Cinematography:
Florian HoffmeisterComposer:
Samuel SimCast:
Igal Naor, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Philip Arditti, Mounir Margoum, Makram Khoury, Agni Scott, Amr Waked, Uri Gavriel, Christine Stephen-Daly, Saïd Amadis (more)VOD (3)
Episodes(4)
Plots(1)
Over the course of 27 years, Saddam (Igal Naor) rose from peasant origins to the highest office in Iraq, consolidating his power by executing those who posed real or imagined threats, and surrounding himself with family members, ultimately his notorious sons Uday and Qusay. Along the way, Saddam pushed aside his wife Sajida (Shohreh Aghdashloo) for a young mistress, orchestrated the death of Sajidas brother Adnan (his closest confidante), and forced two cousins of high rank who had married his daughters to divorce their wives before meeting a grisly end. In the end, House of Saddam reveals its title character as a man of undeniable vision ultimately brought down by his own flaws especially an unquenchable thirst for power, attained at all costs, including the sacrifice of those who were closest to him. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (1)
Four-part mini-series from HBO, created at a time when HBO was still gaining popularity with series of a certain quality. It was interesting to watch how Saddam coolly gives orders for endless executions and then calmly goes fishing with his closest companions somewhere in the middle of Iraq. The acting is precise, but that is standard for HBO. Very factual, without mincing words. Four one-hour episodes are therefore an adequate time for me to imagine Saddam a little closer, not just as a dictator.
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