House of Saddam (2008) User Reviews

How to seize power and hold on to it for a quarter of a century

[gray4 · 8/10 · 30 August 2008]

This four-part mini-series grips you from the outset. Yigal Naor's portrayal of the young Saddam is brilliant, seizing power brutally but always with a purpose behind his brutality. This contrasts with the mindless, purposeless brutality of his elder son Uday (Philip Arditti), which comes through in the 2nd and 3rd episodes.

The mini-series' structure, taking four key years in Saddam's life over 24 years, is managed extremely effectively, although one consequence is that some of the best-known incidents of his reign of terror have to be omitted.

The character of each family member develops across the episodes and the overall sense of an all-pervading reign of terror comes over very powerfully.

My main criticism is of the final episode, almost elegiac with a mellow Saddam on the run with a consequent loss of tension and momentum. Although I suppose that, as we all know what happened to him right from the start, this is probably inevitable. But well worth watching and superbly acted by everyone.

Compelling Drama

[Theo Robertson · 8/10 · 24 August 2008]

Imagine a a miniseries where you know the ending . Wouldn't that mean there's a lack of suspense ? You know the ending therefore there's little reason to watch . We all know what happened to Saddam Hussain so it says a lot that within a few short minutes of watching this show I was totally intrigued and hooked by it

The production team knows the audience will know the ultimate outcome of this chronicle so concentrate on the dramatic aspects of Saddam's time in power . The first episode concentrates on his ascent to power by liquidating his rivals on trumped up charges of " counter revolutionary activities " and waging a war against his Persian neighbours . The second episode introduces his two sons who were every bit as bad as him if not worst and shows the results of his doomed escapade in Kuwait . The third episode shows his genius of brinkmanship and political machinations while the final episode shows the dictator as a fugitive on the run

Some critics have expressed disappointment in that some aspects are skated over too quickly while others say the ordinary sufferings of the ordinary Iraqi people are ignored . There's some truth to this but again the the producers have quite rightly ignored scope and concentrated on well written drama superbly acted by an unknown cast . I've never heard of Yigal Naor or Philip Arditti but they both give superb performances and I look forward to this series picking up a few awards at the more prestigious award ceremonis

The Man Behind the Monster

[ReelCheese · 8/10 · 2 March 2010]

Next to Hitler or Stalin, no modern figure has been as vilified as Saddam Hussein. And with the Iraqi despot's atrocities so well known and oft-repeated, it becomes easy to forget that there was a flesh-and-bones man behind the monster.

What makes HOUSE OF SADDAM so compelling is its humanization of the title character. Yigal Naor delivers a subdued brilliance as Saddam, developing the character over a 27-year elapsed period that begins with his ascension to power and ends with his hanging. Naor brings Saddam to the screen without bias. He's as convincing with Saddam the caring family man as he is with Saddam the cold-hearted executioner.

Producers of this four-hour miniseries faced the same challenge as those who have brought other notable world figures to film: what hits the screen and what stays on the cutting room floor? The choice here was to shed light on a quartet of important eras in Saddam's life: his rise to power, his war with Iran, his invasion of Kuwait and his evasion of US forces after the fall of his government. This approach is not perfect - it would have been fascinating to see the final chapter focus more on the process that led to Saddam's fall - but it works well nevertheless.

A rich back story, with emphasis on unstable sons Uday (an amazing Philip Arditti) and Qusay (Mounir Margoum), helps flesh out the story of a complex man in a complex situation. At times the film feels like THE SOPRANOS, with loyalties constantly questioned and bullets planted in the heads of recusants. Given that there is so much about Saddam we will never know, some dramatic license was taken, but none of it screams of pure fiction.

