Book Cover

Sleep easily, Cyrus, for we are awake.

# Review

This documentary explores the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, through his lavish coronation ceremony in the middle of the desert.

The Shah for me has always been a nuanced figure and this documentary explores both sides of his legacy. On one hand, the Shah presided over many social and economic reforms and was well-loved by a subset of the Iranian people, but on the other hand he was out of touch with much of his populace and his dictatorial tendencies may have directly caused the Islamic Revolution which led to Iran being what it is today. The film does a good job getting perspectives from various sources and showcases the extravagant coronation ceremony (at a time where he probably could not have afforded it). The image of the Shah I got from this film was one where his regime made genuine efforts at modernization and development, but the efforts were largely undermined by his paternalistic and authoritarian governance style and his desire to maintain his image and ties with the West which caused him to lose touch (and thus power) with a significant portion of Iranians.

# Conclusion

A nuanced documentary about a decadent party.

# Overall rating: 7.4

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