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  • 2020
  • Greenwich Entertainment
  • 1 h 48 m
  • 2020
  • Greenwich Entertainment
  • 1 h 48 m

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.

Directed By: Barbara Kopple

Written By: Francisco Bello

  • 2020
  • Greenwich Entertainment
  • 1 h 48 m
  • 2020
  • Greenwich Entertainment
  • 1 h 48 m

Desert One

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 13 Critic Reviews
80
User Score Available after 4 ratings
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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.

Directed By: Barbara Kopple

Written By: Francisco Bello

Where to Watch

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 13 Critic Reviews
80
92% Positive
12 Reviews
8% Mixed
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 13 Critic Reviews
80
92% Positive
12 Reviews
8% Mixed
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
100
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.
By Godfrey Cheshire FULL REVIEW
100
Aug 20, 2020
Desert One, a superb documentary by Barbara Kopple, snatches high drama from the jaws of devastating failure.
By Joe Morgenstern FULL REVIEW
88
Aug 19, 2020
Desert One is unsparing and unflinching.
By Roger Moore FULL REVIEW
72
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.
By Steve Pond FULL REVIEW
70
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.
By Jordan Mintzer FULL REVIEW
67
Aug 21, 2020
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.
By Christian Gallichio FULL REVIEW
60
Aug 20, 2020
Though comprehensive and often stirring, the accounts lack new insight or analytical heft.
By Devika Girish FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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Details

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Production Company Cabin Creek Films, History Channel
Release Date Aug 21, 2020
Duration 1 h 48 m
Genres
Website https://www.history.com/
View All Details

Awards

Indiana Film Journalists Association, US
• 1 Nomination

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