Kingdom of Silence (2020 TV Movie) User Reviews

Reconstructing the brazen and merciless murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi

[paul-allaer · 8/10 · 3 October 2020]

"Kingdom of Silence" (2020 release; 101 min.) is a documentary about the vicious murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi by the Saudi government. As the movie opens, we see some of the now infamous 2018 footage of the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, where Jamal Khashoggi walks in but never exits. We then go back in time as a voice over retells Khashoggi's upbringing and his early days as a war journalist in Afghanistan in the 1980s where all forces combined to expel the Soviets. It's where Khashoggi gets to know Osama Bin Laden. Eventually Khoshaggi becomes a spokesperson at the Saudi Embassy in London, but then things take a turn... At this point we are 10 min, into this documentary.

Couple of comments: this is the latest work from Oscar-nominated documentarian Rick Rowley ("The Dirty Wars"). (Seemingly omni-resent Alex Gibney executive-produced this.) Here Rowley looks back at the life and times of Jamal Khashoggi, once an ally of and spokesperson for the Saudi royal family. Along the way we get a reminder of the complicated history and alliance between the US and Saudi Arabia, highlighted by 3 monumental events: the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s, 9/11, and the Arab Spring in 2011. Khashoggi was a close observer of those events. He was a "loyal" Saudi, and yet he ended up on the opposite side of the Saudi royal family. Why and how? Just watch. The last 30 min. of the documentary painstakingly reconstruct and detail the brazen and merciless murder of Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Beware: the footage (video and audio) is not for the faint of heart. The fact that the Saudi authorities even dared to claim ignorance and innocence of it all is just all the more shocking.

"Kingdom of Silence" premiered this weekend on Showtime and is not available on SHO On Demand and other streaming services. If you have any interest in geopolitics in general, or how one country can blatantly murder a citizen of its own, all while abroad and without apparent fear of retribution, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.

To summarized

[calmirio · 8/10 · 7 November 2020]

A perfect reflection of the wise and very old saying: "With friends like that who needs enemy".

I wanted to scream and cry

[wickedmikehampton · 8/10 · 15 December 2020]

I was deeply emotional watching 'Kingdom of Silence' which is about the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

That made me want more of Director Rick Rowley so I did his '16 Shots', about an unjustified shooting by the police and consequent cover-up.

Although the settings of the two movies are polar opposite, the common thread between Saudi Arabia, the USA and many countries, including my South Africa, is the use of government force to hurt instead of protect us, the Public.

It needed to be Said

[yehia_5000 · 10/10 · 18 October 2020]

This documentary is masterfully done , it is a " Must watch " for it's quality editing and directing let alone the amazing soundtrack

That said this documentary perfectly captures the American - Saudi relations in the last century and not just what happened to one individual

and for those saying that the narrative is one sided or biased , well ... alive people tend to show up one way or another and it has been 3 years since Jamal walked in to the embassy so ,,,,

If he comes out next weekend , I will happy to have been proven wrong but in the mean while

" The sound of freedom and truth should ring loudly " and in my opinion this documentary is is a great place to start " .

Do Not Be Fooled By The Low Rating.

[nuezuc · 10/10 · 3 October 2020]

Throwaway account for obvious reasons.

The low ratings are done by Saudi 's paid puppets and bots and believe me they're A LOT.

Khashoggi's murder details were thoroughly manipulated by the kingdom and the truth was never shown to Saudi citizens and a lot of the world population. This movie is the perfect representation of the case. I hope more people see it and open their eyes towards this fascist regime forming right in front of our eyes.

Money or Moral Values

[westsideschl · 10/10 · 30 March 2022]

Death of J. Khashoggi by the "Saudi Crown Prince Salman acting like Putin." A family ruling with a history of censorship, arrests/killings of intellectuals, journalists, females & advocates for freedom, and joining policies similar to Russia & China. Further, Prince Salman financed the stopping of the Arab Spring (citizens of countries fighting for freedoms).

Note: Lawsuits by 9/11 surviving families against Saudi Arabia government & individuals for financing & supporting bin Laden, Al Qaeda & brethren was actively discouraged by U. S. government. "Political & economic reasons to maintain a relationship w/Saudi Arabia outweigh the death of one person.", says David Rundell diplomat to Saudi Arabia. Trump speaking on U. S. relations with the Saudis "It's 'American first' for me ... We're not going to give up hundreds of billions of dollars in orders (weapons), and let Russia & China have them." Note: He also praised Putin & North Korea's Kim Un, whom he had "fallen in love with." I wonder if Trump would sell out his country for a dollar?

