A drama based on a Texas congressman Charlie Wilson's covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets have some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.
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Director:
Bennett Miller
Stars:
Philip Seymour Hoffman,
Clifton Collins Jr.,
Catherine Keener
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Jonathan Demme
Stars:
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Roberta Maxwell
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Director:
Ridley Scott
Stars:
Leonardo DiCaprio,
Russell Crowe,
Mark Strong
In the early 1980s, Charlie Wilson is a womanizing US congressional representative from Texas who seemed to be in the minor leagues, except for the fact that he is a member of two major foreign policy and covert-ops committees. However, prodded by his major conservative supporter, Houston Socialite Joanne Herring, Wilson learns about the plight the people are suffering in the brutal Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. With the help of the maverick CIA agent, Gustav "Gust" Avrakotos, Wilson dedicates his canny political efforts to supply the Afghan mujahideen with the weapons and support to defeat the Soviet Union. However, Charlie Wilson eventually learns that while military victory can be had, there are other consequences and prices to that fight that are ignored to everyone's sorrow.Written by
Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)
Charlie Wilson said in a USA Today article that he had no qualms about the film, saying "Anything I might have objected to, was provable". See more »
Goofs
When Charlie Wilson is in Las Vegas, the date on the screen is April 6, 1980. The next day, back in Washington, Larry Liddle visits Charlie to complain about a problem with a crèche in front of a firehouse in Nacogdoches, TX, stating that it's Christmas time. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
CIA Award Presenter:
The defeat and break up of the Soviet empire, culminating in the crumbing of the Berlin wall, is one of the great events of world history. There were many heroes in this battle but to Charlie Wilson must go this special recognition. Just thirteen years ago the Soviet army appeared to be invincible. But Charlie, undeterred, engineered a lethal body blow that weakened the communist empire. Without Charlie, history would be hugely and sadly different. And so for the first time a ...
See more »
Crazy Credits
Opening statement: The following is based on a true story. See more »
Stomp
Written by Rod Temperton, Louis Johnson (as Louis E. Johnson), George Johnson (as George Henry Johnson) and Valerie Johnson
Performed by Brothers Johnson (as The Brothers Johnson)
Courtesy of A&M Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises See more »
The movie is pretty much okay on technical level and the acting is good. It shows, however, the real nature of American stupidity when it comes to politics. The proverb that the "Enemy of my enemy is my friend" is basically wrong. You may help your enemy to fight his enemy, but you will never become his friend when it comes to Islamic countries. At the best you will become "the useful idiot".
You can see it in documentaries: The Americans are proud to help "freedom" in the Afghanistan, but the Afghan leaders actually had no idea who was helping them. It was irrelevant to them who would supply them the weapons and explicitly told they gave no damn about Americans, because "it was their own (Afghan) blood that will be spilled" and "they gave us just some money". Absolutely no respect, absolutely no gratitude. The Americans were the same enemy as the Russians. They were both decadent infidels. The American help actually lead to disruption of the country, increased the production of drugs, lead from communistic dictatorship to the theocratic dictatorship, provided the safe ground for Islamic terrorists and finally destabilized the region including the Pakistan.
In the tactical level the "help" was a success. But it was the same success as was the success of Enron or Worldcom - short time success followed by the catastrophic collapse. From the long term point of view it would be better to keep Russians in Afghanistan to repair the infrastructure from their own pocket and let them bleed slowly. The Russians could not afford long time "help" for financial reasons - the same reasons that Americans cannot afford to "stay and help" in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The movie was created as a celebration of the success, but more or less it should be presented as a warning. Al-Qaeda is the creation of Charlie Wilson. When you ask who did 9/11 - Charlie did it! Your enemy may defeat another enemy of yours, but in the end he will remain to be your enemy. He will be just better armed and trained than ever.
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The movie is pretty much okay on technical level and the acting is good. It shows, however, the real nature of American stupidity when it comes to politics. The proverb that the "Enemy of my enemy is my friend" is basically wrong. You may help your enemy to fight his enemy, but you will never become his friend when it comes to Islamic countries. At the best you will become "the useful idiot".
You can see it in documentaries: The Americans are proud to help "freedom" in the Afghanistan, but the Afghan leaders actually had no idea who was helping them. It was irrelevant to them who would supply them the weapons and explicitly told they gave no damn about Americans, because "it was their own (Afghan) blood that will be spilled" and "they gave us just some money". Absolutely no respect, absolutely no gratitude. The Americans were the same enemy as the Russians. They were both decadent infidels. The American help actually lead to disruption of the country, increased the production of drugs, lead from communistic dictatorship to the theocratic dictatorship, provided the safe ground for Islamic terrorists and finally destabilized the region including the Pakistan.
In the tactical level the "help" was a success. But it was the same success as was the success of Enron or Worldcom - short time success followed by the catastrophic collapse. From the long term point of view it would be better to keep Russians in Afghanistan to repair the infrastructure from their own pocket and let them bleed slowly. The Russians could not afford long time "help" for financial reasons - the same reasons that Americans cannot afford to "stay and help" in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The movie was created as a celebration of the success, but more or less it should be presented as a warning. Al-Qaeda is the creation of Charlie Wilson. When you ask who did 9/11 - Charlie did it! Your enemy may defeat another enemy of yours, but in the end he will remain to be your enemy. He will be just better armed and trained than ever.