Compost Studios

Recently released on DVD, Charlie Wilson's War features an impressive cast of Academy Award winners. Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman deftly bring to film three real-life characters who had a far-reaching effect on world politics. The film is based on a book with the same title.

Charlie Wilson, played amiably by Tom Hanks, is a Texas Congressman better known for his drinking, womanizing, and sexy office staff than for his political pull or savvy. He may have many character flaws, but he's far smarter than he looks, and this assessment can be applied to the other key players in the story as well.

Julia Roberts as Houston socialite Joanne Herring has a sharp mind and pointed foreign policy opinions inside her perfectly coiffed blond head.  She uses her intellect, considerable physical charms and social standing to expand her influence far beyond Texas.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays the hot-headed, straight talking CIA agent Gust Avrakotos, a man who is frustrated after watching his career sidelined by his lack of smoothness and diplomacy.

In 1979, the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan was in the news but not on Congress' agenda. Ultra-conservative Joanne Herring is determined to stop the spread of communism and deal with the humanitarian disaster unfolding there. She introduces Charlie to her cause, sending him into a tense and uncomfortable meeting with the president of Pakistan which ultimately leads to the brokering of an unlikely and secret alliance between Pakistan,  Egypt, Israel, and the U.S.

Charlie is responsible for finding the funding for a covert operation to equip the Afghan rebels with the weaponry needed to defeat the Soviets. Gust and his team provide the intelligence and expertise to monitor its success behind the scenes.

Ultimately, against all odds, the Soviets are forced to retreat by the Afghans. The defeat of the Soviet Union was a stunning blow that depleted both the resources and morale of the Soviet military machine. It is widely considered a key event in the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Sadly, the victory becomes bittersweet for Charlie, Joanne, and Gust when they're unable to raise funds or generate interest in rebuilding Afghanistan after the war, paving the way for the rise of the Muslim extremists who would figure prominently in the 9/11 attacks and the establishment of a global terror network.

I didn't expect to like this movie as much as I did. The movie was surprisingly funny, entertaining, and watchable. The comic moments had me laughing hard, the scenes set in Afghanistan were sobering, the acting and complex characters made the film believable.

It was both horrifying and intriguing to consider how a covert operation triggered a series of events that changed the face of world politics in such a far reaching way. It's unnerving as well as reassuring to know that smart people can exert considerable influence even when no one recognizes their power.

Charlie Wilson's War reveals how complex foreign policy is, the danger of seeking or settling for an "easy" solution, and both the effectiveness and weaknesses of covert operations. I confess that like most Americans, I tend to skim over international news. I don't always have the patience to absorb, digest, and consider the impact of events that seem a world away from my life, my country. We count on journalists to uncover and communicate the news that matters. When they succeed in nailing down a story, is anyone, including myself, listening to what they have to say?

Charlie Wilson's War is a reminder to pay attention, to invest time in trying to uncover and understand the short and long-term impact of  U.S. foreign policy at home and abroad, and to realize that "ordinary" people can and do make a difference, whether they're in Congress or at a party in Texas.

June 9, 2008