Desert One

Name: Desert One
Genre: History, War, Documentary
Released: August 21, 2020
Duration: 107 min
Rating: 80
Cast: Jimmy Carter, Ted Koppel, Walter Mondale

2020

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Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews

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Desert One

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Movie Details & Credits

Greenwich Entertainment | Release Date (Streaming): August 21, 2020 | NR

Starring: Jimmy Carter, Ted Koppel, Walter Mondale

Summary: Using new archival sources and unprecedented access to key players on both sides, master documentarian Barbara Kopple (Harlan County, USA) reveals the true story behind one of the most daring rescues in modern US history: a secret mission to free hostages captured during the 1979 Iranian revolution.

Director: Barbara Kopple

Genre(s): History, War, Documentary

Rating: NR

Runtime: 107 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Joe Morgenstern

Aug 20, 2020

Desert One, a superb documentary by Barbara Kopple, snatches high drama from the jaws of devastating failure. Read full review

100

Richard Roeper

Aug 20, 2020

You feel a hurricane of emotions watching Barbara Kopple’s brilliant and searing documentary Desert One. Read full review

100

RogerEbert.com Godfrey Cheshire

Aug 21, 2020

Beyond the political implications, this is a terrifically dramatic and very emotional film; understandably, some of the interviewees struggle to maintain composure when recalling their past trials. Read full review

Steve Pond

Aug 21, 2020

Commendably inclusive, Desert One is still one of Kopple’s most conventional documentaries – and it’s one that, like “Coup 53,” occasionally bogs down in details. Read full review

Jordan Mintzer

Aug 19, 2020

A film that can be somewhat conventional in form, including a score that overdoes it on the pathos, but one that still provides a fascinating deep dive into organized failure. Read full review

Owen Gleiberman

Aug 19, 2020

You emerge from Desert One knowing certain aspects of the Iran-hostage crisis better than you did before. That makes it a worthy film, and an absorbing one. Read full review

Devika Girish

Aug 20, 2020

Though comprehensive and often stirring, the accounts lack new insight or analytical heft. Read full review

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