Missing

I was 17 when I first saw the film in 1982 and I can say, that it changed my life. Up to that I believe in my own government an I believe in the US, as a strong friend of all democratic countries. After this film I'd never take the things for real. I questioned everything and this is good. Use your mind, try to get informations from all sides. I think Chile is one reason, that the US doesn't sign the treaty for the international court, because guys like Kissinger had to be scared, that he has to take responsability for Chile and Vietnam. Everything was said of the great performance of the actors in this film. This is the best political thriller ever made.

Missing tells the true story of Charlie Horman, an idealistic writer who disappeared in Chile after the U.S.-backed military coup of 1973. It's told primarily through the perspective of Horman's father Ed, played by Jack Lemmon, who joins up with his daughter-in-law Beth (Sissy Spacek) to try and find Charlie amidst the chaos of a nation in turmoil. The hunt for Charlie is never particularly engaging or mysterious, especially if you know the ultimate fate of their search going in, but what the film excels at is adding the human element to this kind of personal tragedy.

Directed by Costa-Gavras, Missing is a film that seems to care more about informing the world of this gross injustice, rather than do anything particularly entertaining for it's audience. Opening with the statement that the events of the film are true and left unchanged, there is certainly an air of importance added to their search, always leaving the audience aware of the real life consequences of this crime. It's a condemnation of government and negligence, much like Gavras' earlier film Z, but it's much more about the emotional conflict of Ed Horman than it is about trying to thrill it's audience.

Beth and Charlie were idealists, some could even say radical liberals, but Ed was a very conservative man who shunned their attacks on the government. He was a man who believed in what his nation stood for and through the beginning of the film he is constantly giving them the benefit of the doubt, trusting that they are not being lied to. The brilliant evolution that occurs in this film is in the way that Ed slowly comes around more to Beth's way of thinking; they start off on opposite sides but gradually come together as he begins to form a distrust in the U.S. government in Chile and a rage inside of him grows.

Lemmon's performance stands among his best, slowly developing a more angered and combative streak in Horman, but never losing sight of the fact that this is ultimately just a man who wants his son back. There's a scene late in the film where he is pleading for his son, practically on his hands and knees, not caring if he is dead or alive he just wants his son so he can return home, that is absolutely devastating. Lemmon and Gavras succeed admirably in bringing this heartbreaking story to the public eye, made even more wrenching when the final truth is revealed (or even more so if you read up on the events that occurred after the film was released).

A terrific and brutal political thriller. It's supposed to shake you up and it really succeeds. It's a shame that they don't make films like this anymore. Costa-Gavras's "Missing" is emotionally riveting and thought provoking. For it's time, it still has the power to change the views of todays movie viewers. A must see. 5/5.

"Missing" is a strong, powerful political thriller about the real life story of a man and woman who search for their missing son/husband during the 1973 coup in a volatile South American country. Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek give brilliant, Oscar-nominated performances as Ed and Beth Horman, the father and wife of their beloved one who has disappeared without a trace. The film follows their frustrating search in a country (which is Chile even though the movie never reveals) that I would not dare live in. Things get more frustrating for the Hormans when they start to believe that the American representatives there are not telling them everything. Directed by Costa-Gavras ("Z"), "Missing" is an emotional film that keep me interested for its entire two hours. Lemmon and Spacek are great as usual, and there are supporting roles for Melanie Mayron and Joe Regalbuto, a couple of years before they turned up on TV's "Thirtysomething" and "Murphy Brown", respectably. "Missing" is one of the best, strongest political thrillers ever made.

***1/2 (out of four)

The film begins in Chile at the time of the coup that ended the Allende government. When Pinochet and the rightists came to power, huge numbers of folks simply disappeared or were executed outright. Anyone who could have posed a problem to the new government simply were eliminated--by the thousands. One of these was Charles Horman--an American journalist who was just too outspoken to be ignored by the regime. Although you see him as the film begins, soon he disappears and his wife and probable widow (Sissy Spacek) is beside herself trying to find him. Soon, Horman's conservative father (Jack Lemmon) arrives and has faith that the US embassy personnel with help him in the search. Eventually, however, it becomes obvious that the personnel are NOT there to help and probably are complicit in the disappearance. What are they to do? They're in a hostile land with few, if any, allies.

This film won an Oscar for Best Screenplay. It was also nominated for Best Actor (Jack Lemmon), Best Actress (Sissy Spacek) and Best Picture. I am surprised that "Gandhi" won the Best Picture award that year--especially since the film was, in many ways, quite inaccurate historically (I am a history teacher--trust me on this one). "Missing" was a better film--as were "The Verdict", "Tootsie" and "ET" (in my semi-humble opinion). I wonder if perhaps the film's politics doomed it to lose--though considering Hollywood generally DOES run left, this may not be the case.

I am a reasonably conservative American, though I feel ashamed when I see films like "Missing" (as well as Costa-Garvas' other famous film, "Z"). While I am glad that the US had been traditionally anti-communist, this single-minded approach to international communism appears VERY misguided in hindsight. In too many cases, in order to combat this, the US government sponsored repressive and evil regimes--when they should have been pushing for self-determination and freedom. No matter how you try to excuse this, situations like the ones in "Missing" are simply inexcusable and the film should be seen by everyone--not just those on the left politically. Why? Because, the story in this case is TRUE--the situation involving the Pinochet regime in Chile was just plain evil--and should NOT be forgotten or ignored. History should be understood and lessons learned from them...or they'll be repeated. Well worth seeing and very well made overall.