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.

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.

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.

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.