Reporting, "Live from Baghdad"

“It all died, rotted, turned into oil, and now...we're here,” says Richard Roth, played by Hamish Linklater, a reporter for CNN during the Gulf War, as he and the rest of the CNN crew drive along a road that can only be described as ‘dire’ in the desert near Kuwait. “Live from Baghdad” effectively recreates the experiences of the CNN crew covering the Gulf War in Baghdad while also describing the growth of the network from the underdog to top dog. The story flows smoothly; staying interesting, fresh and supported by great acting.

Directed by Mick Jackson and starring Michael Keaton as Robert Wiener and Helena Bonham Carter as Ingrid Foreman, “Live from Baghdad” utilizes its cast and creates a great representation of the CNN crew. The release of the movie in December of 2002 seemed a little risky considering the international events occurring at the time, the recent September 11th attacks and the War on Terror, but the movie was not nearly controversial enough to warrant any negative feedback or reactions. Instead it was candid and straightforward, simply presenting the facts from the point of view of Robert Wiener while stationed in Baghdad.

The film chronicles CNN’s rise from “the little news agency that could” to the next news supergiant. CNN’s executive producers Robert Wiener and Ingrid Foreman take a crew and reporter to Baghdad and try to report the stories that really matter. Instead of reporting on whatever they can, the crew spends time building relationships with the Ministry of Information.
Ingrid and Robert’s relationship propels the film by following their growing respect for one another while the rest of the crew provides some comic relief. Judy, the technology crewmember, played by Lili Taylor, and Mark, their cameraman, played by Joshua Leonard, have a perfect witty banter for this comic relief. Bruce McGill, as Peter Arnett, is simply magical in his small part as the outspoken veteran of war journalism. Furthermore Linklater plays Richard Roth, CNN correspondent, spot-on and has many key lines.

Despite all the great aspects of this film, it did fall flat in some places. The cinematography seemed to be lacking and the shots were too close and tight on the actors and didn’t focus on the surrounding activities or scenery. It would have been very easy to focus on the privacy violations and conditions in which the residents of Baghdad were living daily. Unfortunately, the film only covered it in relation to the crew living in the hotel and having their stories monitored before they could be transmitted back to the United States.

Overall “Live from Baghdad” utilizes a strong cast to convey the varying emotions of covering this story while also giving adequate history of the Gulf War and the rise of CNN as a news powerhouse. The film is compelling, interesting and worth every minute.