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Just watched Polanski's brilliant film Ghost on Channel 4. Underneath a thin veil of drama it proposes that Tony Blair was from the beginning of his political career nothing more than an instrument and puppet of the US Government. It suggests that at no time did Blair object or even question anything the US government proposed or enacted during its endless quest for World domination, in effect the UK was and presumably still is now, no more than America's 51st state!

Obviously the film is a work of complete fantasy...........or is it?!confused!

[img]http://www.joe-ks.com/archives_aug2004/BushBlair5.jpg[/img]

It was a pretty decent, tautly written, atmospheric, film, that recalls those political thrillers of the 70s such as Parallax View, The Conversation, etc. Apart from its interesting 'what if..?' premise, the problem faced by Lang, in that he had to stay in the USA to avoid the International Criminal Court, mirrored that of Polanski, in that the director, due to some unfinished legal business in LA, couldn't shoot in the US setting, nor in the UK. Instead, Peenemunde and the island of Sylt stood in for the Martha's Vineyard locations, and Berlin for London. He finished the post work whilst under house arrest in Switzerland.

Sounds about right.

Still, its probably best to be friends with the biggest bully on the block isnt it? Even when they sold guns to the IRA but lets not make money get in the way of friendship. It was business. Never personal

jimslip wrote:

in effect the UK was and presumably still is
> now, no more than America's 51st state!

>

Can't remember which book I read it in, but the UK was referred to by America as "Airstrip One"

I thought the film was so-so. Not a patch on Robert Harris's book - which had a different and better ending. I thought the film disappointing.

I doubt if there has ever been a film-of-the-book that has pleased all of a book's fans. Not entirely unsurprising as the two media are so different.

Loved the movie, but Jimbo my old dear, its 2 years old now so you have
come to party rather late !! All the hubbub about the film was ages ago.
I have always loved Tony Blair`s reaction to the film. Shortly before its
premiere he ran into the screenwriter at a function, whispering in his ear,
"You cheeky bugger !"

Perhaps Jim caught it on telly over the weekend.

As for the screenwriter - that was New Labourite Robert Harris who wrote the book. He is a close friend of Lord Mandelson who used to spend his weekends lounging on a settee chez Harris on the phone to Tony.