HOUSE OF SADDAM sheds important light on a man whose impact on the world was as devastating as it was profound. With no political agenda, it makes for irresistible viewing.

scary as he used to be

[wendy718 · 9/10 · 30 July 2008]

in fact , am watching this drama and writing in the same time. i couldn't wait me and my husband for this to start , we are iraqi and we lived most of our lives under Saddam's regime , this is a good drama about Saddam , it starts when he came to power in 79 , so scary , so unpredictable as he always used to be , we watched him on TV , lived in a country ruled by him , and in this series i am remembering my childhood , and my life in Iraq, i believe this drama is so real offcourse except for the language which is Arabic in reality ,all characters resemble the real ones , with the music and all.

i'll give it 9 starts.

Truly chilling dramatisation of Saddam's dictatorship

[DVD_Connoisseur · 9/10 · 5 August 2008]

"House of Saddam" is an excellent dramatisation of Saddam's rule, starting in 1979. With high production standards, excellent performances and truly blood chilling scenes, this is unmissable television.

This four part drama series provides an insight into the world of the Husseins and looks at Saddam's relationships with family, friends, allies and enemies. It appears to be a well researched piece and, despite dramatic licence, you feel you're watching actual events unfold.

9 out of 10. Excellent.

Great Casting!

[montreal514 · 13 December 2008]

If viewers are expecting a factual summary of Saddam Hussein's life, they will be disappointed. I'm sure there are better documentaries on the subject. But for pure casting pleasure, I would heartily recommend HoS. Director Jim O'Hanlon has assembled a truly international cast, including celebrated Iranian actress Shohreh Aghdashloo (so marvelous in "House of Sand & Fog"), Indian actress Shivani Ghai, and Palestinian actor Makram Khoury (great as Tariq Aziz).

Most impressive is celebrated actor Yigal Naor as Saddam. He exudes the perfect combination of ruthlessness and charm that propelled the tyrant into power. That Hussein is portrayed by a Jew-- and Israeli-born Jew-- is probably sending the old goat into cartwheels. Pure poetic justice!

Below expectation

[goldenshuttle · 7/10 · 21 September 2014]

Pros: Philip Arditti plays his role very well and has similar physical looks. Start of how Saddam terrorized Iraq goes well with truth. Cons:Shohreh Aghdashloo (who plays Saddam wife) does not match the role; Sheher has some graceful looks; while the real Sajida Saddam was a chubby, Bedouin woman who struggled all her life to remove her trademark of no style and no taste(see her on google image and judge by yourself). Movie hides two turning points in Saddam life: One is after 1990 (liberation of Kuwait by US); Saddam committed mass graves burring about 400,000 Shiite Muslims, most of them buried alive. So far only 250 000 corpse found and they keep finding. Second missing fact that Uday; the playboy son of Saddam was shot by opposition on 1996 causing him to lose ability to walk; and lost his manhood(his Johnson was cut by a bullet). This caused a lot of problems inside Saddam family due to jealousy the grew against his young brother Qusay; who was being groomed to succeed his father. The film also draws a totally opposite picture of Saddam wife(Sajida) real character. She hated high class women (due to her low class family) and destroyed many of the well known Baghdad families. She was not the helpless abused wife and the movie shows.She was a gem hunter; touring the world buying diamonds and jewellery. Film misrepresented the real character of Saddam son in law (Hussein Kamel) who escaped to Jordan. Hussein Kamel was known in Iraq as being blood thirsty; low rank policeman who did everything to prove to Saddam that he was a ruthless aide to rely on. Part 3 did not reveal the truth why US reinstalled Saddam after liberating Kuwait in 1990 although he lost control of 15 provinces out of 18 in Iraq. A real writer should make 8 or 10 episodes about Saddam showing the shocking facts starting from the 50's when he was a student & agent of CIA in Cairo; until they helped him takeover in 1968. To show some facts and hide others is misguiding.

