This $20m film is based on Latif Yahia's claim to have been a body double for Uday Hussein. But his story doesn't add up
This weekend sees the UK release of The Devil's Double, a $20m action blockbuster set in the "lawless playground of excess and violence known as Baghdad, 1987". The film is purportedly based on the true story of Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper), an Iraqi army captain forced to work as a body double for the eldest son of Saddam Hussein, Uday.
But in all the hype surrounding its release, one important point is in danger of being lost: the story depicted in this film almost certainly never happened.
On the surface, Latif Yahia's is a compelling tale. While on active service during the Iran-Iraq war, he was summoned to Baghdad to serve as Uday's "fidi" (or body double). When he refused, he was tortured and forced to undergo cosmetic surgery,...
This weekend sees the UK release of The Devil's Double, a $20m action blockbuster set in the "lawless playground of excess and violence known as Baghdad, 1987". The film is purportedly based on the true story of Latif Yahia (Dominic Cooper), an Iraqi army captain forced to work as a body double for the eldest son of Saddam Hussein, Uday.
But in all the hype surrounding its release, one important point is in danger of being lost: the story depicted in this film almost certainly never happened.
On the surface, Latif Yahia's is a compelling tale. While on active service during the Iran-Iraq war, he was summoned to Baghdad to serve as Uday's "fidi" (or body double). When he refused, he was tortured and forced to undergo cosmetic surgery,...
- 8/13/2011
- by Eoin Butler
- The Guardian - Film News
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