Reaction Paper: "Syriana"

In almost all of the politically inclined films I have watched, Syriana may have been the one and only
movie that have kept me confused about the real plot of the story. It was a movie all happenning at
different settings, enabling me to keep guessing of what was really happening. he movie was actually
good, it was a film that kept an in!depth manifestation of what is really happening in the international
arena.

It had provided the viewers the "real deal" outside these confined walls of our own society prolems. It
was something that kept all of us guessing until we allow ourselves to be interested and in a way, will
motivate us to actually keep us researching of a deeper reason behind economic resource e"ploitation
and terrorism as how it was shown in the film.

he movie has depicted the problem within the international arena that is focused on oil e"ploitation,
political patronage and spoil system, and even in a way, it sort of depicted relationship problems,
because of greed for power and authority in all aspects.

It was basically a web of problems ranging from #.S to $sia. hus involvement of #.S officials have
mainly brought the biggest conflict of all. he dependence of #.S on oil from the "emir" in e"change of
the benefits that they can gain in order to use it for development of their estate. %hen a merger between
&onne" and 'illen happened, a lot of its migrant workers ended up being homeless and poor. $nd due
to this event, terrorism had resulted due to in(ustice and "elitism" of the merger oil indutsries.

In another setting, in an event hosted by the emir, )ryan %oodman who is an energy analyst, was to
make negotiations with the "emir" to offer his analytical services for his "oil industry". *owever the
even turned out to be a disaster when %oddman+s son died from electric shock under the pool who was
controlled by "emir", and as for compensation, the emir had accepted and made %oodman as
his economic advisor. $nd as %oodman got to be immersed in the society, he had got to know Prince
,asi, the emir+s son. Prince ,asir, as one of the emir+s successors was the only character in the film that
had somewhat reali-ed the real definition of development, and he had envisioned that #.S must be "out
of the picture" in order for him to start the new society. Prince ,asir was wiiling to work for the society
only without depndence and visibility of #.S officials. *owever, because of unwanted reforms, he was
contracted by Robert )arnes, a &I$ agent assigned to stop illegal trafficking of arms in .iddle /ast, to
be assasinated embracing the wrong person assigned to be really assasinated.

In conclusion, wo generali-ation are formulated. 0irst, the film clearly illustrates that the #.S. is
willing to kill reformists (ust to ensure that the they maintain a patronage!type relationship with the
.iddle /ast, in order to strengthen and reinforce its control of the oil. $nd Second, it also obli1uely
suggests that the rampant capitalism of the %est is one of the many root causes of Islamic
fundamentalist terrorist activities.