Syriana utilizes three parallel narratives jumping between locations in Texas, Washington D.C., Switzerland, Iran and Lebanon. The first of these storylines depicts the involvement of the CIA in the region under the guise of safeguarding American political and economic interests; the second narrative focuses on the push of American oil companies to control the petroleum industry in the Middle East; the last storyline is centered around the reactions of various groups and their resistance to American power and control in the Middle East. The usage of three parallel narratives allowed Syriana to have a full range to fully showcase the intricate and varying relationships between representatives of the West and the Middle East. This is further supported in interviews by George Clooney and director Stephan Gaghan who have repeatedly argued that there is no dominant hero or villain in…show more content… The incorporation also highlights the effort on the part of the filmmakers to break away from traditional presentations of the “Orient,” by presenting the viewer face to face with realistic accounts of workers. The research done by the film-makers presents that a progressive film set in the Middle East can be achieved and showcases a break from common stereotypical portrayals and molds of the Middle East, the people and culture, that Said criticized in Orientalism. The effort made towards more culturally and historically appropriate depictions of the Middle East supports Irwin’s belief that the field has progressed and knowledge has increased, against Said’s insistence that Orientalism has remained frozen in place (Kamiya). However, it is important to keep in mind that Syriana is not representative of all films depicting the Middle East and that other films may depict Orientalism in a different
