Retiring CIA agent Nathan Muir recalls his training of Tom Bishop while working against agency politics to free him from his Chinese captors.Retiring CIA agent Nathan Muir recalls his training of Tom Bishop while working against agency politics to free him from his Chinese captors.Retiring CIA agent Nathan Muir recalls his training of Tom Bishop while working against agency politics to free him from his Chinese captors.
- Awards
- 3 nominations
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaTony Scott asked for more money to film the rooftop scene in "Berlin" (in order to rent a helicopter for an aerial scene) but the producers refused. Scott believed that the scene was important and rented the helicopter with his own money.
- GoofsWhen Duncan is negotiating with Deng, he clearly tells Muir "Deng wants five-hundred-thousand YUAN for the power out in Su Chou." In 1991, this would have been about $95,500 U.S. dollars, so when Muir counter-offers and says "No way. Tell him $100K and I'll pay him in dollars," he is offering more than Deng asked for. The final price, $282,000USD, would have been approximately 1,500,000 yuan in 1991.
- Quotes
Nathan Muir: [inside a CIA briefing room] When I was a kid I used to spend summers on my uncle's farm. And he had this plow horse he used to work with everyday. He really loved that plow horse. One summer she came up lame. It could barely stand. The vet offered to put her down. You know what my uncle said?
Charles Harker: [inside a CIA briefing room] No, Muir, what did he say?
Nathan Muir: [inside a CIA briefing room] He said, why would I ask somebody else to kill a horse that belonged to me?
- Crazy creditsIn the opening credits, many of the credits are each preceded by a jumble of letters flickering on the screen. This may be a reference to the opening credit sequence of one of Robert Redford's earlier spy movies, Sneakers (1992).
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Making of 'Spy Game' (2001)
- SoundtracksRocky Mountain Way
Written by Rocke Grace, Kenny Passarelli (as Ken Passarelli), Joe Vitale (as Joey Vitale), Joe Walsh
Performed by Joe Walsh
Courtesy of MCA Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises
--the photographic and editing style is one of successive photographs often shifted/zoomed with the shutter click; some black and whites, many color deprived.
--the hero's cover story is as a photo journalist and his photos are shown the same as the CIA's, Redford's recollections, and the 'narrator's.'
--The agency is primarily about images in real life, images and action and that's self-referentially played up here. Scott uses a style of zooming in and out by jump cuts that he developed on his last film -- also about images and the intelligence community. Lots of cameras and binoculars here.
--the dramatic action is global, involving several hotspots with lots of action. When viewing that action, the cameras are hand-held. When watching the calm, controlling scenes at headquarters, we see them more statically as they are being videotaped, often spying through blinds. (Spy = see.) Often the images have digital tags.
--Some of the field scenes with Redford and Pitt are shot as though from a spy plane (as in that swooping, sweeping shot on a roof) or if interior as seen through a hole.
--Lots of helicopter shots, and lots of helicopters. It seems every combination was employed among the following: ground, interior of heli, interior of second heli, front of heli, heli POV, above heli. This by itself is self-referential when you notice how many of the 'ordinary' shots are from helis.
There is also a clever self-reference in the casting. Pitt was hailed as the 'new Redford' when he appeared in 'Thelma and Louise,' by brother Ridley. Then in 'River Runs' he was directed by Redford, in a Redfordlike role, underscoring the relationship. Here, he also is mentored, but in my opinion outacts Redford at every turn. I believe Scott intended to use Redford's limits as a tired actor to the advantage of this reference. Pitt has been working hard in relatively minor but challenging roles and the results show.
The only real complaints are the clumsy plot mechanics: the last day before retirement -- a clear 24 hour to doom clock -- a wily and complete outwitting of the pencilnecks -- all the CIA analysts and technicians as outwittable dimmies -- a senior character says 'get everything we have on so and so' and 10 seconds later a secretary appears with the files in multiple copies -- a helicopter is shot down: it disappears behind the trees and then we see a fireball. Fortunately we gloss over all that stuff. Couldn't in 'Enemy of the State.'
- tedg
- Nov 23, 2001
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Spygame
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $115,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $62,362,560
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $21,689,125
- Nov 25, 2001
- Gross worldwide
- $143,049,560
- Runtime2 hours 6 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1