Iranium (2011), directed by Alex Traiman, covers Iran’s political history and relations with the United States from 1979 to 2011. The documentary discusses the repercussions of Iran’s possible development of nuclear weapons through the nuclear energy program. The first critique will consider the appropriateness and credibility of the commentators. The second critique will examine any bias of the documentary. The third critique will review the factuality and the quality of the film. While the documentary was slightly one-sided, the thorough analysis of the current situation in Iran made for an effective and fear-igniting film.
Iranium employs a vast range of commentators, from authors of books on Iran’s nuclear development, to military officials with experience on the ground in Iran, to state officials and ambassadors, and to heads of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). There is a breadth of political and military experts such as former Homeland Security Advisor Frances Townsend, former Director of Central Intelligence R. James Woolsey,…show more content… The production supports and strengthens the points made by the documentary through its structure of making a claim and showing actual footage. The documentary utilizes actual news footage of destruction caused by terrorist groups, for examples, footage from the US Embassy being invaded and occupied and footage from attacks on Beirut, Lebanon. The documentary improves its production quality by supporting arguments with news clips of leaders expressing their views such as those of Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Hillary Clinton, and George H. W. Bush. Iranium also uses footage of religious ceremonies, political rallies and speeches, protests, and displays of abuse at the hands of the Iranian government. The film was not overproduced, nor was it underproduced, which made for a very entertaining and successful