Movie Review. Control Room

Last night I made it to the arthouse to catch this documentary on news coverage and Al Jazeera in relation to the Iraq war. An interesting film to say the least. It went in with the news reporters at the US headquarters and at various points in and around Iraq.



If there's one thing you will get a sense of coming out of this film, is how information is spun in all different directions to get the desired reaction out of the audience. Intentional or not, it happens. In the Arab world the news spins the information in a vastly different way than what we get here in the States, and this film shows that through the use of news footage from both the US and from Al Jazeera, as well as interviews with various reporters and media relations people on both sides.

The hard thing when watching a film like this is to attempt to remain neutral and objective. They even mention in the film that objectivity in these issues may be a mirage. I am not a particularly political person, but it is hard to watch the information given.

One thing I noticed during the film was that all of the American's shown, didn't always come across as too bright. I believe this has more to do with the director's spin on the film rather than the intelligence of the American's. The primary Marine in the film, Lieutenant Rushing, seemed like an intelligent man trying to do the right thing, but due to the nature of the position is handcuffed by what he is able to tell without giving away anything. On the other side, all of the Al Jazeera journalists, on the other hand were all intelligent, articulate, and well spoken. Again it is all spin. Everybody involved has an opinion and they will spin to show their side in the best light.

One thing I did take away from Control Room, is that I don't feel that Al Jazeera is the propaganda spreading mouthpiece for Osama that they have been made out to be. I am not trying to suggest they are being objective on the proceedings, but they are showing some of the cruelties of war and how everyone is victim, but from an Arab perspective which we Americans may never be able to see clearly.

It is hard to review a film like this, but it is an important one to see. It gives a different perspective on the proceedings in Iraq.