House of Saddam

Infobox Television
show_name = House of Saddam


caption = Title screen of "House of Saddam"
aka =
genre = Drama
creator =
writer = Alex Holmes
Stephen Butchard
director =
creat_director =
developer =
presenter =
starring = Yigal Naor
Shohreh Aghdashloo
Philip Arditi
Said Taghmaoui
Christine Stephen-Daly
Aris Sahin
voices =
narrated =
theme_composer =
opentheme =
endtheme =
composer = Samuel Sim
research = Sally El Hosaini
country = UK
language = English
num_seasons =
num_episodes = 4
list_episodes =
distributor = BBC Worldwide
executive_producer =Alex Holmes
Hilary Salmon
co_exec =
producer = Steve Lightfoot
sup_producer =
asst_producer =
cons_producer =
co-producer =
editor =
script_editor = Sally El Hosaini
location =
cinematography =
camera_setup =
runtime = 60 minutes
channel = BBC Two
picture_format =
audio_format =
first_run =
first_aired = July 30
last_aired = August 20, 2008
preceded_by =
followed_by =
related =
website =
prod_website =
imdb_id = 0936453
tv_com_id =

"House of Saddam" is a 2008 drama that charts the rise and fall of Saddam Hussein. A co-production between BBC Television and HBO films, the series was first broadcast on BBC Two (in the United Kingdom) in four parts between 30th July and 20th August 2008.

Reception

Reviews

The first episode was very widely reviewed in the UK. The Independent newspaper described the drama as "the Sopranos with Scud missiles", adding that it was good entertainment but that it seemed to gloss over early American support for Saddam's regime. [ [http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-and-tv/tv-radio-reviews/last-nights-tv-house-of-saddam-bbc2br-dangerous-jobs-for-girl-channel-4-881290.html Thomas Sutcliffe, The Independent, Thursday, 31 July 2008 ] ] Nancy Banks Smith of The Guardian also compared it to "The Sopranos" ("without the jokes"), but judged it to be "an extraordinarily ambitious attempt and it succeeds very well". [http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/organgrinder/2008/07/first_night_house_of_saddam.html First Night: House of Saddam, July 31, 2008] ] Tim Teeman in The Times described it as "convincing and chilling... It was soap (the feeling of Dallas was heightened by the late-1970s/early-1980s tacky glam: check out Saddam's glass lift), it was reality, it was cheeky and it was terrifying." Serena Davis of The Daily Telegraph objected to some "clunking" expository dialogue explaining political events, but was impressed that "Naor's towering version of the dictator envisioned him as both adept family schemer and political giant."

Ratings

* Part I (BBC Two 2008-07-30): 2.7 million viewers (13% audience share).cite web | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/31/tvratings.television | title=House of Saddam seen by 2.7m | accessdate=2008-08-24 | author= | last=Holmwood | first=Leigh | authorlink= | coauthors= | date=2008-07-31 | year= | month= | format= | work= | publisher=The Guardian | pages= | language=English | doi= | archiveurl= | archivedate= | quote= ]
* Part II (BBC Two 2008-08-06): 2.3 million viewers (11% audience share).cite web | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/07/television | title=House of Saddam draws 2.3m viewers | accessdate=2008-08-24 | author= | last=Holmwood | first=Leigh | authorlink= | coauthors= | date=2008-08-07 | year= | month= | format= | work= | publisher=The Guardian | pages= | language=English | doi= | archiveurl= | archivedate= | quote= ]
* Part III (BBC Two 2008-08-13): 1.8 million viewers (8% audience share).cite web | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/14/tvratings.olympicsandthemedia | title=Gymnasts leap to top of Olympics ratings | accessdate=2008-08-24 | author= | last=Holmwood | first=Leigh | authorlink= | coauthors= | date=2008-08-14 | year= | month= | format= | work= | publisher=The Guardian | pages= | language=English | doi= | archiveurl= | archivedate= | quote= ]
* Part IV (BBC Two 2008-08-20): 1.5 million viewers (6% audience share).cite web | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/21/tvratings.television | title=Boris Johnson family history show watched by 7 million | accessdate=2008-08-24 | author= | last=Holmwood | first=Leigh | authorlink= | coauthors= | date=2008-08-22 | year= | month= | format= | work= | publisher=The Guardian | pages= | language=English | doi= | archiveurl= | archivedate= | quote= ]

Episodes

Part I

A pre-title sequence shows Saddam watching the broadcast of U.S. President Bush’s March 2003 final ultimatum. As the bombing of Baghdad commences, Saddam’s family quickly pack and flee the presidential palace.

1979: Summer sees Deputy President Saddam Hussein gather his inner circle for his daughter Hala’s 7th birthday party. Amongst the group are Ba'athist Party members.

