THE INTERNATIONAL
Germany/US, 2009, 118 minutes, Colour.
Clive Owen, Naomi Watts, Amin Mueller Stahl, Ulrich Thomsen, Brian F. O’ Byrne, Patrick Baladi.
Directed by Tom Tykwer.
If you are on the lookout for an intelligent thriller, well-paced, with discussions about issues and ideas, interspersed with some action, then The International can straight on to the list. If you are looking for the slambang side of things, then forget it. Actually, some audiences expressed disappointment in it because the ads led them to believe that this was some gung-ho kind of show.
Tom Tykwer emerged in the late 1990s as a director to look forward to, especially because of his Run, Lola, Run, where the brief action was repeated in three different ways, from three different points of view. He has not made many films though one of his was Heaven, with Cate Blanchett, based on a screenplay by Kzrysztof Kieslowski. Now he has made an international film, drawing on German technical skills, a cast from a large number of countries and location work all over the world.
One thing to note is the impressive photography, not just of characters interacting or action shots but the striking images of several cities, a lot of aerial shots, immersing the audience in the look and the ambience of each city so that the city becomes more than a location but an atmosphere. This is true of Berlin in the first part of the film, a murder outside the new main station. The headquarters of Interpol are in Lyon. There is an assassination outside one of the grand buildings of Milan. The international headquarters of the rogue bank in the film, its glass-fronted office buildings, are in Luxembourg. There is a pursuit of a killer through the streets of New York culminating in a spectacular shoot-out in the Simon Guggenheim gallery and, finally, a killing on the rooftops of Istanbul with magnificent views of the city in the background. This is striking international filming.
The plot itself is more than topical during credit crunch and bank collapsing days. In fact, it is based on episodes in the 1980s with a corrupt banker in Pakistan.
Here, the international bank, with its ruthless head (Ulrich Thomsen), its criminally-minded advisers (led by Armin Muehler Stuhl) and its assassin on the payroll (Brian F. O' Byrne) is based in Luxembourg. It is not interested so much in money and holdings as being an agent for arms deals. And, as is explained, arms deals mean control of countries who buy them and control of their debt. In these days of bank collapses and government bail-outs that gives audiences a lot to think about – and suspicions of what the heavily-bonused officials are up to.
When an FBI agent and an informer are killed, relentless Interpol agent Louis Salinger (an intensely convincing Clive Owen) follows up with the help of a New York DA (Naomi Watts), grabbing at, travelling far and wide to bring the truth to light. The various worlds they get mixed up in are murky and there is the perennial questions about whether the law is able to achieve justice or not. The final moments bring this home very effectively on the rooves of Istanbul.
A good thriller with something to say.
1.Topical film? Relevance because of financial crises, credit crunch? Arms deal? International debt? Especially in Africa? Police work? Interpol? The combination of all these elements?
2.The visual style, glossy, wide screen, the vistas of Berlin, New York, Luxembourg, Milan, Lyon, Istanbul? The aerial shots? The character of each of the cities? Modern, contemporary style, atmosphere? The atmospheric score?
3.The titles, the Luxembourg Bank, arms deals, international investigations?
4.Interpol and its role, investigation? The law in particular countries as seen in France, Luxembourg, Italy, the US?
5.The opening, in Berlin, the central station, the glass buildings, the crowds? Realism? The agent in the car, the informer, Louis Salinger and his watching, the falling through of the plan, the agent dying in the street, Salinger hit by the car, being treated in hospital, his examination of the corpse, suspicion of murder?
6.The contrast with the US, the vistas of New York City? Eleanor, waiting for the phone call, Arnie and his work as her boss, the situation in Germany, her going there, the discussions with the police, not following through on the case?
7.Clive Owen as Louis Salinger: his character, loner, an idealist, working for Scotland Yard, the collapse of his case, the rubbishing of his witness, the accidental deaths, his anti-authoritarian behaviour, his leaving the yard? His file and Eleanor reading it? Joining Interpol, the risks, no sleep or eating? Relentless, the various confrontations? With Victor in Lyon, walking the dog, the bugging of the phones? Luxembourg and his wanting to meet the boss? Meeting white and the police officials? In Milan, the discussion with Calvini? The investigation after the assassination, the chase in the streets, going to New York, the lead for the assassin, his assistants, at the airport, the shoes, the footprint, going to the area, finding the assassin, following him? The interview with Wilhelm Wexler? The trying to turn him, get information? Following the assassin to the Guggenheim Museum, the stakeout, being seen, the shootout and the squad, the violence, the assassin helping him, the assassin’s death? His going to Calvini’s sons, explaining the death of their father? The taping of the discussion between Jonas and the Turkish arms dealer? Following, the failure of the taping, the security guards ousting him? Pursuing Jonas along the roof? The confrontation, the challenge by Jonas saying that other bankers would come, the system would continue, asking was he only satisfying his bloodlust? The sudden appearance of the Italians, the vendetta death? The portrait of an intense agent?
8.Interpol at Lyon, the building, the phones being bugged? Victor and his work with Salinger? White, the smooth talk? Seeing Jonas and the other officials leaving the bank? Wilhelm and his roles?
9.The assassin, the puncturing of the agent in the Berlin street? The report of the shooting of the informer? The cover-up? The inconsistent police documents and reports? The police and the firing of the gun, the packaging of the bullet, the pickup by the police, the planting it with the Red Brigade alleged assassin? The assassin escaping by car? The visit to the art gallery and the discussion with Wilhelm? His escaping from Milan? The footprint, New York and the gymnasium, the surveillance footage and his iron leg-braces? The doctor, the files, the address – and the vacant lot? The policeman seeing him, his being followed? At the Guggenheim, the discussion with Wilhelm, knowing that he was to be killed? The shootout, helping Salinger, his death?
10.Eleanor and her work, the discussions with Arnie, the pressures from Arnie and the authorities? Her case, working on it for years, the glimpse of her family, phoning the victim’s widow, the lead for Calvini? Going to Milan, the interview of Calvini, the planned talk after the speech? The assassination, her checking the trajectories of the bullets? Her being hit by the car? The investigation, New York, listening to Salinger? Wilhelm? Her final choice, letting Salinger go?
11.Calvini, the interview, the possible president of Italy, the themes of banks, arms deals, power and control, the control of debt? Setting up a coup? His sons, their alleged willingness for the deal? Salinger giving information to the sons? The sons not dealing with Jonas? The death of White in the car? The final vendetta in Istanbul?
12.Jonas, his plans, the money, the arms deals, China, the Turkish deal, Israel and the complications? Being a market for arms? Controlling debt? The interview with the African general? The later television coverage of his attempted coup? Using the same assassin? The squad in New York? The discussions with Wilhelm, using him as a go-between, his advice – and his not being listened to? Wilhelm’s past, the Stasi, pro-communist? His explanations to Salinger about himself, losing his path, the possibility of some kind of redemption? The discussion in Turkey after the funeral, the role of Israel, the ineffectual nature of the rockets? Contracts with China? Going to Istanbul, speaking to Salinger on the roof, his death?
13.The American investigation, the two police, meeting at the airport, their support of Salinger? Going to the doctor and Salinger’s threats? Going through the files, finding information that led to the suspect? The address? The policeman spotting him from the diner, following, the shootout, the agent being killed, the other agent taking Wilhelm to the basement?
14.The staging of the shootout in the Guggenheim?
15.The staging of the car chases, the traffic in Milan?
16.A different world from the life of ordinary people – yet the influence of banks, financing, deals and their power over nations and individuals?
