Syriana
Syriana was billed as “The Peak Oil Movie.” The trailer plays it up, talking about oil running out, about 50% unemployment in the United States, nobody being able to pay their heating bill, etc. Ultimately, it’s a more confusing Traffic with Oil instead of Drugs.
I could not possibly hope to explain the plot of Syriana from start to finish: it is way too complex. This is, of course, intentional, because the real-life politics and events upon which the screenplay is loosely based are the same. The idea isn’t so much to understand what’s happening as why it’s happening. And the why is simple: there’s not enough oil for everybody on the planet.
I felt pretty horrible after seeing Syriana last night, because there really aren’t any good guys: everyone is acting in their own self-interest. The status quo wins. Power wins. Money wins. This, like Traffic is a great film because, even though it’s fiction, it’s true. It doesn’t pull any punches. It pisses me off.
And then I drive home in my car.
January 05, 2006 - 10:08 AM