The real Saddam Hussein
צילום: איי פי
Israeli actor stars as Saddam
New BBC show features Yigal Naor as infamous Iraqi dictator and other Israeli actors as regime officials. British critics are raving, but how will Israel react?
The late Saddam Hussein was, in the minds of many, the most infamous Iraqi ever to exist. In the minds of some he was the cruelest dictator who ever existed, and to others he was a persecuted victim of the Bush regime. But never was he an Israeli. Until now.
A recent BBC brainchild has cast Yigal Naor and his Zionist shadow over the character of the notorious leader, in a new series called 'House of Saddam', which premiered in the UK last Wednesday. It is a British-American production of the BBC and HBO, and features other Israeli actors like Sasson Gabai, Uri Gavriel, and Makram Khouri. They play various officers of the Iraqi regime, which lends the show a certain irony that refuses to be overlooked.
Every Saddam double knows that a good Hussein is measured by his moustache, and Naor's rendition of this characteristic is perfect. It doesn't so much as twitch when he blasts heads open with gunfire or asks a girl what her father says about Saddam at home.
The moustache is perfect. (From 'House of Saddam')
The series was filmed in Tunisia, which gives it an appearance very similar to that of Iraq in the '70s. Historically, the background was created with the themes of this period, including propaganda posters supporting Hussein and television news clips of incidents from the war against Iran.
'House of Saddam' opens with a scene from the final period of the dictator's life, as US President George W. Bush threatens to attack Iraq in order to bring about democratic changes in the country. The next scene takes the viewer back to 1979, the period of his rise to power, and the series continues from there.
Reviews of the show in the UK were mostly flattering, though the Herald determined that it had neither heart nor intelligence. Aside from this, however, critics lavished praise on the series, comparing it to 'The Sopranos', 'Dallas', and even 'The Godfather'. Whether Israel will take the same liking to Saddam's portrayal remains to be seen.
