I rescued Argo hostages in my orange Austin Maxi with a GB sticker on the back...

The Daily Mail ^ | 3-3-13 | Martin Williams

[afraidfortherepublic]

Martin Williams was a First Secretary at the British Embassy in Iran when militants invaded the US Embassy in November 1979, taking 52 hostages and sparking an international crisis that lasted 14 months.

In his Oscar-winning film Argo, director and star Ben Affleck tells how six American diplomats hid in the Canadian Ambassador’s house in Tehran until the CIA arranged an ingenious escape plan – after they had been callously turned away when they sought shelter at the British Embassy.

Here Mr Williams, 71, who later was High Commissioner to Zimbabwe and New Zealand, says this is a gross misrepresentation of the part he and other British representatives played in rescuing five members of the group from anti-Western mobs roaming the streets .  .  .

IT WAS on a cold evening in January that my wife Sue and I set off from our home in Kent to watch Argo at the Odeon in Earls Court, West London. We had arranged to meet several colleagues who had also served in Tehran and were, naturally, looking forward to seeing how the film would depict what had been a significant and dramatic time in our lives.

[Moltke]

The Daily Mail feigns outrage over a gross misrepresentation?

Oh, the irony!

[the scotsman]

Austin Maxi:

http://davefarmersblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/800px-austin_maxi_1980.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Maxi

[Verginius Rufus]

I had the good fortune, many years ago, to see the movie Mrs. Miniver, and learned that the Brits were also involved in WWII.

Maybe Clooney and Affleck are dissing the Brits because they won't let the Argentinians have the Malvinas, or is it the Maldives, back. After all, they are Hispanics so we are supposed to consider them the good guys.

[afraidfortherepublic]

That’s hard to miss, isn’t it?

[CodeToad]

No kidding, it was terrible.

*** PLOT SPOILERS ***

Highlight the following text between the lines below to read my comments.

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The movie built up the whole idea that the hostages would be questioned later on their fake identities, yet, nothing later in the movie of them having been questioned at all.

Since when do vehicles travel at take off speed of a 747, which is around 170mph? That chase scene was just plain dumb.

The entire movie production studio had but one scene later of any significance when they simply answered the phone. All that work up in the movie for the movie production office just for that? Weak, just plain weak.

---

Really, it was a terrible movie. No real character development or plot development to speak of.

[the scotsman]

My uncle had one. Ugly car.

[the scotsman]

If it took film and TV to make you aware that Britain fought in two world wars, and the immense sacrifice and contribution we made, one has to ask:

‘god almighty, whats in the history you are taught?’.

[heylady]

god almighty, whats in the history you are taught?’.

WWII was the last section in our History books but we never seemed to have time in the school year to cover it. There is little difference between the reporting in WWII and our current conflicts in the Middle East. If you don’t pay very, very close attention you would think that it was only Americans fighting over there.

[Rebelbase]

What year did you graduate High School?

I only ask because we had some employees who graduated in the late 90’s who had no clue who Stalin or Mao were.

[heylady]

1966

[Trailerpark Badass]

As an example, from the brief period I spent in public (govt) schools, I would have thought the Founding Fathers were George Washington Carver, Harriet Tubman, and Cesar Chavez.

And that was 40 years ago.

[Verginius Rufus]

Good grief. I didn't think I needed to insert a sarcasm tag.

I don't know when I first became aware of the British role in WWII, but I was reading history on my own at least by second grade, long before I had it as a subject in school in fourth grade. My high school history course only got as far as the 1930s and I don't think any of my college history courses got as far as the 20th century. My mother had a large dictionary which included maps--one showed Europe as of shortly after the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 which they had tried to bring up-to-date. I'm sure I had heard of Munich, Hitler, Churchill, Dunkirk, etc., when I was still in grade school.

My father was a WWII veteran but fought in the Pacific Theater (Guam, Okinawa), not in Europe.

[Rebelbase]

My sarcasm meter has been off lately. I didn’t realize you were being factious about not knowing Britain was our ally in WWII until recently.

[the scotsman]

On this site, and sadly dealing with people Stateside, I cant assume anything, sorry.

Your Dad was/is a hero. If he still alive, thank him for me.

[dennisw]

not bothering with that stupid Argo movie which is about Hollywood’s favorite subject. Itself, and how clever and fantastic they are

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

Since when has Hollywood ever portrayed Britain in a positive light? Britain and the British have been their favourite resource pool for drawing baddies from since day one. If they aren’t out and out villains, they’re supercilious idiots and fools who ignore the advice of the quick-witted American hero and get themselves and others killed as a result...