Exceptional television drama

[donboyd2004 · 9/10 · 3 August 2008]

The first episode of this drama series could have fallen into all the traps that recreations of modern history, and ancient history for that matter, fall into: Glib unrealistic portrayals of character; ridiculous over simplification; and sloppy historical inaccuracies. Alex Holmes with his production team and a brilliant cast avoided this brilliantly in the light of one over-riding handicap they had - All of us have our preconceptions and our own sketchy 'take' on the Saddam sagas presented by the media and by governments over the last 25 years in various forms of uneven levels of factual integrity, political expediency and rigor. Amazingly, despite this, I was able to accept the inevitable economies of scale limiting Holmes and his ingenious team, and was spellbound by the simple exposition of Saddam's corrupt, and corrupting modus operandi. The family dynamic was cleverly integrated with the political backdrop and viewers more interested in the subtext will not be disappointed. A grisly reminder that we have lived through an era when monsters exist within the human race and our world seems to be reluctant to learn from history and be more alert to their ability to operate, and cause tragedy and mayhem while we too often watch and allow them. Great telly too on a straightforward entertainment level.

Gripping television that will win awards galore!

[Pedro_H · 9/10 · 9 August 2008]

The rise and fall of the Iraq dictator Saddam Hussein.

What a big project this must have been. Trying to distil the best bits of Saddam's twenty four years in power in to four hours and not losing those not steeped in Middle Eat politics would appear impossible to some - but my word, they have pulled it off!

Here you have it all: Power, sex, family, violence, politics, war, madness, you name it. The complete drama play box. Yet this is a personal drama that is more interested in family and politics than needless bloodshed. Not that it isn't very gory at times. This is not for children.

You also have a fantastic lead performance from Yigal Naor. Utterly mesmerising: Deluded, multi-faced, sometimes charming and yet ruling by fear. Trusting nobody - and certainly not his friends or family. Hitler meets Idi Amin in a country with rich oil fields and - therefore - "important" to the West.

Pick of the highly convincing support cast is Philip Arditti as "first son" Uday. The mad-as-a-hatter "heir". The camera lingers/glaces on him for no reason at council and cabinet meetings, sneering or (inappropriately) looking unconcerned. He even makes Saddam look straight!

Yes, it had loads of things to crib and copy from: The Sopranos and the Godfather Trilogy among them, but it is amazing how the format fits around a story that is almost entirely true. In its major facts at least.

If there is a better mini-series played on TV this year I would be very surprised. You'll want to watch it more than once - I know I did.

The Sopranos in Iraq

[simon-james · 10/10 · 31 July 2008]

Anyone that loves their classic gangster sagas will love this series. The story of Saddam is one, that nearly every on Earth knows; but no one really knew what motivated him and why he was such a tyrant. Well this four part miniseries tries to put together the facts behind this man.

Yigal Naor who plays Saddam acting is so much like James Gandolfini you would swear it was his Arab brother. And there are moments when Saddam and his henchmen are sitting around in restaurants, eating and making fun of one another. You think this just like Paulie, Sil and the guys. And he's got a adviser who has a different faith just like Hesh. And even his a son that is a disappointment to him just like AJ. Saddam was basically a Gangster and like all Gangsters, he will rise and fall.

The difference with The Sopranos and House of Saddam is, one is fiction and one is real. The BBC/HBO should have first given this series a four hour cinema release. It's that good!

History according to Hollywood?

[BirdmanT7 · 3/10 · 28 January 2009]

This is a well made, well acted superb production as a series, but it really fails to tell the truth about Saddam's connection with the United States. Once again we have Hollywood deciding what stays in and what stays out and this series makes Saddam to be a something from Shakespeare's "King Lear" and it is utter non-sense.

I was surprised and very disappointed since this was made by the BBC and they usually get things right?. I guess when HBO joined in things got changed?. This series never delved into the US role in backing Saddam's regime early, and later backing him to fight Iran by supplying him with Bombs to Bomb Iran for almost 8 years. Killing all the women and children with Chemicals that came from US. This is well known documented FACT and part of the US history but I guess it is easier to make someone else to be the Monster like Saddam.

