MovieChat Forums > The Assignment (1997) Discussion > Two questions

Two questions

posted 18 years ago by mmc-26
4 replies | jump to latest

Just watched this movie for the first time and was suprised as how good it was.
But, of course, a couple of questions.
1. When Carlos first hears about the shootout involving his old girlfriend, he says that she would never turn on him (obviously that was wrong) and questions who in his organization gave him up, because no one outside knew about the safe house (I assume he means the house where Annibal meets the girlfriend). Okay, but why didn't he also question WHO exactly his former girlfriend had turned on? He knew he wasn't there so who was the guy involved in this major shootout? Isn't that an obvious question?
2. The end - I see this point has been debated, exactly who got blown up in the end? But none of the answers I have read been make much sense to me. After the explosion, the living one (either Carlos or Annibal) receives a note telling him what has happened. But wasn't the note signed from Jack, the CIA agent? I thought thats what I saw but I was watching on TV so couldn't rewind to check. If I am right, that would have to mean Annibal and his family were alive and Carlos was blown up. But, that doesn't work, didn't we see Annibal's wife? And besides doesn't Carlos have to live to be later arrested? I guess the only thing that makes sense is a CIA plot to relocate Annibal's family. But then what was the point of the note from Jack at the end?
Thanks.

[–] aLiAsjL 18 years ago

I agree with your observation on the first question, but as for the second question...

No one got blown up in the car, it was faked, just as the funeral was faked to make Carlos think that Annibal and his family were killed, so he wouldn't come after them. The note was from Jack, saying Rest In Peace, his way of saying you are now truly free... which was what he said as he left the funeral. As for Carlos, due to a number of his latter terrorist actions (which were about his girlfriend being arrested and imprisoned and not politics) he fell out of favour with most groups, so he was pretty much given up to the French authorities.

Hope this helps... and yeah - great movie! Ben Kingsley was great too!

[–] petre-3 18 years ago

To answer your first question I think that Carlos wanted to know what was she doing there in that safe house and thought she was there to lure him as the DST agents were around.He was informed(I think) that a shooting took place in that safe house and the girl was there , he didn't know that there was a man with her inside.What he knew was , hey the girl was at this address together with some DST agents and some shooting was involved but the girl came out allright.And as you see from the movie he never gets to see or talk to the girl again as she gets shot in Paris by that japanese guy.
A great movie anyway and by the way could someone answer if this double character plot to get him was true or not?
I mean how much of this is true and how much fiction?
Thanks.

[–] tjh3123 17 years ago

Regarding the truth of the story, I believe that it was someone's take on how the capture could have happened based on the comment at the end of the movie that Carlos' real life capture was RUMORED to be orchestrated by a CIA and ex Naval Officer. This would be peculiar, as Carlos, for real, was captured and brought back to France where he is currently in jail.

[–] leojbramble 17 years ago

I definitely agree with you on the first issue -- I don't know how he could possibly find out all what happened without also finding out that HE was supposedly there!