If the black guy's dad is not included in the chart, I'm not interested. I found his, for some reason, more confusing than anything else in the movie. I don't know why. I was just thrown off every time he was on camera doing something. I could never quite figure out what his deal was or why he kept popping up. Like he was really terribly important to the story, but I couldn't figure out why or how. Maybe he owned stock in oil companies? Maybe he was a CIA operative? Maybe he was going to rat out his son for booze money... I couldn't tell. And that chart didn't explain it. Argh.

Uh, he was just his drunk dad. No conspiracy connection. He acted as a witness to his son's moral downfall.

You just didn't watch closely enough. I'm certain that if you really pick that movie apart, you'll find that the drunken dad was the real puppetmaster. Either that, or he was somehow a symbol for the downfall of the mid-east into a sticky, oily, boozy chaos.

I really want there to be something.

Creative Screenwriting did a podcast with director Stephen Gaghan following a screening of the film (which I attended). The podcast is worth the download as Gaghan speaks about everything from his life story as a writer and the trials and tribulations of making the film. Simply do a search for Creative Screenwriting in the podcast directory. and subscribe to the podcast (it's free).

NB: The description of the diagram notes that this is Gaghan's directorial debut, whis is incorrect- Gaghan's directorial debut was the Katie Holmes mystery -suspense flop Abandon.

I just watched Syriana this weekend and looked at this site afterwards for all your comments. Now two days later you post again. Part of a conspiracy. Yes.

Listening to the Creative Screenwriting podcast right now, and it's quite good. Thanks, Terry.