They didn't show one scene with Tariq Aziz in the White House with Bush senior and Regan when they were making all the arm deal to Bomb Iran and later the same US Govt made Saddam to be the monster. This was covered by the PBS on Frontline: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/gunning/

there was real footage showing Tariq Aziz in the White house and meeting with Regan and Bush all smiles when they were shipping arms to Iraq to bomb Iran and that part of history is somehow OK by HBO and BBC to decided what part of History is made into this fabricated fantasy of Saddam?

Hollywood makes it's own history of Saddam and the sad part is for the most part the general public, and mostly Americans whom can not name their own presidents or have very little knowledge of their own history and yet sit back and watch this crap and then write reviews on this site as it to be some amazing series to depict someone like Saddam?.

I encourage you people to log into sites http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/

and watch the truth about your own history about Iraq and Saddam and US.

Just finished episode 2 ... Brilliant!

[james-948 · 10/10 · 7 August 2008]

This is brilliant, absolutely fantastic.

Since the war (2003) I've been fascinated with history of Iraq and the story of Saddam and this is a truly great dramatisation from what i've researched.

It's everything I expected and more. Great cast, gripping story and fantastic score!

My only criticism is some of the smaller roles / characters acting is a little cheap, and the last scene from eps. 2 was a little cheesy "this is my county!", was good up until then.

I hate to say it, as it clearly isn't the case, but the acting is good, gives a human edge to the story, almost empathetic, but then you soon remember how brutal he was - a true madman.

Nothing like Uday Hussein, words cant explain his evilness.

On a separate note, any ideas who composed the score?

It is not real

[biomarwan · 10/10 · 17 October 2008]

I have seen this series, but as a citizen from a neighbor country that had a mass interaction with Iraq and it's history, i see that this drama looks like the history that written by winners of wars, they exaggerate faults and kill the beautiful points in a long dramatic story that we lived.

Saddam as a character in this series is too different from the real person, he is more calm, some how polite with others, nice one when you talk with him, he was beloved from more than 200 million Arabic due to his good character, but in this movies he looks like a monster that don't know any thing about his real situation..... you have killed the memory of nations, at least for me as a viewer.

One of the best miniseries ever made

[phd_travel · 10/10 · 10 August 2010]

The four hours speed by like 1. Even for people who aren't that familiar with what happened to Saddam before and during the war, this clearly scripted miniseries shows everything in a clear and dramatic fashion. It is terrifying and yet totally watchable. It is detailed yet never drags. Shows both the terror he inflicted on his people and his family. You don't have to question the plot since it is all true.

The cast is terrific - the leads deserved Emmys and Golden Globes. The cast who played his sons, son in laws, wife, daughters are all excellent. They show terror without overacting. The sets are authentic looking. The score is suitable and evocative.

One of the best miniseries ever made. Very compelling. A must see.

Great performances and production

[goreblimey77 · 9/10 · 14 August 2008]

Just having finished watching Episode 3, my previous impressions of the high caliber of this production have been confirmed and surpassed. The whole cast turns in by-now-predictably superior performances, aided in good part by the writing and cinematography - both of which are likewise outstanding. In this latest episode, however, I was especially impressed with Agni Scott's quite stunning performance as Raghad Hussein.

Scott plays the loving and obedient wife of General Kamel Hussein, and the knowing daughter of her country and her father, Saddam Hussein. And Scott plays the role to perfection. Raghad's deep understanding of Iraq and of her father is a telling counterpoint to the repeatedly foolish choices of her husband -- the self-pretending pretender to the pretender who is the President.

Scott (a true beauty whose resemblance to Mini Driver is quite astounding) shines here, as she has done in other venues (e.g., The Hamburg Cell). But so much of this production shines in so many ways, large and small. (Like the camera shot at (ep. 3) @ 25 minutes -- "I always knew he was a snake . . ."; like the musical score).

A very bad story, told so very well. Thank you BBC and HBO. Thank you, all.

The truth about Saddam and his family.