Saddam, fearing the increasing power of Khomeini in Iran and a proposed union with Syria, instigates the overthrow of President al-Bakr. The newly-appointed President Saddam Hussein orders his half-brother Barzan to initiate a bloody purge of the Ba'ath Party leadership. Saddam himself executes his closest friend and ally Adnan Hamdani as a show of strength. The Islamic Dawa Party rock Baghdad with a series of terrorist attacks while Saddam is on a hunting trip in Tikrit with his wife Sajida Talfah and son Uday.

Saddam attempts to maintain good relations with the U.S. as he takes his country into the Iran–Iraq War, whilst beginning an affair with married school teacher Samira Shahbandar. He also orders the execution of two top Iraqi generals after a military defeat at Al-Muhammarah and begins to turn against Barzan following the death of their mother, putting the arranged marriage of Saddam's daughter, Raghad, with Barzan's son, Mohammed, in jeopardy. After Saddam narrowly survives an assassination attempt in the Dawa stronghold of Dujail, Barzan fears for his own life and razes the city in retribution. Despite his pleas with Saddam not to dishonour him, Barzan is exiled and Saddam marries Raghad to Hussein Kamel instead, to form an alliance with his late father's al-Majid clan. Hussein Kamel takes over Barzan's post and becomes Saddam's new Iraqi Special Republican Guard leader.

Part II

1988: Lt General Hussein Kamel witnesses (via CCTV) Uday losing control in a Baghdad nightclub in 1988. His behaviour includes brandishing a gun under the influence of alcohol and firing it recklessly, before ordering the clubbers to be happy as they have 'just won the war'.

Saddam commissions Mohammed Ghani to construct the Hands of Victory in celebration of his declared victory over Iran but post-war Iraq faces bankruptcy as Kuwait drives down the price of oil by increasing production. Sajida learns that Saddam has married Samira as a second wife and blames his trusted valet Kamel Hana Gegeo for assisting their affair. Uday also blames Kamel Hana and almost kills him for the sake of his mother's honour, sparing him only so that he can control him when he takes over from his father as President.

Meanwhile, Hussein Kamel, spotting an opportunity to rise within Saddam's inner circle, begins to sow mistrust between Saddam and his popular brother-in-law, General Adnan when Adnan requests Saddam to let his soldiers come home. Tariq Aziz, at an OPEC meeting in Geneva, reveals that Kuwait has been slant drilling into Iraqi oil fields and orders them to cease and apologize.

Not long after drunkenly sharing his concerns with brother Qusay that any children Saddam has with new wife Samira could jeopardise his status as rightful heir, Uday confronts Kamel Hana again at a late night party and beats him to death to the horror of witnesses. Saddam has him arrested and almost kills his first-born son in his cell. Adnan calls into question the ability of Uday to lead Iraq when his time comes, but is not supported by Hussein Kamel, who continues to gain Saddam's trust. Not long after, Adnan is killed in a suspicious helicopter explosion.

Sajida confronts Saddam about the death of her brother but he dismisses her with claims that it was merely an accident. Saddam meets with the U.S. Ambassador April Glaspie and takes her statement of "No Opinion" as giving him to go ahead for the invasion of Kuwait but U.S. President Bush immediately decries the action and organises a coalition to drive out Iraqi forces. Saddam refuses to back down and is forced to move between safe-houses as the Gulf War commences with the bombing of Baghdad. The Iraqi army is quickly forced into retreat but the Americans declare a ceasefire and withdraw to the border leaving Saddam defiant.

Part III

1995: Iraq has survived the Gulf War but is crippled economically, with the UN refusing to lift sanctions unless the government co-operate with their weapons inspectors. Saddam states he has nothing to hide resulting in a stand-off between him and chief UN inspector, Rolf Ekeus.

Despite this, Saddam shows more concern in tracing his roots. He ignores Qusay, who tries to warn him about Uday's erratic behaviour. Instead, he presents their family tree and the "proof" that they are direct descendants of the prophet Muhammad. Qusay is clearly worried about his father's state of mind but quietly leaves him to his devices. Later, Saddam has the Qur'an written in his own blood.

The rivalry between General Hussein Kamel and Uday swiftly goes out of control, as the erractic son of the president humiliates Hussein Kamel by pelting him with food at a dinner with Saddam's closest allies. The frustrated General states his disillusionment with Saddam's regime that allows the spoilt Uday to run wild, unable to be reined in by anyone. His patience ends when Uday hijacks a shipment of medical supplies that he was intending to sell with his brother Saddam Kamel. Hussein Kamel tells his brother about his plan to oust Saddam by co-operating with UN inspector Ekeus as well as the CIA, whom Hussein Kamel hopes will topple Saddam and allow him to become the new president.

