These pictures, which the film shows in documentary recordings, appear strangely familiar, the events are over 30 years ago.In front of the US embassy in Tehran.November 1979 - At the climax of the Iranian Revolution, which fell the Shah and enthroned Ayatollah Chomeini - hundreds of people gathered.Militant demonstrators storm the site and take 52 Americans hostage to force the Shah to be delivered.They are traumatic scenes.They tell of the vulnerability of a great power that suddenly stands in front of the shards of their failed foreign policy.
At the same time, these pictures, which remind of the attacks on US representatives in Bengasi, Cairo or Tunis a few weeks ago, develop current explosiveness.Based on the historical events that shook the American nation at the time, Ben Affleck says in his third directorial work "Argo" a story based on true events.It is about how the CIA brought six embassy members who had fled to Canadian representation with the help of a crazy legend out of the country.After three months they came out of their hiding place, while the other hostages had to wait 444 days for the liberation.
"It is incredible that we are still busy with the same topics today," says director Ben Affleck in an interview during the Toronto festival - the film has been acting violently for the Oscars since the premiere there."In Iran, Chomeini no longer rules, but ahmadine damage, but the regime has changed little.The sensitivities between the USA and Iran continue to exist."Affleck drives the historical parallels even further:" In the mid -1950s, the United States had founded a overthrow against the democratically elected government and used the Shah as autocrats.There is no big difference between the Shah and rulers such as Mubarak in Egypt or Assad in Syria, which were tolerated by the US."The consequences are always highly risky: resistance and revolution.You never know how it goes out.
The peculiarity of the rescue operation: Hollywood himself participated in it.The intelligence agents-above all top agent Tony Mendez, which Affleck plays with a half-length hair and dark full beard-had come up with a brilliant fake.The six hidden were equipped with new papers and detailed biographies and given to the Iranians as members of a Canadian film crew who allegedly wants to shoot a thriller called "Argo" in the desert.Alan Arkin plays the producer Lester Siegel in Affleck's film, who ensures that the pseudo-film project with screenplay readings and press conferences is on everyone's lips.Another real figure is the make-up artist and CIA man John Chambers, which John Goodman embodies-the veterans Arkin and Goodman enrich the film with punchy dialogues in which they put the Hollywood operation on the grain.
At the time, the make -up artist acted as a middle man between Hollywood and great politics."John Chambers is a legend, as well as Marlon Brando among the actors," explains Ben Affleck."He made the masks for" planet the monkey "and for" Star Trek ", also the ears of MR.Spock comes from him."In his workshop, Chamber followed another work."Behind a door with a thick castle he hid the masks that he made for the CIA.With their help, people were curved undetected from crisis regions."No wonder that Chambers has not only been awarded the first make-up Oscar for his services, but also with the highest order in the CIA.
Above all, the joy of the Fint gives the thriller - with all the serious historical background - comedic, sometimes even farced features.Affleck sees even greater context.In its eyes, the political theater does not differ so much from the production of a B-movies."Both are about storytelling - and about gaining power over people.What is the difference between politics and entertainment, news and entertainment today?Hollywood is the best storyteller and his influence on politics is great."
So verbinden sich in „Argo"Komödie und Politthriller zu einem spannenden Kinofilm.The cynicism of the film industry and the beer first of the political actors interlock effectively, and the Hollywood operation of the 1970s appears as well as with a veil of nostalgia.
Der mit 40 Jahren noch immer junge Regisseur, der mit „Gone Baby Gone" und „The Town" zwei viel beachtete Genrestücke vorgelegt hat, verteidigt diese Retro-Seligkeit."I like the analog version of Hollywood. Heute ist die Filmindustrie völlig durchdigitalisiert, und die Großkonzerne verschieben dort nur noch unglaubliche Geldmengen", sagt Affleck."I find it romantic that in the late 1970s, small producers with idiosyncratic ideas were sitting at the gaming table.This era had a certain shabby that I find very sexy."
Ben Affleck's career also has before she started to glow, experienced dark times. Nach einem starkem Start als Mittzwanziger und dem Drehbuch-Oscar zusammen mit Matt Damon für „Good Will Hunting" machte Affleck als Schauspieler zeitweilig eher durch die berüchtigten Goldenen Himbeeren – dem Anti-Oscar – von sich reden. Tiefpunkt war die romantische Gangsterkomödie „Gigli" (2003), in der er mit Jennifer Lopez vor der Kamera stand und weder die Komik noch die Spannung noch die Romantik zünden mochten.For decades since that millions of flops - especially since Affleck has been directing.
Und warum hat er sich, wie in „The Town", selber in der Hauptrolle besetzt? „Es hat viele Vorteile, wenn man beide Jobs macht.Not only in front of the camera, but also in the cutting room you have control over your own performance." Und dann gibt es da noch einen ganz praktischen Grund, den Affleck offenherzig benennt."If I didn't cast myself, I would be away from the market as an actor for two years.The film business has a brutally short memory.And in Hollywood you are only as good as your last film."
By the way, the true Tony Mendez was decorated by Jimmy Carter in 1980, strictly secret.The story was only made public in 1997, for 50.Birthday of the CIA under President Clinton. Als „Master of Disguise" schrieb der heute 72-jährige Ex-Agent mehrere Bücher.Now he can be happy that Hollywood makes the most spectacular fake in the history of the CIA again.
From Thursday in the Alhambra cinemas,
Cinemaxx, Cinestar Sony Center (OV) and Tegel, Colosseum, Cultural Brewery and
Rollberg (Omu)
