those stories are increasingly
unconvincing and hollow. This is a film about why those stories have stopped
making sense, and how that led us in the west to become a dangerous and
destructive force in the world’
In Adam Curtis’ latest documentary, he unravels the convoluted web of myths and corruption that surrounds the Middle East and discusses how it is presented to us through a problematic dichotomy of good vs evil. Through juxtaposing images and narratives Curtis explains events that have influenced the economic climate and the world we live in today.
The documentary begins, with the description of a historic encounter in 1945 between King Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the U.S.A. This meeting took part onboard a U.S Navy Ship on a segment of the Suez Canal named Bitter Lake. Abudlaziz, was inspired by, amongst other technological achievements, the hydro-electrical dams and power stations built during Roosevelt’s candidacy. Roosevelt believing that politicians should use their power in a considered way was aware of the value of a relationship with the Saudi King. Home to the vast oil fields, which have since been contested over, Saudi Arabia was a country America would benefit from for years to come.
Though, this historic agreement may be a fairly familiar one, Curtis reveals how this international relationship, acted as a catalyst for events that have shaped the world and influenced our collective consciousness. Presenting the history in a linear, cause and effect, narrative, Curtis chronologically walks us through the West’s volatile relationship with the Middle East and perhaps most interestingly how we have been encouraged to see it.
In the media saturated world of today, the media categorises and simplifies complex struggles and political divisions, and social media often seems to aggravate these problems. Unfortunately it seems, that the binary opposition of good and evil is something that many people have been happy to adopt. This documentary, if nothing else, provides a valuable lesson about contemporary society using images just as much as dialogue to undermine the simplistic narratives that fit into our every day lives.
In Adam Curtis’ latest documentary, he unravels the convoluted web of myths and corruption that surrounds the Middle East and discusses how it is presented to us through a problematic dichotomy of good vs evil. Through juxtaposing images and narratives Curtis explains events that have influenced the economic climate and the world we live in today.
The documentary begins, with the description of a historic encounter in 1945 between King Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the U.S.A. This meeting took part onboard a U.S Navy Ship on a segment of the Suez Canal named Bitter Lake. Abudlaziz, was inspired by, amongst other technological achievements, the hydro-electrical dams and power stations built during Roosevelt’s candidacy. Roosevelt believing that politicians should use their power in a considered way was aware of the value of a relationship with the Saudi King. Home to the vast oil fields, which have since been contested over, Saudi Arabia was a country America would benefit from for years to come.
Though, this historic agreement may be a fairly familiar one, Curtis reveals how this international relationship, acted as a catalyst for events that have shaped the world and influenced our collective consciousness. Presenting the history in a linear, cause and effect, narrative, Curtis chronologically walks us through the West’s volatile relationship with the Middle East and perhaps most interestingly how we have been encouraged to see it.
In the media saturated world of today, the media categorises and simplifies complex struggles and political divisions, and social media often seems to aggravate these problems. Unfortunately it seems, that the binary opposition of good and evil is something that many people have been happy to adopt. This documentary, if nothing else, provides a valuable lesson about contemporary society using images just as much as dialogue to undermine the simplistic narratives that fit into our every day lives.
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