Mark Reviews Movies: DESERT ONE

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Review by Mark Dujsik | September 3, 2020

There was an attempted rescue mission of the U.S. hostages held in Iran for over 14 months, although it has been overshadowed in history by the length of the captivity and the hostages' actual release. Using information that previously had been classified by the United States government, Desert One tells the story of a how seemingly well-thought plan became a tragic debacle.

Director Barbara Kopple's documentary tells a few stories here, actually. It begins with the Iranian coup in 1953 and ends with the way some of the hostages have honored the military personnel who died in the attempted rescue.

In between, we get a picture of then-President Jimmy Carter's dedication to diplomacy in the matter—from the man himself, no less—and how the crisis may have changed the course of American politics immediately (and, in theory, until now). We hear from a few of the hostages, some of the soldiers who were involved in the failed mission, their families, and even from Iranians who were involved in the captivity of American citizens in Tehran. Ted Koppel also appears to remind us how the story dominated the news, and some government and military officials point out they were getting intelligence from Koppel's nightly broadcasts.

The movie doesn't overwhelm us with information and stories, provided primarily by talking heads intercut with archival footage and animated re-creations of the mission. Kopple maintains a clear-eyed chronological approach to this story, which is especially helpful in explaining how the rescue mission quickly went so wrong, but there are so many stories, seen from such different angles, that we're left wondering what specific story the filmmaker wants to tell.

Kopple's wide reach is admirable in the way it provides a humanistic side (especially in hearing from those family members, who recount the uncertainty of what was about to happen and the emotional devastation of the aftermath), beyond the planning and logistics of the mission, the political impact and fallout leading to and resulting from the mission, and the various accounts of what the hostages endured. The movie's broader scope also imbues it with a noticeable lack of focus.

Desert One wants to tell every conceivable and available (Kopple's access to such a range of notable and seemingly unlikely people is impressive) side of this story. Ultimately, though, that breadth of viewpoints dilutes the impact of all these stories.

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