Clive Owen Movie:

Doomsday Gun [Region 2] Reviews:
BULL'S EYE
2009-09-09 -

Frank Langella plays Gerald Bull, who in real life was apparently assassinated by Israeli agents (Mossad?). This HBO drama is about a scientist who had an obsession with building what has been called the world's biggest gun. It seems he did not care for whom he worked as long as he could bring his design to fruition. But it was Saddam Hussein's backing of Bull's research that no doubt brought Bull's demise. Bull's big gun - based on parts seized - had a barrel 131 feet long and a bore about 40 inches in diameter. It could theoretically launch a warhead (nuclear or biological) hundreds of miles or even into orbit!

Langella is on the mark as Canadian Bull, founder of Space Research Corporation. Bull had previously worked on modifying existing artillery weapons and even upgrading SCUD missiles (you remember them?). His modified SCUDS reigned down on Israel and also Saudi Arabia. Americans were killed as a result of Bull's work. He worked for any country that hired him, some our then (and current) enemies, him except Russia. He hated Russia. He also worked for, or rather through, the CIA and for American allies. In the movie, Kevin Spacey plays a surprisingly heartfelt CIA agent on his trail.

This is an intriguing film that tells a relatively unknown story. It only hints at the dark work of the weapons trade sanctioned by you and me. And perhaps necessary in the world we have created. There's an obscure Canadian Broadcast Corporation video "Who Killed Gerald Bull" that is worth finding if this subject is of interest.

Great movie
2009-03-03 - This was a great movie not to mention the reality of how close it really became to being true in real life.

Don't Read too Much Jules Verne
2008-04-02 - The cautionary message of this movie is that those flush with oil money have generally little qualms about using that wealth to develop massive war machines to be eventually used against their customers and neighbors. Gerald Bull, a brilliant ballistics engineer, had a "dream" since childhood-- to build a "super gun" based on the concepts created by Jules Verne. Verne wrote a novel in which earth-based astronauts were launched to the moon via a gigantic gun. Being the impressionable young fellow that he was, Bull wanted to do the same thing, but not necessarily for humanitarian purposes. World renowned for his artillery pieces and modifications to missiles including the Iraqi Scuds that eventually were fired at Israel during the first Gulf War, Bull was a popular fellow in the international arms world. Alienated from the United States because of an embargo-breaking conviction, Bull decided that he would build his SuperGun, the biggest gun ever created, for anybody who'd pay the highest for it. Of course, not without his qualms, he proudly proclaims to Kevin Spacey, playing a CIA agent, that he won't work with the Russians.

For some reason though, his qualms didn't include the Iraqis who, at that time, were involved in a savage war with Iran. Bull, as played brilliantly and understatedly by Frank Langella, is something of the infante terrible of artillery design. He's a visionary in his designs and scientific skills, but a naif when it comes to world politics and the true nature of the very unsavory people he is working for over in Baghdad.

Alan Arkin plays a tough Mossad agent who does Bull the courtesy of warning him-- telling him in no uncertain terms that Israel will not allow the gun to be built as it is a direct threat to Israel. Bull dismisses him and continues his work. Bull is blinded by his dreams to build the greatest artillery piece ever created. With this gun, satellites could be launched into space and artillery shells lobbed accurately for hundreds of miles. In the hands of Saddam Hussein the entire power structure of the Middle East would have been overturned.

The movie does a nice job using semi-goofy computer graphics to explain the science behind the gun, and the work atmosphere in the engineering offices of his company show lots of excitement about the project, the excitement of developing something spectactular and powerful but zero comprehension as the likely consequences of what would happen once the gun actually was operational.

Michael Kitchen does a fine turn as Bulls pragmatic project manager and 2nd in command. Without qualms himself, Kitchen pushes the project along, pressuring manufacturers who are nervous that Bull's "Oil Refinery" work is more likely artillery related and thus illegal during the embargo against Iraq. Only when he is directly intimidated does Kitchen back off, and decide that the risks are too high to continue. He knows that there are too many who want the project scrapped and that the stakes are just too high. He quits, and likely just in time, too.

