This document provides a summary of the plotlines and characters in the 2005 political thriller film Syriana. The main plotlines follow an energy analyst, a CIA operative, and a Pakistani migrant worker as their stories intersect around the politics of the oil industry in the Middle East. The film explores how the oil interests of American companies influence both U.S. foreign policy and societies in the Middle East. It received critical acclaim and an Oscar for George Clooney's supporting performance.

1. SYRIANA SAIYARA TASNIM 13A1

2. SYRIANA Syriana is a term used by Washington think-tanks to describe a hypothetical re-shaping of the Middle East.

3. See No Evil Syriana is loosely based on the book :‘See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA's War Against Terrorism’. By Robert Baer

4. Writer: Robert ‘Bobby’ Baer Baer’s autobiography ‘See No Evil’ offers an analysis of the Middle East through the lens of his experiences as a CIA operative. During his twenty-year CIA career, Baer has publicly acknowledged field assignments in Madras and New Delhi, India; in Beirut, Lebanon; in Dushanbe, Tajikistan; in Morocco, and in Salah al-Din in Iraqi Kurdistan. While in Salah al-Din, Baer unsuccessfully urged the Clinton administration to back an internal Iraqi attempt to overthrow Hussein The film's character Bob Barnes (played by George Clooney) is loosely based on Baer

5. Director : Stephen Gaghan Stephen Gaghan (born May 6, 1965) is an Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning American film writer and director. Gaghan directed and wrote Syriana. Syriana was nominated for the Academy Award.

6. Awards Syriana won 5 awards including an Oscar for Best performance for George Clooney.

7. How was Syriana funded and distributed? *Syriana was funded and distributed by the production company Warner Bros.*The film budget was USD 50,000,000.*The film made $50.8M whilst at Box Office.*Syriana was distributed on Dec 9, 2005 in the USA, and on Sep 30, 2005 in the UK.

8. Who was the target audience? I think the target audience for this film would probably not be young youths like college students because the film is very long and the storyline is very complex which means that the film must be re-watched a number of times for the storyline to make sense and stick in. However, it is more suitable for adults as it explores complex issues which adults may understand fully.

9. How realistic is the film? The film is not very realistic and is set in a fictional setting ‘Syriana’ but suggests and shows an almost realistic idea of what may be really happening between the US Government and the oil issues in the Middle East.

10. Did they have an ideological agenda? The film focused on petroleum politics and I think the director Gaghan wanted to show what is happening and the parallel storylines helps show the influence of the petroleum politics and its effects on society and peoples lives.

11. Plot Storylines: Main Plot: Connex–Killen*American energy giant Connex is losing control of its oil fields in the Middle East Which are ruled by the Al-Subaai family.* Prince Nasir has granted natural drilling rights to a Chinese company, upsetting the American oil industry and the US Government.*Connex initiates a merger with Killen (A smaller oil company).*However DOJ (Department Of Justice) have misgivings and do not want the merger to take place.Chris Whiting is hired to smooth the way for the merger, and Bennet Holiday is assigned to alleviate any signs of corruption.

12. Plot Main Plot – Bryan Woodman *Bryan Woodman (Matt Damon) is an energy analyst based in Geneva; *His boss directs him to attend a private party hosted by the emir in his estate in Marbella, Spain. *Woodman is prevented from speaking directly to the emir as he is ill. *There is a crack in the underwater lights in the swimming pool, Woodman's son jumps in and is electrocuted. *Out of sympathy for the loss of his son, Prince Nasir grants woodman’s company interests worth US $75 Million.

13. Plot Main Plot – Prince Nasir *Prince Nasir is dedicated to the idea of progressive reform, he wants to diversify the economy and utilise his nations profits, this is a sharp contrast from his fathers repressive government, which has been supported by American interests *Nasir wants to succeed his father as emir, but as his younger brother wants to continue the status quo and American military presence his is chosen as the King’s successor, even though he is clearly unqualified to run a nation.

14. Plot Main Plot – Robert Barnes *Robert Barnes (George Clooney) is a veteran CIA operations Officer. While on assignment to Tehran to assassinate two Iranian arms dealers, Barnes notices that a missile was diverted to an Egyptian. *Barnes makes his superiors nervous by writing memos about the missile theft. * He is then given the assignment of assassinating Prince Nasir.

15. Plot Main Plot – Wasim*Pakistani migrant worker Wasim boards a bus to go to work at the Connex refinery, only to find out that a Chinese company now have the rights to run the facility.* Wasim and his friend join an Islamic school to learn Arabic in order to improve their employment prospects. *While playing soccer they meet an charismatic Islamic fundamentalist cleric (The Egyptian who stole Barnes missile).

16. Assassination Storyline * Barnes gains safe passage to Lebanon from a Hezbollah leader and hires a mercenary Mussawi to help kidnap and murder Prince Nasir. *However Mussawi has now become a Iranian agent and has Barnes kidnapped instead and tortured. * The Hezbollah leader arrives just in time to stop Mussawi from be-heading Barnes.

17. When the CIA learns that Mussawi plans to broadcast its intentions of killing Nasir, they scapegoat Barnes by portraying him as a rogue agent.* Barnes learns why he was portrayed as a scapegoat and approaches Prince Nasir’s convoy to warn him of the assassination plan *The Egyptian thief eventually leads Wasim to execute a suicide attack using the missing Tehran missile. *As he arrives, the missile strikes and Nasir and his family are killed in the explosion.