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User Reviews for: House of Saddam

Wargal
2/10  2 months ago
A BAFTA nod? For this? A hollow triumph, mirroring the award's own superficiality.

Either go balls to walls excessive ficticious dramatization or keep it grounded and nuanced. What we ultimately get feels like Western propaganda, echoing the U.S.'s stereotypical portrayal of the Middle East. Unrealistic behavior and one-dimensional characters are presented as believable. Characters exist as mere silhouettes, engaging in a grotesque dance of power devoid of nuance or depth. Some scenes and outcomes are entirely fictional, leaving the viewer to decipher the truth.

The writing is a terribly grotesque parody of human experience. It's not even "so bad it's good"; it's simply half-baked. This superficial and shallow take panders to the U.S.'s stereotypical representations of the Middle East, reminiscent of "manufacturing consent." Characters lack complexity, and interpersonal drama is nonexistent. Dialogue feels cartoonish, with no natural or gradual escalation between scenes. Each scene is framed to showcase power. The show offers little insight into how Saddam Hussein accumulated and maintained his power. It simply presents him as an inherently feared and powerful man. Where is the exploration of the human cost, the intricate tapestry of fear and control?

The soundtrack and set designs are unremarkable. A missed opportunity, I would have loved to see more of Saddam's palace.

I did, however, appreciate the recreation of Sajida Talfah's black and white dress in episode 2?

I don't know why I expected better from a white man writing about the Middle East. A white man's lens distorts the mirror, reflecting a grotesque caricature. This is an Orientalist cacophony of Western fantasies.
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