"House of Saddam" (2008) TV mini-series

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Jim O'Hanlon

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

2008 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A mini-series that explores the inner workings of Saddam Hussein's family and his relationship with his closest advisers.

Plot Keywords:

Saddam Hussein | TV Mini-Series | Hanging | Iran | Iraq

Awards:

2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Yigal Naor	...	Saddam Hussein (4 episodes, 2008)
Shohreh Aghdashloo	...	Sajida Khairallah Talfah (4 episodes, 2008)
Philip Arditti	...	Uday Hussein (4 episodes, 2008)
Makram Khoury	...	Tariq Aziz (4 episodes, 2008)
Mounir Margoum	...	Qusay Hussein (4 episodes, 2008)
Agni Scott	...	Raghad Hussein (4 episodes, 2008)
Uri Gavriel	...	Ali Hassan al-Majid (3 episodes, 2008)
Amr Waked	...	Hussein Kamel al-Majid (3 episodes, 2008)
Christine Stephen-Daly	...	Samira Shahbandar (3 episodes, 2008)
Daniel Lundh	...	Saddam Kamel al-Majid (3 episodes, 2008)
Amber Rose Revah	...	Hala Hussein (3 episodes, 2008)
Shivani Ghai	...	Rana Hussein (3 episodes, 2008)
Saïd Amadis	...	Adnan Khairallah / ... (2 episodes, 2008)
Akbar Kurtha	...	Kamel Hanna (2 episodes, 2008)

Also Known As:

"Between Two Rivers" (UK) (working title)

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Filming Locations:

Tunisia

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Gripping television that will win awards galore!

The rise and fall of the Iraq dictator Saddam Hussein.

What a big project this must have been. Trying to distil the best bits of Saddam's twenty four years in power in to four hours and not losing those not steeped in Middle Eat politics would appear impossible to some - but my word, they have pulled it off!

Here you have it all: Power, sex, family, violence, politics, war, madness, you name it. The complete drama play box. Yet this is a personal drama that is more interested in family and politics than needless bloodshed. Not that it isn't very gory at times. This is not for children.

You also have a fantastic lead performance from Yigal Naor. Utterly mesmerising: Deluded, multi-faced, sometimes charming and yet ruling by fear. Trusting nobody - and certainly not his friends or family. Hitler meets Idi Amin in a country with rich oil fields and - therefore - "important" to the West.

Pick of the highly convincing support cast is Philip Arditti as "first son" Uday. The mad-as-a-hatter "heir". The camera lingers/glaces on him for no reason at council and cabinet meetings, sneering or (inappropriately) looking unconcerned. He even makes Saddam look straight!

Yes, it had loads of things to crib and copy from: The Sopranos and the Godfather Trilogy among them, but it is amazing how the format fits around a story that is almost entirely true. In its major facts at least.

If there is a better mini-series played on TV this year I would be very surprised. You'll want to watch it more than once - I know I did.