For anyone wanting to understand the politics of oil in the Middle East, this film is an important resource. It traces the history of the oil industry in Iraq from the time the country was formed after World War I as a British Protectorate. It details the exploitation of the oil by Western oil companies until the industry was nationalized in the 70's to the collective joy of the Iraqi people.

The film explains Saddam Hussein's rise to power from being the oil minister, the role of the Ba'ath party in modernizing Iraq with the help of oil profits; and the conflict with its neighbors Iran and Kuwait over control of the oil. It shows the excesses of power and curtailment of personal freedom inflicted by Saddam, and the greed of Iraq and Iran regarding Kurdish oil. Among those interviewed is the former director of the Iraqi Petroleum Company, from exile in Turkey. He was brought back by the U.S. after the second Gulf War to be provisional head of the Ministry of Oil.

Devastated by the first Gulf War, we see how even before the second Gulf War, the country was sorrowfully impoverished, though sitting on vast resources of "black gold."

"Highly Recommended. A simply tremendous film, In a time when such a film might be dripping with emotion and/or partiality, this is a perfectly unbiased look at Iraq's history. Furthermore, one may acquire this film in the confidence that this material will not become dated any time soon. This is an excellent film for those eager to learn the history of Iraq and gain an understanding of the events leading up to today's events."
Michael J. Coffta, Business Librarian, University of Pennsylvania for Educational Media Reviews on Line