CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR

US, 2007, 97 minutes, Colour.
Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Om Puri, Ken Stott, Ned Beatty.
Directed by Mike Nichols.

It is difficult to know what to make of Charlie Wilson’s War. For the Golden Globe awards, it was listed under comedies. While there is some verbal repartee, it is not exactly an overall comedy. In its picture of a ‘good-time Charlie’ congressman who gets himself involved in the Afghan struggle of the 1980s against the Russians, it presents as a kind of hero or anti-hero a man who did deals for upping the budget appropriations for covert operations to defeat the Russians. Admirable? Despicable? Hero? Patriot? American who acted self-confidently according to the national doctrine of ‘manifest destiny’, guilty of a huge presumption?

Tom Hanks has developed a screen personal of the upright American, so it is more than a bit disturbing to see him snorting cocaine in a jacuzzi full of strippers and receiving the highest award from the organisation of covert agencies. Julia Roberts can act Brockovich-tough, but who is this wealthy Houston woman who takes up an interest in the Afghans and pressures legislators and donors behind the scenes, declares she is a born-again Christian but whose behaviour gives born again a double standards name? These are very ambiguous characters, of ambiguous moral stances, who are seen as the true anti-communist patriots – which may justify everything.

So, this means that Mike Nichols’ film is quite unsettling. And, with Philip Seymour Hoffman giving another of his outstandingly different performances as a disgruntled CIA operative who finds a cause worth manipulating for in Afghanistan, it is even more unsettling.

Clearly, we are meant to be thinking about American policy in both Iraq and Afghanistan post-September 11th, and that makes the film more disturbing. What is going on now? Covert and overt? We have seen Redacted, Rendition, In the Valley of Elah and, especially about Afghanistan, Lions for Lambs.

At the end, the CIA agent warns that with the retreat of the Russians in 1988 after the American-supplied arms brought down so many Russian planes and helicopters and destroyed so much artillery, that mad crowds were coming into Kabul. Charlie Wilson suggests a modest appropriation for building schools in Afghanistan but the DC powers that be have lost interest in the country and in the people. And, so, enter the Taliban.

I hope Charlie Wilson’s War is not passed over as an American comedy. Its themes are far too deadly for that.

1.A portrait of American foreign policy in the 1980s? Covert operations? Congress and the appropriations? The parallels with the war in Iraq? The impact, history, retrospect, learning?

2.The framework, the decoration to Charlie Wilson, for covert operations? The information about the Soviet Union, its collapse? Charlie Wilson’s contribution to the change?

3.Tom Hanks as Charlie Wilson? A more ambiguous role for Tom Hanks? In the Congress, representing East Texas, his character, the playboy, alimony, cocaine, in the jacuzzi with the strippers, watching the television, the discussions about the television series like Dallas, the producer and his pressure, the playboy style, the background of the arrests and charges, his getting off? His type, flip and one-liners? His staff and their loyalties, Bonnie, her earnestness, the glamorous girls and their style?

4.His interest in Afghanistan, wanting to listen to the television, Dan Rather and his presence undercover in Afghanistan? How serious a politician was he? The constituent and the issue of the crèche, his daughter, Charlie discussing the situation, the possibility of moving the crèche? Having sex with the daughter?

5.His earnestness, how much was his initiative, how much was he being used? The role of the CIA at this time? Gust and his influence, persuasion? Joanne, socialite background, wealth, her influence, pressures, the consequences?

6.The anti-communist stances, covert CIA operation, the small budgets becoming large budgets, pressures on Congress personnel, the deals behind the scenes, the role of the staffs, Charlie and his getting membership of the Kennedy Centre, the right-wing perspective? Anti-communist and not pro-Afghan?

7.The role of Pakistan, President Zia, the execution of Bhutto? The refugees pouring in from Afghanistan? Zia, the discussions, his generals, Charlie and his gaffes, his having to learn diplomacy? Zia and his visit to Joanne, her hosting him? Her comment about his not murdering Bhutto? The tough talk, the visit and the banquet, Pakistani politics and alliances? The alliance with the US?

8.Political advisers, the Cairo meeting, the role of Israel, the Saudis? Talks with Israel behind the scenes? The deals, the Saudis matching American money? The budget increases? From five million to a billion?

9.Doc Lang, (**IMDB: LONG) his talk, ignorance? Joanne’s invitation, the religious motivation? The visits in Afghanistan, seeing the children, Doc Lang’s mood, his speech, his son being killed in Vietnam? Attitude towards the communist? His feeling good – with God on his side?

10.The character of Joanne, her life, the absent husband? Born-again Christian? Power with God on her side? Her sexual behaviour, the liaison with Charlie Wilson? Considering the Playboy strippers as sluts? Her phone calls, going to Afghanistan, the reasons for her interest? The influence on Long? Her sense of achievement?

11.Gust, the CIA, his long career, in Finland, his anger with the head, smashing the windows? Jobs? Involvement? Meeting with Charlie Wilson, their getting on together, his blunt manner of speaking, the sexual innuendo with Joanne? His style? Stirring?

12.The appropriations, the statistics of the 80s, the information and names and dates, the destruction of the Russian weapons, the helicopters, their being shot down? Victory, the Russian retreat?

13.Charlie Wilson’s achievement, for good reasons or bad?

14.The warning by Gust, the crazies going into Khabul? The issue of rebuilding schools and rebuilding Afghanistan?

15.The lack of interest in the development of Afghanistan, not giving the appropriation, leaving the Taliban, leaving Afghanistan in a mess? Post-9/11 bombings of Afghanistan and the 21st century consequences of these policies?

16.The tone of the film, drama, comedy, satire? American beliefs, self-confidence, achievement? The abandoning of countries after going in militarily? The pattern of the 20th century? The 21st century?