SummaryUsing 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.
Directed By:Barbara Kopple
Written By:Francisco Bello
Desert One
Metascore
Generally Favorable
80
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
92% Positive
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
8% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Aug 21, 2020
100
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.
Aug 20, 2020
100
Desert One, a superb documentary by Barbara Kopple, snatches high drama from the jaws of devastating failure.
Aug 21, 2020
72
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.
Aug 19, 2020
70
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.
Aug 21, 2020
67
By presenting all sides, Kopple’s film provides objectivity at the expense of immersion, crafting an all-sides look at a well-known period in American foreign policy.
Aug 20, 2020
60
Though comprehensive and often stirring, the accounts lack new insight or analytical heft.
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Production Company:
- Cabin Creek Films
- History Channel
Release Date:Aug 21, 2020
Duration:1 h 47 m
Awards
Indiana Film Journalists Association, US
• 1 Nomination
