What is the true story behind Argo?
Argo recreates the storming of the US embassy in Tehran in November 1979 Ben Affleck's film Argo tells the bizarre story of how in 1980 the CIA - with Canadian help - sprang a group of Americans from Iran after they escaped a US embassy overrun by protestors.
What happened at the end of Argo?
Argo's final scenes are superbly tense, as the six make it onto the plane by the skin of their teeth. The CIA had given them false departure documents for which, of course, there were no matching arrival forms.
Is Tony Mendez in Argo a true story?
Ben Affleck played CIA agent Tony Mendez in Argo. The real Mendez says the movie is mostly spot on, even if the rescue at the end wasn't quite what the film depicts. The movie Argo, up for seven Oscars at this year's Academy Awards, is based on the true story of the CIA rescue of Americans in Tehran during the 1979 hostage crisis.
How accurate was Ben Affleck’s 2012 movie Argo?
JUST how accurate was Ben Affleck’s 2012 movie Argo? Not very accurate at all, according to the CIA. To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Iran hostage crisis, the US intelligence agency tweeted what happened in the movie (REEL) compared to what actually happened in real life (REAL), and there were a few big differences:
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Is Argo historically accurate?
Some have noted Argo's lack of historical accuracy, particularly in the final 20 minutes of the film, which contains fabricated and overly dramatised events surrounding the departure of the six Americans from Tehran's international airport.
How close was Argo to real events?
Movie aficionados — and historians — know that the movie sticks pretty close to what really happened during the Iranian Revolution. In 1980, a CIA agent named Tony Mendez sneaked into Iran and spirited away six American diplomats who were hiding with Canadians.
Was Argo a real thing?
Ben Affleck's film Argo tells the bizarre story of how in 1980 the CIA - with Canadian help - sprang a group of Americans from Iran after they escaped a US embassy overrun by protestors. The film, which has received seven Oscar nominations including one for best picture, is based on real-life events.
How much of Argo is real?
Argo's central, nutty storyline—in which the CIA establishes a fake movie production, complete with a full script and ads in Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, in order to rescue six Americans stranded in post-revolutionary Iran—is 100 percent true, and pretty incredible.
How did Iran react to Argo?
According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Seyed Muhammad Hosseini, Iran's minister of culture and Islamic guidance, also declared that "Argo" was an anti-Iranian movie, adding: “It doesn't contain any artistic values.”
How many hostages were killed in Iran?
On April 24, 1980, an ill-fated military operation to rescue the 52 American hostages held in Tehran ends with eight U.S. servicemen dead and no hostages rescued.
How did the Iran hostage crisis end?
How did the Iranian hostage crisis end? The Iranian hostage crisis ended after negotiations held throughout late 1980 and early 1981, with Algerian diplomats as middlemen throughout the process. The Iranian demands centered largely on releasing frozen Iranian assets and lifting the trade embargo.
What happened to the American hostages in Iran in 1980?
A diplomatic standoff ensued. The hostages were held for 444 days, being released on January 20, 1981. 8 American servicemen and 1 Iranian civilian killed during an attempt to rescue the hostages. Western media described the crisis as an "entanglement" of "vengeance and mutual incomprehension".
What caused the Iran hostage crisis?
However, when the shah came to the U.S. for cancer treatment in October, the Ayatollah incited Iranian militants to attack the U.S. On November 4, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun and its employees taken captive. The hostage crisis had begun.
Can Americans travel to Iran?
Do not travel to Iran due to the risk of kidnapping and the arbitrary arrest and detention of U.S. citizens. Exercise increased caution due to wrongful detentions. Country Summary: U.S. citizens visiting or residing in Iran have been kidnapped, arrested, and detained on spurious charges.
What did Argo stand for?
Acronym. Definition. ARGO. Association of Remote Gambling Operators (now Remote Gambling Association)
Was Argo filmed in Iran?
Although most of the movie takes place in Tehran, Iran, not a single minute of film was shot there. Other than location shoots in Istanbul, Turkey and Washington, D.C., the majority of Argo was filmed in Los Angeles.
