For example, Woodman has a unique opportunity to become the economic advisor to Prince Nasir, an idealistic royal hopeful who dreams of investing in better national infrastructure, encouraging equality for women, and generally building a better life for his people--rather than squandering his nation’s wealth on palaces and private jets. Woodman’s wife and children, however, desperately need him at home. In a series of subtle choices (such as the silencing of a cell-phone ringer when his wife calls), he pulls away from his wife. Woodman quickly finds himself in a whirlwind of events completely beyond his control, and his pride makes him believe that he can go against this tide. The promise of money and personal power seduces him into maintaining that he is truly pursuing his idealism. When trying to convince his wife, he even says, “Do you understand what that means, it's like someone put a giant ATM on our front lawn.” His wife is not fooled. (An important message for the men out there… the wife is often right!) This culminates in a very painful decision to separate. Is Woodman doing the right thing? Does the promise of a better world in the Middle East take priority over his family? I think that the Christian response should be "no," it doesn’t.

The broader political message of Syriana is very depressing, and at least as plausible as the manicured one delivered each week from the current White House. Although President Bush in his second inaugural address in 2005 spoke passionately about “America's ideal of freedom” and our mission to bring freedom to the Middle East, Syriana suggests that liberty will always take a backseat to pleasing the American gas consumer. Indeed, Syriana portrays America as incapable of bringing freedom and equality to the Middle East because of our conflicting interests. Which do we value more, freedom or cheap oil?

Syriana further cautions that a war on terror cannot defeat terror. The movie deftly and painfully depicts the nurturing of Wasim (Mazhar Munir) into a suicide bomber. We follow Wasim from the moment he is fired from his job at an American oil refinery, through his struggle to find more work, to being shepherded into an Islamic school, and finally striking a blow at that same oil company. The primary tools used to seduce Wasim are food and a sense of purpose, two things that American interests and involvement are unable to provide. Interestingly, Islam figures into the mix only superficially: Islam provides the rhetoric in which terrorist leaders clothe themselves so they can control their young, impressionable recruits. How can the war on terror and the war in Iraq ever hope to stop this from happening? Syriana provides no guidance.

Do I believe that Syriana’s messages are true? Not necessarily. It is a work of fiction. However, the consolidation of more power in the White House and the removal of checks and balances in government make Syriana’s scenario painfully plausible.

Jan 29, 2006