MovieChat Forums > The Killer Elite (1975) Discussion > Demonizing the CIA

Demonizing the CIA

posted 17 years ago by max-tavros
5 replies | jump to latest

Yet another film demonizing the CIA. Typical of the times when a barrage of films was launched aimed at bringing down the Outfit. Pathetic fikm, the "Three Days of the Condor" was much better.

[–] crappola515 17 years ago

Sorry. I don't get how this was supposed to have been demonizing to the CIA. Locke n and Cap worked for a private security agency. The CIA hired that agency to protect Mako (I forget the character name). It was the agency who decided to take money and play both sides.

In the end, Mike specifically asked (rhetorically), "How come their side pays so much more?"

Cap responded (something to the effect),"Our side. Their side. It doesn't make a difference. They all want the same thing. To be in charge."

The CIA had nothing to do with the Chinese(?) bad guys. The CIA were still the "good guys". If anything, the movie was demonizing to companies of freelance "mercenaries" like Blackwater (35 yrs early).

Vic Mackey: "God creates all men equal. Out of the womb, he starts playing favorites."

[–] IForgotMyMantra 17 years ago

Yeah but didn't the agency work for the CIA? So if the agency is within the CIA then that's who they're critiquing. The movie is obviously anti-corporate power whether it's business or politics. It was Peckinpah's stab at movie executives and studios.

[–] mail-2775 15 years ago

Agreed, it was portraying the CIA as an organization that kills people, kills more for no reason, kills their own using their own just for sport, nonsense. The role of the CIA is to support the US economy and killing a lot of people in the USA can rarely achieve that.

[–] FAnconia 15 years ago

Well, there are some that might now question that after occurrences like the Bay of Pigs, Ruby Ridge, and “911”, but hey, new news!

I used to think that there always seemed a level of incompetence in these things. Story’s like, “The Andromeda Strain”, where curls of printer paper blocking the bell on the teletype machine prevent alerting the technician operator of an urgent message, stuff like that. Just my take!

That’s Hollywood though. Today I see much better competence, generally funded out to private companies. Its like the modern version of, “The Day the Earth Stood Still”. Well, ya don’t tug on Gort’s cape? Ya gotta be one of the last two desirable boy and girl couples in the world! Hey, that’s capitalism?

Well, I’ve got some books to read on mid-east oil production, and some interesting elements in Dick Tracy cartoons. Did you know that if you shoot someone with an ice-bullet, it’s a cool way to eliminate ballistics? Got to dig out another bottle of Dickel No.8 too!

Six hours before anyone notices his corpse doing laps around L.A.?

[–] thechangeling7988 13 years ago

"Agreed, it was portraying the CIA as an organization that kills people, kills more for no reason, kills their own using their own just for sport, nonsense. The role of the CIA is to support the US economy and killing a lot of people in the USA can rarely achieve that."

I don't think anyone on this board has ever researched what the CIA is about. Demonizing. I don't think so, if people really studied the CIA, which was originally the OSS (office of strategic services)they might not feel so offended by little movie portrayals like this. There is a very dark side to the intelligence world, especially when it happens to be in the so called service of the most powerful nation on the planet. There are people in the CIA that are good and have the best intentions, but they're not the ones who run it. They do kill for sport, or whatever reason they choose. This film is not a good example, but its not an exaggeration either. Just do a little research and you'll figure that out rather quickly and that doesn't mean going to conspiracy sites or other garbage. Just the facts jack, just the facts will tell you. Trust me.