What happened to the American hostages in Iran in 1980?
A diplomatic standoff ensued. The hostages were held for 444 days, being released on January 20, 1981. 8 American servicemen and 1 Iranian civilian killed during an attempt to rescue the hostages. Western media described the crisis as an "entanglement" of "vengeance and mutual incomprehension".
When was the Argo operation declassified?
1997But it was all done secretly, and the CIA role in the operation was not revealed until 1997. The 52 American hostages at the U.S. Embassy were held for 444 days and not released until January 1981.
What was Argo based on?
Argo, American political thriller, released in 2012, that was based on events that took place during the 1979–81 Iran hostage crisis. It centres on several U.S. embassy workers who escaped the hostage takers, took refuge with Canadian diplomats, and were able to escape the country disguised as a Canadian film crew.
How were the Iranian hostages treated?
The Iran hostages — who dealt with physical and psychological torture, including instances of solitary confinement and mock execution — have also had to fight for restitution since they were released because of an agreement that barred them from seeking damages for their imprisonment.
What is the truth about the Argo movie?
The truth - which Argo artfully obscures - is that the cover story was never tested and in some ways proved irrelevant to the escape. There is a sequence in the film where the six go on a location scout in Tehran to create the impression they are movie people. According to Mark, the scene is total fiction.
Where was Argo filmed?
Mark Lijek, now retired, is impressed with how Ben Affleck stages the taking of the US embassy in Argo, a sequence filmed partly in Istanbul and partly on location in California. "It was almost the first time I'd thought deeply about ...
What is the movie Argo about?
image caption. Argo recreates the storming of the US embassy in Tehran in November 1979. Ben Affleck's film Argo tells the bizarre story of how in 1980 the CIA - with Canadian help - sprang a group of Americans from Iran after they escaped a US embassy overrun by protestors. The film, which has received seven Oscar nominations including one ...
When did Mark Lijek volunteer in Iran?
When Mark Lijek took Tehran as his first posting in the US foreign service, he knew he wasn't opting for an easy life. "I was asked to volunteer in October 1978 and things in Iran were already pretty bad," he explains. "There were violent demonstrations on the streets and it wasn't at all clear the Shah could survive.
Who is the Canadian official who split from Argo?
In reality, after several nights - including one spent in the UK residential compound - the group was split between the Taylor house and the home of another Canadian official, John Sheardown. Mark Lijek says he can see why Argo makes the switch.
Is the CIA's plan to spirit the six out of the country true?
The CIA cooked up a plan to spirit the six out of the country on a scheduled flight from Tehran's Mehrabad airport, masquerading as Canadians working on a non-existent science-fiction film. Mark Lijek recalls that, of the group, he was the most immediately enthusiastic.
When was Argo declassified?
In 1997 , the files containing Argo ‘s true story were declassified by President Bill Clinton. As soon as that happened, Antonio J. “Tony” Mendez got his Intelligence Star back, this time permanently and publicly. Ten year laters, Joshua Bearman told the story of the “Hollywood Option” aka “The Canadian Caper” in the April 24th issue of Wired magazine. According to a recent article in Slate magazine, Bearman was put on to the story by David Klawans, an independent movie producer who thought making the story could give him some momentum to make it into a movie. Looks like it worked! (Art follows life follows art follows life. . . . )
Who played Mark Lijek in Argo?
Mark Lijek (played by Christopher Denham in Argo) published a follow up story in Slate a week after Bearman’s. Lijek praises Argo enthusiastically. He affirms the film’s fidelity to the basic facts of the situation he lived through in 1979 and 1980 as well as the cinematic power of some of the changes that were made in order to tell the story compellingly on film. But Lijek also confesses a bit of disappointment related to one of the changes made to the film–the omission of John Sheardown from the story.
Is Argo a true story?
Life doesn’t often take the structure of a good story, though. Even the best true stories are likely to be less clear than good fiction, and even the most intense crises are unlikely to build and resolve like a made for Hollywood script. This is precisely the case for the true story behind Ben Affleck’s film, Argo. The film is true to the spirit of what happened to the six hostages that Tony Mendez led out of Tehran during the Iran hostage crisis, but it meddles a bit with the details in order to tell a compelling tale.
