Since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, that country and Saudi Arabia have dueled for control, reflecting not only a centuries-old schism between the Shiites (Iran) and the Sunnis (Saudi Arabia), but also the waging of a battle over the future of Islam and of the Middle East—a conflict that has boiled over in bloody proxy wars in neighboring nations. In this PBS-aired Frontline documentary, correspondent Martin Smith reports on the longstanding war between these Islamic adversaries. With their sacred shrines in Mecca and Medina, the Saudis view themselves as the proper guardians of Islam, while scorning Shia Islam as illegitimate. Iran's ayatollahs despise Middle Eastern monarchies and curse the Saudis as pro-Western American puppets. For almost 40 years the two sides have squared off over issues including terrorist funding in Lebanon and Syria, Saddam Hussein's expansionist aims, and Syria's brutal crackdown on insurgents. In the early ‘80s, Iran fought Iraq in a war that threatened to spill over into nearby countries, introducing new terror tactics and technology. Atrocities were committed on both sides, with Iraq's use of chemical weapons, and Iran's deployment of boy soldiers as young as 10 as human shields. When tribal war recently broke out in Yemen, Iran backed the ruling regime, while the Saudis took the unusual step of bombing the country using U.S. supplied weapons, killing many women and children (civilian populations in conflicted countries are coldly calculated as mere collateral damage). As one official notes, "When elephants fight, it's the grass that suffers." This two-part documentary combines testimony from government officials on both sides with plenty of graphic footage and descriptions of the carnage. Sadly, no solutions are offered, and no end seems to be in sight. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)
Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia
(2018) 180 min. DVD: $24.99 ($54.99 w/PPR). PBS Video. SDH captioned. ISBN: 978-1-5317-0445-2. Volume 33, Issue 6
Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: