"State of Siege"

Paper Summary:

The paper examines the film "State of Siege" about the interrogation and assassination of a CIA case officer by unnamed South American urban revolutionaries. The paper reveals that its story is based on real-life events in Uruguay when a U.S. Agency for International Development (AID) official, Dan Mitrione, was kidnapped by the Tupamoros (a left-wing urban guerrilla group) and eventually executed. This paper offers a summary of the movie and discusses how far it has depicted the real life events by researching who the Tupamoros and Dan Mitrione really were. The paper notes that the film is criticized for being biased against the Americans, but concludes that it is largely an accurate portrayal of events that took place in Uruguay in 1970.

Outline:
Summary of the Film
American Criticism of the Film
The Tupamaros
Who was Dan Mitrione?
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Gavras then uses his familiar technique of flashbacks, rapid cross-cutting from one location to another and aggressive background music (also used in Gavras' other notable films, "Z" and "The Confession") to create chilling suspense and to move the film forward at a relentless pace. We are shown a flashbacks of the kidnapping of Santore by the young guerillas; interspersed with scenes of the local (read Uruguay) Parliament arguing over the existence of a paralegal police death squad, back to the rebels' interrogation of Santore, evidence of America's interference in South American politics and so on and so forth until the film ends with a scene of another American AID official being received at the airport, watched by a defiant face (a member of the Tupamoros, perhaps?)--signifying the continuance of the frustrating cycle despite what has just taken place."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Blum, William. Killing Hope. Maine: Common Courage Press, 2003
• Cocks, Jay. "Spurious Suspense." Time Magazine. April 23, 1973. April 11, 2007. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,945253,00.html?promoid=googlep>
• Langguth, A.J. Hidden Terrors. New York: Pantheon Books, 1978
• Rius. The Tupamaros: Comic Book Adapted from text of "Los Agachodos" by Rius. Berkley, California: NACLA
• Weinstein, Martin. "Uruguay: Democracy at the Cross Roads." Boulder: Westview Press, 1988.

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