[shawnr-5 · 10/10 · 6 August 2008]

There are still some people out there that love Saddam because he was "such a good and brave man". I'm glad that this mini-series was produced so people around the world can see the true face of Saddam Hussein: an evil tyrant not only to his own people but also to his family and every human being that he saw as a threat. The sad part is that not all people that became his victims were actually a threat to him: Saddam viewed them as a threat because of his sick mind.

If you want to see the real Saddam and discover the truth, I recommend this mini-series for you to see!

10/10 - A mini-series about Saddam Hussein and his family and close friends, about the Iraq-Iran war, the invasion of Kuwait and other real life historical accurate events. It also contains entertainment & drama and you can also learn history at the same time!

It was OK

[mark-4401 · 5/10 · 27 December 2008]

The movie missed a lot, but they had to pick and choose what they felt was important. There is just not enough time to include everything.

Personally, more history on his childhood would have been interesting, and more history about his trial would have been significant... but that is my personal opinion.

The movie reminds me of The Godfather. And I suppose that Saddam's family could easily be compared to gangsters.

Bottom line this is a soap opera about a truly dysfunctional family. If you are looking to do research by following the series you are out of luck... for entertainment purposes only.

short but comprehensive

[arashrafiq · 9/10 · 22 August 2008]

house of Saddam is a short series on the life of Saddam Hussein and his family and the friends near him. for people interested in the life oh Saddam and the happenings in Iraq during his regime its a must watch. well shot and directed. i will give it a 9 out of 10. nothing has been made like it before.the film starts from his regime in 1979. how he took over the Iraq presidential seat. it follows through the gulf war and later Kuwait incidents and finally his bringing down. it sheds light on how it was a jungles law out there for his family. the actors have done justice to their rules especially noar has pulled a great performance. all in all a good series to watch especially for the people who have been there in his regime. they can feel it for sure

remarkable

[Vincentiu · 2 April 2013]

a movie who desires be testimony. not as documentary or accusation to a regime. not as dramatization of a dictatorship. but as picture of its roots and its soul. as puzzle of a deep tragedy out of words. it suggests, describes, show. in honest and direct way. using the subtle precise power of image. recreating shadows of past and remember not only the steps of Hussein dictatorship but the silhouettes of Stalin or Ghadafi ascension to power. more than a series, it is instrument to reflection about terrible forms of pain. about steps of absolute power. maybe it is not exactly the truth. the details are pieces of darkness but the basic lines are enough to understand the circle of this regime and for not consider the war against Iraq from 2003 only fruit of American propaganda. because evil is not propriety of definitions.

Quality Stuff

[mbishara · 9/10 · 4 September 2008]

As far as a TV mini-series goes, it doesn't get much better than this. The co-production that boasts the heavyweight partnership between HBO and BBC is evident in the quality of the sets, the cinematography, the casting (for the most part), script writing, editing, and acting.

Each episode created heart-racing drama, often so thick it could be cut with a knife.

My once qualm: as an Arabic speaker, I could hear right through some accents that were clearly not Arab. The worst offenders being Shohreh Aghdashloo's thick Iranian accent handling the part of Saddam's wife Sajida -- an earsore if there ever was one. Another was Agni Scott (ne' Tsangaridou) who's evident Greek accent again distracted from her performance as Raghad Hussein.

However, the roles of Uday, Tariq Aziz, Ali Hassan al-Majid, Hussein Kamel, and especially Saddam (played by Yigal Naor) were as convincing as one could ask for.

Overall highly entertaining, and informative for those less familiar with the Baath regime, as the plot line curbed closely to the facts. Well worth watching.

Reign of Terror

[thowen1988 · 8/10 · 18 December 2008]

In my view, this miniseries is an excellent portrayal of Saddam Hussein's reign of terror. The actors' performances were excellent.

However, in my view, the full extent of Uday's ruthlessness was not completely explored and portrayed in this miniseries.

For example, Uday was known to rape brides on their wedding day (one groom then shot himself that very day).