Bull continues on alone, testing his prototype successfully in the Iraqi desert. While his slimy clients are delighted they make more demands that increase the pressure on Bull and his colleagues. Meanwhile, it becomes increasingly clear that Israel, the US, Iran, and the English all have powerful motives to stop the development of Bull's SuperGun which he calls "Project Babylon". Despite warnings from Alan Arkin's Mossad agent, and Spacey's increasingly cynical CIA operative to desist or risk death, Bull goes forward. The British turn a blind eye to his activities and allow his massive special order gun parts to be constructed and shipped out to Iraq in contravention of the ongoing blockade.

Bull is a man without qualms but brilliant in his field. Having helped the Israelis and the United States in previous conflicts with his artillery expertise, Bull believes that he is "owed" by them, and when he goes to collect on these imagined "debts" owed to him he is most astounded to find that he will get no help nor protection. Alienating all of his friends in the international community with his Project Babylon funded by fiscal shenanigans in the US, Bull has no idea how deep in trouble he is nor how easily he can be eliminated.

The is the story of a man with blinders on. Brilliant in some areas, but a fool in others his lack of pragmatism and a moral core put him at the highest centers of power and at the height of danger. His assassination is still unsolved.

This is an excellent movie with great performances from Arkin, Spacey, Langella, and Kitchen. It is the story of a man with a great vision who is on a long, long fall from grace much like Icarus who ignores every danger and every caution to see his "dream" fulfilled. Bull is amoral and pays a very high price for his lack of conscience. He is not an evil man in the classic sense, but a very shallow one who cannot see, and will not see even when shown, the very dangerous consequences that his "dream" will hold for others. When his assassination occurs it is not at all a surprise and certainly was not for Bull who seemed to be waiting for it though not with much fear. His concern was not for his life, but that his project would be canceled. This is a story of brilliance and total moral blindness. Excellent.

Continuity from Bush Senior to Bush Junior
2007-08-20 - This is an old film that came out in 1994. It was direct propaganda from the Democrats against the Republicans and Bush Senior who had been defeated by Clinton in 1992. As such it revealed the very obscure and twisted policies the United States of Reagan and Bush Senior had had towards Iraq, Iran, Israel and the Middle East in general, not to speak of the world. But what meaning can it have in 2007? In retrospect it shows how the US produced their own enemy and made him as strong as strong could be, how they helped him embezzle enormous sums of money in order to pay for some armament projects that were totally out of proportion but very good for business. And then they had to have a first war to force him out of Kuwait, and then they decided to have a second war to oust him out of power. And they had to lie to the whole world to justify their unilateral decision to invade Iraq. And that war that was supposed to be a joyride because they knew there were no Weapons of Mass Destruction and hence the Iraqis could not resist them, has turned into a nightmare and a quagmire that is swallowing the US like a quicksand trap in the middle of their only way. The Indians and Sinhalas have an interested saying about how an elephant cannot escape from drowning in a pool of mud as soon as they have dipped their first foot in it. If the film demonstrates something it is that when you lie, when you embezzle, when you manipulate people or events or circumstances or whatever, sooner or later you have to pay the bill and foot the expenses. Unluckily the price is paid by the Americans first of all, then by the Iraqis particularly the civilians, and finally by the whole world that is forced into dangerous situations that could and should have been avoided. This film's meaning has completely changed from 1994 with Bush Senior as its intended target to Bush Junior as an unintended circumstantial target. But one element is still true and unchanged: the US have been fishing in very muddy waters over the last twenty years or so and the price to pay will be unimaginably high for everyone.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine & University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne


TECHNOCRATS
2007-07-13 - I WAS AWARE OF BITS AND PIECES OF THIS STORY SO I WAS INTERESTED IN SEEING THE WHOLE STORY. THE LATTER WAS WELL TOLD FOR THE TIME AVAILABLE. I ESPECIALLY ENJOYED THE INSIGHTS INTO HOW THE MAN THOUGHT. I WOULD THINK THE FILM WOULD HAVE A LIMITED AUDIENCE; MAINLY PHYSICISTS OR ENGINEERS.