Blood and Oil

An outstanding television drama charting the search for answers to suspicious events which befall an Englishman employed in the oil business in Nigeria.

Tremendous acting draws the viewer in as the horrors committed in pursuit of wealth dawn on both the distraught wife of the Englishman and the sassy PR representative of the oil company whose father is a rich Nigerian. They both face moral dilemmas which exemplify the complexity of the situation they find themselves in. And watching them respond is powerful stuff.

The revelations of the deep-seated corruption blighting Nigerian politics and business are counter-balanced by ground roots attempts to bring a share of the wealth to the poverty-stricken indigenous peoples of a country being plundered of its oil.

Shot in South Africa, the representation of dangerous hinterland in Rivers State where militant gangs hide out and the secure comfort of the hotels in Port Harcourt serving multinational firms related to the petroleum industry, rang true.

I found this a mentally stimulating story which had me researching for fact amid the fiction. And on first investigation it appears 'bang on the money'.

I almost did not bother watching this after reading the first two reviews on here, so thanks to jegpad for persuading me to give it a go. This was top notch both as a political thriller and a human drama, with fine performances from both the two female leads, Naomi Harris and Jodhi May. The script was constructed tightly, with twists and intrigues enough to hold the viewer's attention, yet filmed to allow the performances room to breathe, so the full emotional impact was felt.

The film also provided an enlightening insight into the politics of a part of the world our mass media largely shy away from, an issue touched on in the drama. We would rather not know. (A theme cleverly mirrored in the discoveries the two protagonists make about the men in their lives.) And while the crushing institutionalised corruption and exploitation were exposed, and with it our complicity as western consumers, there was sufficient sense of humanity to spare the film from utter bleakness.

Oh and to the poster who thought it too neat that "the one person who knows something and is willing to let her know is the kindly gardener she had met earlier", she had met him because he worked on the grounds of her husbands apartment, which was also the reason he knew of the comings and goings.

As someone who grew up in Nigeria, I find it intriguing to hear some of the negative reviews of this movie. I can only assume that the reviewers know nothing about the country and its people. This was a very realistic portrayal of the country, the dramatic way that emotions are displayed, the seemingly chaotic lifestyle, and the nature of the oil business in Nigeria. I will definitely recommend anyone who wants to get an objective assessment of life in Nigeria. It gives you a good, albeit brief glimpse into other aspects of living in Nigeria which includes not just the poorest but also some middle class workers. It is a great movie. Highly recommended.

Wonderful movie.Political thriller with some fact based issues being explored about corruption and greed and how the west is partly responsible. The backdrop is authentic. The story is based in Nigeria and it looks close to being filmed on location. The caste is very good. Names that I haven't heard of before. I didn't notice the the time go by even though it's a 4 hour miniseries.The plot keeps the viewer guessing. It was hard to tell who the good and bad guys were.I guess that's because the storyline was quite complex.Yet, it does not lose or confuse the viewer.Highly recommended. I wish they made more movies like this instead of the predictable garbage that's churned out by Hollywood each year.

Another classic tale of made-for-White-audience movie. First of all, Writers and producers needs to get more insight knowledge about the country before they can make such a movie.

Good story, wonderful cast but there's too much focus on poverty, I guess this is what you find in all movies and documentaries made about Africa. What foreign oil company PR/Executives rides around town on bikes and canoes anyway? What about 1970s Jeep been driven around if they make billions of Dollars everyday? Extras acting like a robot as if they scared to speak? Do you know how many educated and wonderful actors and actresses in Nigeria who could play those roles better? Oil company and police almost ran people over on the street? There are many scenes that could have been done better? This is what they want the world to see about Africa.

Though, it portrays the corruption and government conspiracy, no doubt but why is there no response from the Government? Is Tunde Tayo the spokesperson for the government? That is totally ridiculous? Since when does Russian mafia started "oil bunkering"? NO! It is the British and Americans oil companies corrupting the nation and stealing billions barrels of oil from the Nigeria everyday to enrich their own country. Next time BBC wants to make another stupid documentary, get the facts, expose the truth behind the non-ending corruption and chaos their government is profiting from.

Where is the point of closure? Does the writer forgot the major parts in writing a story? Totally incomplete movie or documentary or whatever BBC calls it.