Themes: Members of the Press, Work Ethics, Totalitarian States
Main Cast: Michael Keaton, Helena Bonham Carter, Lili Taylor, Joshua Leonard, David Suchet
Release Year: 2002
Country: US
Run Time: 100 minutes
Plot
As America geared itself for another possible armed conflict in Iraq, the HBO cable service offered a dramatization of events surrounding the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Originally telecast on December 8, 2002, Live From Baghdad recounted the efforts by the CNN network to be first on the scene when hostilities broke out in the Gulf in late 1990. Inaugurating round-the-clock coverage of the warfare with the invasion of Kuwait, dauntless CNN producers Robert Wiener (Michael Keaton) and Ingrid Formanek (Helena Bonham Carter), aided and abetted by on-the-scene reporters Bernard Shaw (Robert Wisdom), Peter Arnett (Bruce McGill), and John Holliman (John Carroll Lynch), among many others, represented the only American news service on the scene during the first night of bombing on January 16, 1991. Not only does Live From Baghdad celebrate the heroism (and meticulous fairness) of the CNN crew, but it also vividly demonstrates how a tiny but tenacious basic cable channel managed to out-scoop the Big Three networks, thereby becoming one of the most powerful and influential journalistic forces in the world. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Mick Jackson's Live From Baghdad works as an entertaining and effective drama, but it provides disappointingly inadequate context in its depiction of the events surrounding the 1991 Gulf War. For example, in one crucial scene the CNN team in Baghdad (well-played by Michael Keaton, Helena Bonham Carter, and Lili Taylor) travels to Kuwait (at the invitation of the Iraqi Ministry of Information) to visit a hospital in order to investigate allegations that Iraqi soldiers were taking Kuwaiti infants from incubators during their thorough looting of the country. These allegations are given surprising credence in the film, despite the fact that they were later discovered to have been invented by an American PR firm working for Kuwaiti interests. There's no acknowledgement of this crucial information in Live From Baghdad. Although the film purports to show the events from the point-of-view of CNN executive news producer Robert Wiener (Keaton), one would think that any honest account of the events depicted would include the media distortions that led up to the bombing of Iraq. But the film doesn't have a single unpleasant thing to say about the news media, particularly CNN. (This isn't especially surprising, as it is based on Wiener's account of the events and was made for CNN sister company HBO.) That said, the film is uniformly well-played (though Hamish Linklater stands out as tuna-toting correspondent Richard Roth, whose dweebish demeanor belies his intrepid reportorial skills) and tightly scripted (with an assist from John Patrick Shanley, who wrote Moonstruck). Despite its larger failings, the film is entertaining and captures the unique pressures and tensions of reporting from a hostile war zone. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
Mick Jackson - Director, Joe Hutshing - Editor, Sara Colleton - Executive Producer, Rosalie Swedlin - Executive Producer, Steve Jablonsky - Composer (Music Score), Richard Hoover - Production Designer, Ivan Strasburg - Cinematographer, George W. Perkins - Producer, Richard Chapman - Teleplay By, John Patrick Shanley - Teleplay By, Timothy J. Sexton - Screenwriter, Robert Wiener - Book Author
Live from Baghdad is a television movie produced in 2002 by HBO. It was directed by Mick Jackson and written by Robert Wiener (based on the book of the same title by Wiener). The movie was released during the prelude stage of the currently ongoing Iraq War.
Michael Keaton stars as CNN on-location producer Robert Wiener in Baghdad, Iraq during the Persian Gulf War in 1991. The movie focuses on the news media's (primarily CNN's) coverage of the war. Fundamentally an action–drama, the characters grapple with the ethics and implications of 24-hour journalism in the days leading up to and during the United States-led bombing of Baghdad.
The movie received some criticism for its inclusion of the journalists' attempt to investigate claims that infants were being removed from their incubators in Kuwaiti hospitals under control of Iraqi forces. The scene in the movie suggests doctors were trying to hide something, but it was later determined that the allegations were untrue. A disclaimer was added to later broadcasts and the home video version.
The film begins on August 2, 1990, with Iraqi forces and tanks rolling into Kuwait City, as the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait begins. In Atlanta, CNN picks Robert Wiener (Michael Keaton) and his crew to go to Baghdad and cover the invasion. At Rome International Airport, Wiener meets his colleague and producer Ingrid Formanek (Helena Bonham Carter). Wiener and his crew arrive in Baghdad on August 23, and stay at the Al-Rasheed Hotel.
As they settle in their hotel rooms, they notice that they are being monitored. The crew report their first story on a young British boy held as a hostage by Saddam Hussein (Jerry Haleva). As they continue to report stories, they get pressured by the Iraqi government. Wiener later meets the Iraqi Minister of Information Naji Al Hadithi (David Suchet), and requests pieces of equipment and an interview with Hussein. As the movie goes on, Wiener and Al Hadithi become friends.