Jamal's murder was one of the most frightening news reports of this century

[Neptune165 · 8/10 · 26 February 2022]

MBS he order the killing 100%. Jamal Khashoggi. He is a human and journalist. Butchered inside the Saudi Arabia Consulate in Turkey. Jamal Khashoggi did not deserved to die like that. Nobody should be murdered. What happened to him was horrible and inhumane. Never the less, Interesting documentary about the life of Jamal Khashoggi, although his murder is only mentioned at the end of the movie. However, it is a good supplement to another documentary focussing on that murder. What constitutes a tragedy? It is written that tragic figures ultimately play a role in their demise often referred to as the tragic flaw and sadly Jamal was a tragic victim of being naïve enough to not recognize the danger before him. He forgot the cardinal rule of "once you get out, stay out." There are no games here and no scruples. There are no morals involved or a sense of what is good. Jamal's tragic flaw was that he allowed his naivety to cloud his judgment. He did so when he embraced the cause of Usama bin Laden. He did so when embraced the invasion of Iraq. There are consequences when one plays against the rules of life. "You live by the sword, you die by the sword" is not often quoted for nothing. Saudi Arabia's culture does not advocate for human rights or human worth other than those that are compliant and subservient.

Journalists hyperbolizing their influence

[jackdan-05273 · 1/10 · 21 November 2020]

It's just that, trash. Journalists trying to hyperbolize their importance in the world. A world where journalists make billions of dollars faking news. Looks a lot like hollywood spoiling itself.

M.B.S. is Evil !

[ajagne-02395 · 10/10 · 17 November 2020]

As one that is well aware of the goings on of the Saudi Government and the attrocities it is inflicting on Yemen. I learnt little new details. However, when it is put together as they have in this well made documentary, You truly come to appreciate how CRUEL and CRIMINAL the current saudi royal family is especially Mister Bone Saw.

What A Bunch Of Propaganda.

[helenahandbasket-93734 · 2/10 · 12 February 2021]

My first clue should have been Ben Rhodes speaking on policy, and his 'criticism' of Trump, when he was part of an administration that wooed and coddled the Saudis for eight years. Obama had almost an entire decade to fix the landscape and do nothing but usher in the Arab Spring and leave those in the line of fire dangling in the wind.

Supposing that just because someone has foreign policy expertise because he made the coffee runs for a president is laughable, and Rhodes is the ultimate hypocrite- look no further than the tarmac to which pallets of cash were sent to Iran that he had a large part in organizing, along with his boss, ketchup king John Kerry, and the likes of a few select others.

How anyone takes the most vile person on the planet (Brennan) as anything other than a lecherous traitor and bad faith deep state actor is stunning. If you want a who's who of despicable and demonic DC insiders, look no further than this documentary. I was surprised not to see appearances from Jim Comey and Nancy Pelosi.

It's a tragic turn that has befallen the current climate of journalists, and I fear that it has become a bell that won't ever be unrung- even Wright, whose work I have respected, seems to have become part of the cabal of journalists that no longer value truth and the facts as they've transpired. Jamal had the courage of his convictions, except he left one of his ex wives and his children to suffer the wrath of the Saudi royal family, while making his own escape to the US.

He was mired by a long history of infidelities, bad decisions, and was one of the most vocal supporters of his home country and regime, until suddenly his eyes opened, and at a time convenient for him, he let loose on tirade after tirade. I have to believe Jamal was well aware what the consequences would be, but chose to go forward anyway. This doc willfully chooses to ignore the many issues he had throughout his life, and instead elevate him to martyr status.

President Trump was the only president in almost a century not to drag us into a war, and was desperately trying to have al our troops home. Yet somehow, this tragedy lays at his feet, because according to Rhodes, it's his fault for not being more disgusted by the Saudis, yet his predecessor couldn't have laid out a more pristine red carpet at the feet of SA.

At what point do we finally begin to get the point across to our supposed mora betters in Hollywood and DC, that we're no longer interested in your interpretation of history, and prefer actual historical accuracy and journalists willing to be actual journalists THAT DO NOT PICK SIDES? Alex Gibbey seems bent on lecturing us all until he's out of a job, and I'm beginning to be perfectly fine with that.