When I saw the DVD for "Letter from Baghdad" on Netflix, I initially dismissed it, as I had little interest in hearing about letters from soldiers during the recent war. However, despite the title, the show from "American Experience" is NOT about the recent Iraq War but but about a most unusual woman, Gertrude Bell, and her love of the Middle East (not just Iraq)...in the early 20th century! So, be careful...this film might not be what you're expecting.
The show is about the life of Gertrude Bell, a most unusual woman who was apart from her time. While most women of her class dreamed of a successful marriage and family, Gertrude went to Oxford and excelled there. And, after graduation, moved to the Middle East and lived there most of the rest of her life. Why this is important is that during WWI, the British knew very little about these people...and Gertrude already had befriended many of the desert chieftans and their people. Her knowledge and respect for them was instrumental during the war...and following it, at least for a time it was respected.
This is an interesting show and was made available because of the saved correspondences from Gertrude. And, like you'd expect with a PBS documentary, it's extremely well made with some top talent to sub for the voices of these long deceased people. My only quibble is that the show seemed to fall flat when it came to actually making anything of Bell's life and work...what was the lasting impact, what were the mistakes and what were the benefits of her life? Well, that is something the film really didn't do well. Interesting...but a bit short in this regard.