Wiener and his crew get access to interview Americans forced to stay in the country by the Iraqi government. The Iraqis use the American hostages as human shields for potential bombing sites. After Wiener's crew interview an American named Bob Vinton (Murphy Dunne), Vinton goes missing. Wiener becomes worried about Vinton. Later, Al Hadithi gives CBS and Dan Rather the Saddam Hussein interview. Instead of the Hussein interview, Al Hadithi gives Wiener and his crew a trip to Kuwait. They arrive in Jahra Air Force Base, Kuwait on October 17. The crew cover the incubator story in three hospitals, but then Iraqis call off the interviews because the CNN crew broke some ground rules. As soon as they arrive back in Baghdad, Wiener and the crew become the story as the only Americans to be in Kuwait.
After an argument between Wiener and Al Hadithi, Al Hadithi agrees to give CNN a Saddam Hussein interview. On October 29, Bernard Shaw (Robert Wisdom) and the CNN crew interview Saddam Hussein at one of his presidential palaces. In the interview, Hussein states that Iraq withdrawing from Kuwait would be like the U.S. withdrawing from Hawaii. The crew then covers the release of American hostages from Iraq. Wiener then finds Bob Vinton and is emotionally moved by his being safe.
The United Nations gives Iraq until January 15, 1991 to withdraw from Kuwait, or face military action. As the deadline comes to an end the crew sees that the Iraqi Army is installing anti-aircraft guns in Baghdad. The crew then gets a piece of equipment called the four-wire, which gives them communications to CNN in Atlanta. The four-wire is essentially a direct phone line to their CNN facility in Jordan. From that point it can hit the satellite above and then go to Atlanta, CNN headquarters. The Iraqis eventually find out that the crew have established communication with Atlanta. The CNN crew is the only foreign news group with the four wire. On January 9, the crew eventually believe that there will be war.
Bernard Shaw arrives in Baghdad again on January 13 to interview Saddam Hussein again at the deadline. As soon as the deadline expires, streets in Baghdad are empty and businesses are shut down. Americans and foreign news groups begin evacuating Baghdad on January 15 in fear of American bombing strikes. Wiener decides to stay, and some members of the crew decide to leave. At around 2 a.m. on January 17, U.S. F-117 Nighthawk Stealth Fighters begin to bomb Baghdad. Iraqi soldiers begin to fire anti-aircraft guns into the sky to shoot down the bombers. As soon as the bombing strikes begin, CNN correspondents Bernard Shaw (Robert Wisdom), John Holliman (John Carroll Lynch) and Peter Arnett (Bruce McGill) begin to report and describe the bombings on the four-wire communicator. The reports are broadcast live on CNN in America. The film shows the points of view from Saddam Hussein and U.S. President George H. W. Bush watching the CNN reports. It also intersperses actual archival footage of news anchors from rival networks, having to report off CNN's live feed, since CNN was the only news source transmitting during the invasion. Other archival footage is of Dick Cheney, during a news conference as Bush's Defense Secretary, stating "The best coverage I've seen of what transpired in Baghdad was on CNN", and NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw stating, "CNN used to be called the little network that could. It's no longer a little network."
At around 5 a.m., the crew is forced to stop reporting by Al Hadithi and Iraqi soldiers.
Most of the crew leave Baghdad including Formanek and Shaw. Wiener stays in Baghdad. Wiener returned back to America on January 23. The film ended showing the destruction of buildings from bombings in Baghdad.
Characters
Michael Keaton as Robert Wiener, a CNN producer who braves Iraq and refuses to flee when all the other news broadcasters have fled Iraq. He is resourceful in his dealings with Iraqi aristocracy. It is obvious that Wiener however also has great compassion which is shown when he is worried that one of his interviewees may be being hurt by the Iraqi government. Michael Keaton has been generally praised for his work in this film.
Helena Bonham Carter as Ingrid Formanek, a daring strong companion to Robert who also knows her limit and agrees to leave Baghdad with the other reporters. The are hints that she is Robert Wiener's romantic attraction. Helena Bonham Carter has been highly praised for her performance, some[who?] calling her the film's strong link. She gained an Emmy and Golden Globe nomination for her part in the film.
David Suchet as Naji Al-Hadithi the Minister of Information who befriends Robert Weiner and provides Robert with much help and an insight into the Iraqi side of the war. He proves to be an equal match to Weiner in intellect. David Suchet has been widely praised for his performance.
Paul Guilfoyle as Ed Turner, the head of the CNN. He trusts Robert but only up to a point. He decides though to let Robert make his own choices. Paul Guilfoyle's other work includes the lead character in CSI.
Joshua Leonard as Mark Biello the crew's cameraman. He decides immediately to leave when given the opportunity. Joshua Leonard is also one of the actors in The Blair Witch Project.
Lili Taylor as Judy Parker A brave woman who accompanies Robert and the crew and catches the eye of Mark Biello. Lili has also been in The X-Files and I Shot Andy Warhol.
Other cast member include Bruce McGill, Robert Wisdom and Clark Gregg who play three on-scene reporters who are the three who report for CNN while the bombs are going and provide the world its news.