What is the real Argo?
Real #Argo: Two CIA officers with notable forgery and exfiltration skills used their talents & knowledge to get the six out of Iran safely.
How long was the mechanical delay in Argo?
Real #Argo: There was an hour long mechanical delay, other than that the escape could not have gone better. #nochase pic.twitter.com/a0TnVeBgBt
Who blamed millennials for his new movie tanking at the box office?
Director Ridley Scott blamed Millennials for his new movie tanking at the box office but that generation is not the problem, Duncan Lay writes.
Did the real Argo happen?
Real #Argo: It didn’t happen. An early flight was picked so airline officials would be sleepy & Revolutionary Guards would still be in bed.
Who is the director of Argo?
Argo, the new movie from actor-director Ben Affleck, has mostly been getting raves—including a qualified but fairly strong endorsement from Slate ’s own Dana Stevens, who calls it “a rollicking yarn” and “easily the most cohesive and technically accomplished of Affleck’s three films so far.”. But several reviews have also noted just how far ...
Who is the makeup artist in Argo?
In Argo, Mendez and the Oscar-winning makeup artist John Chambers —amusingly played by his actual doppelganger, John Goodman—go through dozens of scripts with a veteran Hollywood producer played by Alan Arkin (about whom more below), and Mendez spots a movie called Argo buried in the pile.
Who directed the movie Argo?
And Hollywood, which was part of the intrigue in real life, has now adapted the story. The action thriller Argo, directed by Ben Affleck, chronicles the daring escape. In the movie, which premiered recently to great acclaim at the Telluride Film Festival, ...
Was Iran chaotic before Google?
Revolutionary Iran was dangerously chaotic, but the bureaucracy of surveillance and repression hadn’t hardened yet. This was before Google, which meant cover stories were checked by phone, in person, or by fax. It seemed crazy, but it might just work.
Where was Argo filmed?
The airport scene at what was supposed to be Tehran's Mehrabad Airport was shot at the LA/Ontario International Airport, which is actually located in the city of Ontario, a city in San Bernardino County, California (not in Ontario, Canada). -IMDB.com. See video of the real people behind the Argo movie.
What book is Argo based on?
Argo script was based on Lord of Light book.
Who was the Canadian ambassador in Argo?
As stated earlier, Joe Stafford and his wife Kathy were the only ones staying with the Canadian Ambassador. The rest stayed with John Sheardown and his wife Zena (they are not represented in the Argo movie). Canadian Ambassador Taylor, portrayed by Victor Garber in the movie, brought the Staffords with him for the meeting. -CIA.gov
Where did the name Argo come from?
The title "Argo" that Tony and John Chambers gave to the screenplay came from Greek mythology , specifically it is the name of Jason and the Argonauts' ship that they sailed to the sacred garden to rescue the Golden Fleece from the clutches of the many-headed dragon.
Who played Ken Taylor in Argo?
It was there that they met Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor, portrayed by Victor Garber in the Argo movie. In reality, Joe and Kathy Stafford went to stay at the Canadian Ambassador's residence, while the other four remained at John Sheardown's with John and his wife Zena. John and Zena are not depicted in the film. -Slate.com.
Did Ben Affleck ask the woman at the airport ticket counter to recheck for the tickets?
No. The suspenseful Argo movie scene that requires Ben Affleck's character to ask the woman at the airport ticket counter to recheck for the tickets never actually happened in real life. The reservations had always been in place and there weren't any problems at the counter or the checkpoints. -CIA.gov.
Did Tony and Kathy get killed in Argo?
No. In the movie, Tony (Ben Affleck) and the six are left with no choice but to meet with two men associated with the Iranian film office. They drive into town and venture through a market where an older man confronts Kathy Stafford (Kerry Bishé) for taking Polaroid photos. He yells at her and states that his son had been killed by a gun supplied by America. The true story behind the Argo movie reveals that this never actually happened, nor did they ever venture into town to scout a location. -CIA.gov
