Hostages

Interesting, yes. However there are at least three sides to this story: the revolutionaries, the hostages, and the Shah.

Unfortunately, there was minimal to almost no coverage of the accomplishments of the Shah although he is loved and revered millions of Iranians. About the only person who was interviewed who supported the Shah in this documentary was his American spokesperson. The Shah did so much to modernize the country (infrastructure, education, women's rights, etc). Truly sad that his legacy was portrayed in this manner. Millions of Iranians fled the country during and after the revolution when the Shah was overthrown while the documentary makes it appear as though the whole country was demonstrating against the Shah. Thousands were massacred by the new Islamic regime.

One other aspect of the history of the revolution that was not discussed was Carter's role. His administration did in fact communicate with Khomeini and there were reassurances that they would not stand in the way. Khomeini also reassured Carter's admin that he would not do anything to harm the US interest in Iran. This information came to light in declassified of umbers decades later. There are many members of the Shah's government that have also stated that the Shah turned to the US for support prior to his departure, but it was refused. The Shah is portrayed as an ally of the US but was deserted by the US in the end and most likely due to the fact that he no longer served his purpose. Carter is no hero in this story. It was a deal with the devil that would change the course of history in the Middle East and across the globe for decades thereafter.