The Big Screen: 'Argo'

It had been a long time since I saw a movie in a theater, but as an admirer of all things seventies — especially late-seventies — it was practically an obligation to see Argo, the Ben Affleck-directed thriller about the CIA extraction of six Americans trapped in revolutionary Iran. I could not missed it, especially after reading a review that characterized the historic detail as “vividly seventies.”

(Spoiler alert!)

Argo begins with a quick history lesson, outlining the circumstances leading to the events of the movie: the nationalization of Iran’s oil industry, the American- and British-backed coup, the increasingly autocratic and repressive rule of the Shah, and the Iranian Revolution. After the Shah fled, he was allowed to enter the US for medical treatment, which did not sit well with Iranian revolutionaries. The action begins with protestors climbing the gates and overrunning the US embassy and the scramble to destroy documents before workers are taken hostage. While protestors are storming in, six Americans are able to escape from the consulate building and eventually find refuge at the home of the Canadian Ambassador, Ken Taylor.

Enter Ben Affleck’s character, CIA operative Tony Mendez. I do not remember Mendez’s official role or expertise being stated or alluded to, but at one point he is shown meticulously forging Soviet passports. He is invited to an exfiltration brainstorming session and discredits the proposed ideas, one of which involves a 300-mile journey to the Turkish border by bike in the snow. Serendipity intervenes as Mendez talks to his son on the phone (he and his wife are separated, which proves to be a plot point of little importance) and he develops what becomes the best of many bad ideas: pose as a Canadian film crew scouting for exotic locations and fly out on a commercial flight.

With the help of makeup master John Chambers (John Goodman) and producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin), Mendez creates a believable but false façade, much like those used in real movies: a production studio with an office, posters, and press. They even go so far as to stage a reading of the script, complete with characters in costume. His plan is approved by Secretary of State Cyrus Vance (played by Bob Gunton of The Shawshank Redemption fame) and Deputy Secretary Warren Christopher (played by Philip Baker Hall — whose sleazy character in another seventies-based movie, Boogie Nights, says, “I like simple pleasures, like butter in my ass, lollipops in my mouth”).

Meanwhile in Tehran, the six Americans holed up at the home of Ken Taylor are getting restless and combative. One ventures out in public and the Taylor’s Iranian housekeeper is getting suspicious. All the while, members of the Shah’s regime and suspected enemies of the revolution are being hunted down and executed in the streets. The piles of shredded documents at the embassy, including the pictures and profiles of the missing Americans, are being stitched together by children; the Iranians become aware that six Americans are unaccounted for and it is only a matter of time before they know exactly who they are.

The pressure is on, and when Mendez arrives in Iran and outlines the plan to the six Americans — they all need to memorize their forged identities as filmmakers and familiarize themselves with the script — he is greeted with skepticism. However, they eventually cooperate and agree to leave the Canadian compound to play the part of location scouts at a bazaar — where revolutionary agents take their pictures.

At this point things get very interesting and their exit becomes a race against time. The CIA cancels the plan but Mendez goes ahead anyway, trying to finish what he started; there is a mad scramble in Langley to get the plan approved by the only man who can: President Carter. While being interrogated at the airport by security officials, revolutionaries match the pictures taken at the bazaar with the shredded pictures from the embassy that have been stitched together. Mendez and the six others eventually board a Swissair flight and there is a mad scramble by security to stop the plane, which takes off just in the nick of time. Everyone holds their breath until leaving Iranian airspace, which is announced by a stewardess who informs everyone alcoholic drinks are now available. At CIA headquarters, the decision is made to give credit to the Canadians to keep the remaining hostages safe from reprisals.

The movie ends with Mendez being secretly honored (conveniently and cheaply off-screen, as they would say on Mystery Science Theater 3000) and reuniting with his wife [rolling my eyes]. During the credits, photos of the actors and recreated events are shown side-by-side with their real life counterparts, and the film ends with Jimmy Carter’s account of the hostage crisis and “Canadian Caper,” as the mission was known.

Argo was a decent flick. Many modern thrillers move quickly from one plot point and scene to another and offer as little relevant information and background as possible, but Argo takes its time to develop the storyline and let the risk and importance sink in. Though I would have liked a little more detail regarding the chaos of the revolution (supplied later the same night when I started rereading Shah of Shahs), the gravity of the situation is hammered home by short scenes of demonstrations, executions, and historical news broadcasts (one of which features a youngish, Muppet-like Ted Koppel). It keeps everything simple and understandable.

For whatever reason I am becoming more and more interested in the logistical administration and protocol of international relations, so I was especially intrigued and pleased by the scene in Turkey when Mendez is acquiring an Iranian visa. After applying a stamp to a document, the Iranian official crosses out the defunct name for the government and writes in “Islamic Republic.” (Despite the supposed authenticity of the scene, Mendez actually received the visa in Germany. There are a number of other inconsistencies with the actual events, some glaring, which can be found on the movie’s Wikipedia page.) There was also a lot of detail regarding airport security and border control, which emphasized the paranoia in the wake of the Shah’s downfall and Iran’s hostility toward foreign influences.

Speaking of authenticity, I suppose the movie does live up to the claim of being “vividly” seventies. Right off the bat, the movie opens with the Warner Brother’s logo used from 1972 to 1984. Attention is given to recreate the look and sound of the era, and I especially liked a scene at the Canadian ambassador’s house when Led Zeppelin’s “When the Levee Breaks” is played on the turntable while everyone enjoys drinks. (I should point out that the exfiltration takes place in 1980.)

The movie does feature a number of curious holes and embellishments. Mendez and his team of location scouts have supposedly been in Tehran for two days, but when they arrive at the airport to leave they have little luggage. They do have bags, though, which is a little suspicious: the movie makes it seem like they escaped from the US embassy compound with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Perhaps they got them from the Canadian ambassador and his wife, but who knows. Mendez emphasizes the tight security measures at the airport and the consequences of blowing cover, but nothing really comes of it. He forges entry documents for each of the six Americans, but there is only a short delay when officials cannot locate corresponding carbon copies.

And then there is the ending: the final confrontation with security officials never happened and neither did the race against time to stop the plane. The actual events, though probably equally nerve-wracking for those involved, were much less dramatic and Affleck really embellished the final scenes. I understand why but it was really tasteless and cliché. I much prefer authenticity, regardless of whether or not it is Hollywood-friendly.

Like I said, Argo is a decent flick but it needs to be taken with a grain of salt.