During a holiday celebrating Iraq's "victory" over Iran, Hussein and Saddam Kamel make the trip over the border to Jordan taking their wives - Saddam Hussein's daughters, Raghad and Rana - who warn their husbands of what their father would do if he ever caught them. At the holiday party, Uday indulges his appetite by raping a waitress. Qusay realises that something is wrong when his sisters fail to appear and warns his father. In Jordan, King Hussein grants the self-exiled group asylum just as Saddam declares them traitors in Iraq. Hussein Kamel plans to oust Saddam with Western co-operation and to ingratiate himself with the West by revealing state secrets. His plans are undermined when Saddam decides to reveal all the information himself. The Kamel brothers are increasingly isolated in Jordan and begin to lose the support of the King and their CIA contacts. Saddam phones Hussein Kamel and offers him and his brother a pardon if they return with their wives to Iraq. Believing he will be forgiven, and disturbed by his increasing loss of social status, Hussein Kamel persuades the others to return.

Hussein and Saddam Kamel are met by Uday and Qusay, who humiliate them by forcing them to divorce their wives and stripping them of their Iraqi uniforms. However they allow them to return to their family home. Saddam Hussein then tells Ali Hassan al-Majid that the honour of the al-Majid clan will be tainted as long as the pair are unpunished. Ali surrounds the brothers' house with troops and offers the brothers weapons so that they can die fighting. In a pitched battle Hussein and Saddam Kamel are killed.

Part IV

2003: Saddam and Tariq Aziz watch television reports of the Western coalition forces invasion of Iraq. Qusay organises the withdrawal of large sums of cash from Iraq's central bank and the family part as Saddam is overthrown from power. As American troops begin a widescale hunt for the former Iraqi president, his family and henchmen, Saddam flees to rural Tikrit where he is forced to go to ground. He phones Samira from a call box and tells her to leave for Lebanon, but that he will not join her. With a few loyal bodyguards Saddam hides out in a rustic building. He makes friends with Ahmed, a lively local boy who initially does not know who he is. He insists that the Iraqi people should continue to resist, and broadcasts his messages from his hideout. His first wife Sajida and family anxiously watch events unfold on television.

Uday and Qusay, a bodyguard, and Qusay's son Mustapha take refuge at a house in Mosul. Uday wishes to flee across the border, but Qusay treats this suggestion with contempt. Saddam is informed that there is a reward for his family's bertrayal, but Saddam insists that Iraqi honour is above bribery. The owner of the house in which Uday and Qusay are hiding resents their presence and betrays them to the Americans, who surround the building. Qusay gives his son a gun and they fight the coalition forces until a rocket attack kills them. Sajida is seen watching in despair the TV report of her sons' deaths.

Saddam is informed of the deaths and makes a secret visit to Uday, Qusay's and Mustapha's graves, laying Iraqi flags on them. He continues to attempt to rally the Iraqi people against the occupying forces, saying that his sons and grandson are heroes of jihad. His bodyguards build a tunnel in which to hide him. One guard is finally captured when he visits his girlfriend. When he fails to return Saddam decides to move on, but young Ahmed warns him that American patrols are everywhere. He offers to hide Saddam, but the president refuses to involve him. In Operation Red Dawn Saddam is captured and taken into custody.

Saddam is subsequently placed on trial for crimes against humanity and in 2006 is sentenced to death by hanging for the killing of 148 Shiites from Dujail, an act committed in retaliation for the assassination attempt of 8 July 1982.

Cast

*Yigal Naor as "Saddam Hussein"
*Shohreh Aghdashloo as "Sajida Khairallah Talfah", Saddam's first wife
*Philip Arditti as "Uday Hussein", Saddam's first born son
*Mounir Margoum as "Qusay Hussein", Saddam's second son
*Agni Scott as "Raghad Hussein", Saddam's eldest daughter
*Shivani Ghai as "Rana Hussein", Saddam's second daughter
*Amber Rose Revah as "Hala Hussein", Saddam's youngest daughter
*Christine Stephen-Daly as "Samira Shahbandar", Saddam's second wife
*Saïd Taghmaoui as "Barzan Ibrahim", Saddam's half brother, head of the Iraqi Republican Guard
*Saïd Amadis as "General Adnan Khairallah", Commander of the Army, Sajida's brother
*Uri Gavriel as "Ali Hassan "Chemical Ali" al-Majid", head of Mukhabarat, the Iraqi intelligence Agency
*Amr Waked as "Lt. General Hussein Kamel al-Majid", Raghad's husband, Ali Hassan's nephew, later head of the Republican Guard and Commander of the Army
*Makram Khoury as "Tariq Aziz", Deputy Prime Minister, foreign minister
*Daniel Lundh as "Colonel Saddam Kamel al-Majid", Raghad's husband, Hussein Kamel's brother, Ali Hassan's nephew
*Akbar Kurtha as "Kamel Hana Gegeo", Saddam's personal aide

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/07_july/04/saddam.shtml Official Press Release] at BBC Press Office
*" [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4386326.stm Saddam drama series for BBC Two] " at BBC News

References