Also, Uday was known to rape girls as young as 12 years of age. If their fathers protested, Uday threatened their very lives. In addition, Uday was known to prowl Iraqi streets in search of women. When he saw a woman he liked, he would shoot her male companion, and then kidnap the female.

Furthermore, Uday was notorious for torturing Iraqi soccer players who lost games and anyone who he considered a foe. When he was a teen, Uday killed a teacher who had the audacity to reprimand the rambunctious firstborn son of the Iraqi dictator. Such atrocities should have been included in the miniseries.

After viewing this miniseries, it certainly puts things in proper perspective. The liberal media and "Bush haters" like to forget the mass graves and the countless innocents who were brutally raped and murdered by Hussein and his supporters. Judging by media outlets such as NBC and the New York Times, once would think a peaceful, contributing member of the world community was suddenly overthrown by a rogue nation. I choose NOT to forget the unfortunate souls who were brutalized under Hussein.

History will smile on President Bush's decision to liberate the Iraqi people from this ruthless murderer. This miniseries clearly demonstrates this assertion.

Nevertheless, HBO's "House of Saddam" was done quite well, and I enjoyed it very much.

Really big fan

[super_kevin_k · 10/10 · 9 November 2008]

I am a huge fan of this show! its a really great Drama. I only wish there were more episodes in it-it was really captivating!

the acting is genius,especially the actress Amber Rose Revah. she is amazing!! SHE ROCKS!!and shes cute =)

i am mates with her and she hangs round mine a lot but i am not biased!!if you get a chance to watch this-keep an eye on her.

she plays Hala Hussein; the youngest daughter of Saddam.

You also have a really fantastic lead performance from Yigal Naor.

the series is all about Saddams reign, his friends and family and is really eye opening.

it shows the world the true face of the evil tyrant that was Saddam Hussein.

you can catch it on BBC HBO-i really recommend it,though it is quite gory at times.

deserves no less than 10/10

Breathtaking Series

[life_imitation · 8/10 · 22 January 2009]

"House of Saddam" is a simply splendid miniseries. I have a cursory knowledge of Iraq and Saddam but this series confirmed what I knew and also illustrated new facts. The acting was amazing from everyone, particularly the actors who played Saddam and Uday - very scary and extremely convincing.

The only complaint I would have is that the last two episodes, particularly the very last one, dragged a little bit (I honestly became uninterested in Saddam after he was removed from power), though I appreciated that the series wanted to be timely and show the American invasion of Iraq. Also, I felt that each of the four parts jumped around a little bit too much and that I was more interested in the story of Saddam's immediate family rather than the story of Saddam's sons-in-law (though I'm sure their story was important).

All in all, this was an amazingly well-done mini-series on a fascinating topic. I will definitely be watching these actors and seeing where all they go in the future.

I'm no fan of Saddam, but the level of propaganda and lies in this program stops it from being anything but complete fiction

[thornsthorns · 1/10 · 9 December 2009]

I'm no fan of Saddam, but the level of propaganda and lies in this program stops it from being anything but complete fiction.

He is shown like a cross between an Hitler, godfather and a coward.

The film really seems to serve no purpose other than as a propaganda tool.

Again i am no fan of the guy, but history and programs pretending to historical or based on history, should remain factually true, or at the very least spiritually true to the events.

This program is neither, but nonetheless is entertaining enough i suppose. But if you want that kind of entertainment your better off watching sopranos or the original godfather trilogy.

One of the best movies of all time

[shehzada0 · 25 February 2009]

the words for praising this masterpiece will be less everything was perfect right from the cast to the technicalities behind the camera performances good cinematography, set design, background score everything was too good. the minor things were taken care but the evilness in the saddam hussein personality was not explored much and few things were not mentioned i.e. chemical bomb on the kurd and shia and during the war in kuwait he address to the entire world and especially USA that my people can survive on dates and water even if the entire world boycott us

otherwise their was no flaw in filming.

rating 4 out of 5