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Clash of Loyalties
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Wikipedia article
'Clash of Loyalties' (, aka 'The Great Question') is a 1983 Iraqi film focusing on the formation of Iraq out of Mesopotamia in the aftermath of the First World War.
The film was financed by Saddam Hussein, filmed in Iraq (mainly at the Baghdad Film Studios in Baghdad's Mansour neighbourhood and on location at the Tigris-Euphrates marshlands, Babylon and Kut) at the height of the IranIraq War and starred Oliver Reed as Gerard Leachman, Marc Sinden as Captain Dawson and Helen Ryan as Gertrude Bell, with score by Ron Goodwin.
Investigative journalist James Montague, writing in the July 2014 issue of 'Esquire' magazine, claimed that Marc Sinden spied for the British Government's Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) during the filming of 'Clash of Loyalties' in Iraq, after being made "an offer he couldnt refuse, appealing to his duty and his pride in Queen and Country." In the article Sinden admitted that it was true.
It is known for being the last film made to use the now banned "Running W" technique, invented by famed stuntman Yakima (Yak) Canutt, which was a method of bringing down a horse at the gallop by attaching a wire, anchored to the ground, to its fetlocks and so launching the rider forwards spectacularly at a designated point. It invariably killed the horse, or at best it was unrideable afterwards. The British stuntman Ken Buckle (who had been trained by Yak) performed the highly-dangerous stunt three times during the huge cavalry charge sequence.Kent Messenger 12/10/84
Both Arab and English versions of the film were produced.
Release and Reception
The film was nominated for the Golden Prize at the 13th Moscow International Film Festival in 1983. It was screened at the 1984 London Film Festival, but was not otherwise shown theatrically in the United Kingdom.'Secret History: Saddam Goes to Hollywood, Channel 4, 24 July 2016
Cast
* Yousef al-Any as Blind Leader
* Ghazi al-Takriti as Dhari al-Mahmood
* Bernard Archard as Sir Percy Cox
* John Barron as General Haldane
* James Bolam as A. T. Wilson
* Helen Cherry as Lady Cox
* Barrie Cookson as Colonel Hardcastle
* Sami Abdul Hameed as Nationalist Leader (as Sami Abdul Hamid)
* Oliver Reed as Colonel Leachman
* Helen Ryan as Gertrude Bell
* Marc Sinden as Captain Dawson
* Michael Hordern as the Narrator
See also
*'Lion of the Desert', similar Libyan film financed by Gaddafi
References
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