Argo - the (DO not summarize the plot) - Movie Review Example

Analysis of the movie Argo by Ben Affleck The movie Argo was directed by Ben Affleck. The movie is about a true eventin the political history of the United States of America in which case a CIA agent undertook a dangerous mission to rescue six Americans who had been taken hostage in Tehran, Iran in 1979. The movie Argo raises several issues regarding the crisis, the political motivations behind the rescue mission, the government agencies and their role in political and rescue mission. This paper explores some of the main themes and issues raised by the movie Argo and the political implications of these themes.

Question: AThe movie Argo explores several themes relating to the foreign policy of America in other countries. These themes include the role of the CIA, Hollywood and the tensions in Iran (Brown n.p). The main predominant theme that runs throughout the movie is an attempt by Ben Affleck to present the America’s perspectives on the Iranian revolution. Most of the Iranians perceive films produced in foreign countries with a lot of negativity and resentment. Most of the films and media productions aired on the Iranian media attempt to explore the themes of cold war and psychologically induced warfare.

Based on these themes, most of the films and movies produced by Americans are perceived by the Iranian’s as a lack of cultural heritage but rather an attempt by America to use art to spread their political propaganda. By pursuing a sympathetic theme in his movie, Ben Affleck simply reinforces the suspicions that Iranian’s have always harbored regarding the motive and intent of the rescue mission (Brown n.p). Question: BBen Affleck takes a revolutionary approach in directing the movie. He pursues the psychological warfare theme by exploring issues that have historical and political bearing.

The movie begins with a scene in which the USA diplomats are condemning Mohhammad Reza Pahlavi. This calls for a critical review and analysis of the historical and political interest of the US in the Iranian revolution, especially through its foreign policy. In another scene, we witness the Americans bullying the Iranians in the US amidst the crisis. What the movie does is to present the Americans as authoritative and the Iranians as underdogs. It simply illustrates how the Americans employed their foreign policy to humiliate the immigrant Iranian’s on the US soil and even so to undermine them on their own Iranian soil.

The movie Argo therefore manages to bring out the strained relationship between Iran and the US while portraying the Iranian’s as sympathetic victims of the US psychological cold warfare. Question: CI felt that the director of the movie was biased in the way it presented the US foreign relations policy and tension with Iran. The strategy used by the Americans to rescue the diplomats was unlikely to achieve its intended purpose. Tony Menendez, a CIA agent, created a dummy Canadian movie whose shooting occurred on the Iranian soil; using this dummy movie, the CIA planned to smuggle out the Americans hostages in Iran.

This is a high extend of exaggeration as the producer makes ridicule of the security forces of Iran. The movie also exaggerates the mediocre training and competence of the revolutionary security forces and authorities. Question: D The movie changed the point of view that I had about the interest of the Americans in the Iranian revolution. Initially, I had the opinion that the US had good motives in getting involved in the Iranian revolution; in fact, at some point this is evident in the movie when they choose to use underground CIA operations and a dummy movie to extract the diplomats instead of resorting to bombing, bloodshed and war.

However, the tactics used by the USA, in the movie, did change my opinion altogether. Most of the scenes in the movie are all about the interest of the Americans and their dehumanizing foreign policy. At no particular point does the movie refer to the cultural heritage of Iran. Although the shooting of the movie was on the Iranian soil, it does not attempt to mirror the civilization and cultural sophistication of the Iranians. In addition to this, the movie does not attempt to show the Iranians in their normal routines and daily lives.

Even when the Iranians appear on the screen their dialogue is not interpreted to aid the audience to understand what they are communicating (Epps 1). Watching this in the movie made me realize that US had no good intensions when venturing into the political crisis. They simply wanted to advance their self-interests and to reinforce their foreign policy in Iran. Works CitedBrown, Roland, E. Ben Affleck’s Argo takes Iran’s revolutionary themes as its own. The ` Guardian.7 Nov. 2012. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.` Epps, Jennifer.

Iran, politics, and film: “Argo” or “A separation”? Open News. 13 Oct. 2012. ` Web. 19 Feb. 2014.`