ARGO (2012) What I liked and what I didn’t like

During the foggy days of the Hostages Crisis in Iran, as a result of the Ayatollah's revolution in 1979, a brink of hope arises that stirs up USA’s depressed emotional public opinion. At least a good new! Something to grab on and fall back to, and recover Americans’ self-esteem, after the long and unending occupation of the embassy in Teheran.

 

At first short but necessary historical introduction. Nowadays most of the people don’t know who the Shah of Persia was and what role he played in the Middle East, as close ally to the USA. There is a scene in the film portraying a discussion between the CIA people involved that reflects this very well. It’s another version of a citing by a Secretary of State about a bloody South American dictator: “He is a son of a bitch but he is our son of a bitch”.

 

 

Then, the atmosphere. Perfect. The resemblance with reality is practically seamless. It is a true reproduction of the photographs of the events taking place in and around the embassy. The titles at the end of the film match both photographs and reality. Just judge yourself!

And this first event, the assault of the embassy, really defines and remains throughout the film, as an echo that is never unheard. Shot from the embassy’s people perspective you come to feel their rush, hustle, fear as well as panic during the tense and nerves killing minutes the embassy is taken over by the Revolutionary Guards. And what is most important, you take your side on this story, the all mighty and powerful United States is no longer present, we only see ordinary people being captured, insulted, yelled at, vexed and beaten down by an ugly, brown tanned, bearded, black dressed crowd.

 

Of course you wish these people to be not treated like that. You get angry at the sight of this injustice. Bravo! You are now part of the team. The team that will rescue the six Americans that remained cold under pressure and took advantage of their situation in the embassy’s buildings, making his way through a secondary deserted street and finding refuge in the Canadian embassy, where they long their days and the group unity and moral is starting to become dangerous for its survival. This part is also excellent.

So, as part of the team you will now suffer with CIA special agent Tony Mendez the events leading to the escape from Teheran. He is the good guy. He knows very well what to do and will take the right decisions at all times. Starting by convincing his superiors to meddle into the Hollywood alternative. Well I can’t but admire the guts of a person who is willing to risk his life like this, but here is where you start to think that reality and fiction deviate...

 

My suspicions were confirmed with a quick search in the Internet. You learn that all the “last minute” events leading to the escape of the six Americans, in particular the scenes in the airport that fill the last part of the film, did not happen in reality. Though, surely, there was a tense and unbearable feeling by the Americans freed all the way through the sequence of events from entering the airport and leading to the plane (control after control by different clerks and security). Risk of death. This is what you feel. You know how I know? Because I would have felt the same.

 

In the meantime, I like the scenes where it is shown how the decision to rescue the six Americans is made among the circles of the CIA and department of State and up to the White House. I must confess that I am a fanatic of political plots that tells us what happens behind the scenes. Power is shown naked and reaffirms us that is one of the strengths for human behaviour (love and sex are the other ones; money is just a variation of power).

 

But coming back to the previous point, inevitably this is the part where I feel tricked. Everything was very exciting up to this point: contemporary history, political drama and human factor involved and mixed together. How this will unfold? What we receive from this point is a conventional but most effective thriller that plays by the book all resources needed to keep attention and attachment from viewers. Resources that we have watched and experienced a thousand times, starting from the movies of the great master of all –Mr Alfred Hitchcock- (and that was 50 or 60 years ago!). How in the world can we be so stupid and still being caught? Well, it probably has to do with the fact that human beings need stories and never get enough of them. Once you master the basics of the story telling captivating the listener attention is not that difficult.

 

You could say, well, what are you complaining about? You had your fun and entertainment for two hours. Now move on. This is how the show business works and what Hollywood is all about.

Yes and No.

 

I certainly give credit to Ben Affleck as Director, but not so much as actor (certainly a very flat performance for a role that required a stronger personality, which I am sure in this case matched with special agent Tony Mendez). As Director he is very good a his job. He is able to make us feel so bad during the rescue mission. Further credit I give to him because of his previous work to create an atmosphere and forcing us to take side. Empathy for the six American people and their point of view are assumed by us at the beginning of the film. Consequently, from that point on we are also “hostages” of the Director and the movie plot. He has definitely set the grounds for what is to come, though this is rather conventional but effective (thriller), caricaturist but not misleading (the portrayal of the Iranian people from the revolution days) and manipulative but not enough (in relation to what really happened back in those days).

Thus, my great objection is the potential of the film. During the first 20 minutes, I was thrilled. As I said, all the elements were on the table -human, political and historical- to deal with main issue that underpins the film: how the USA manages its super power for perpetuating its prosperity and influence (at least, what all empires have done in history) without being cruel and feel bad about it (and this is only contemporary issue). Isn’t this actual enough?