A movie about the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis probably doesn't sound like it would be a laugh riot — or should be — but that's just one of the many ways in which "Argo" is a glorious, gripping surprise. Directing his third feature, Ben Affleck has come up with a seamless blend of detailed international drama and breathtaking suspense, with just the right amount of dry humor to provide context and levity. He shows a deft handling of tone, especially in making difficult transitions between scenes in Tehran, Washington and Hollywood, but also gives one of his strongest performances yet in front of the camera as the film's star. – Yahoo

Dominant Social Theme: This movie is just the best – and most realistic.

Free-Market Analysis: A new movie has been launched called "Argo" that purports to tell the story of a CIA-inspired rescue of some Canadians in Iran right after the revolution.

It is a true story but the larger context is questionable. The whole war on terror, as many in the alternative media have reported, is questionable.

It is a true story but the larger context is questionable. The whole war on terror, as many in the alternative media have reported, is questionable.

We've often reported on the death of Osama bin Laden and how it probably happened in the early 2000s. You can see some of our articles here.

Osama bin Laden is Dead Again?

Steven Speilberg to Make Phony Movie of Fake Osama Death Book?

Now the Real Killing of bin Laden is Revealed?

But there is also considerable evidence that the State Department and Western Intel have helped whip up the war on terror, and even the Iranian Revolution itself. This doesn't get mentioned at all in the fulsome reviews surrounding this latest movie.

Here's a synopsis from Wikipedia:

Argo is a 2012 American political thriller film directed by Ben Affleck based loosely on a true story. The film is based on Tony Mendez's account of the rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Tehran, Iran during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis. The film stars Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin and John Goodman. The film is scheduled to be released in the United States on October 12, 2012.

In 1979, during the Iranian Revolution, Islamic militants take over the U.S. embassy in Tehran and hold 52 Americans hostage. Six other Americans escape and hide in the Canadian ambassador's home. The Central Intelligence Agency and its specialist Tony Mendez put together a plan to help the six Americans escape Iran.

Argo is based on the Canadian Caper that took place during the Iran hostage crisis in 1979 and 1980. The film is directed by Ben Affleck. Chris Terrio wrote the screenplay based on the 2007 Wired article "How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran" by Joshuah Bearman.

Producers George Clooney, Grant Heslov and David Klawans set up a project based on the article in the same year, and Affleck's attachment to the project was announced in February 2011. In the following June, Alan Arkin was the first person cast in the film. After the rest of the roles were cast, filming began in Los Angeles, California in August of 2011. Additional filming also took place in Washington, DC and Istanbul.

"Argo" has received positive reviews from film critics. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 94% of critics gave the film positive reviews based on a sample of 16, with an average score of 8.1 out of 10. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film has received an average score of 75 based on 7 reviews.

It is nice that "Argo" has received so many glowing reviews but it is also discouraging. The "rescue" may have been real but it has been taken out of context. There are much larger questions swirling around the entire Middle East controversy.

Here's some of what we wrote in an article earlier this year: "Western Elites Caught 'Red-Handed' in Iran?"

… We've pointed out many times now that we believe much of what passes for the Western historical narrative – especially over the past few hundred years – is what we call "directed history." That is, the power elite that today seeks to run the world has been creating economic, political and military incidents that it then enshrines as "accidents of history."

But they are not accidents of history. They are seemingly deliberately planned provocations that result, almost always, in increased globalization. It is the Internet that shows us this fearful pattern and seemingly reveals to us the irrevocable and breathtaking influence of Money Power …

"I know history will be kind to me," Winston Churchill reportedly said, "because I intend to write it." This phrase, apocryphal or not, is good for a chuckle but history, it turns out, is far more serious. The wars of the 20th century alone provide us with a toll of horror that is difficult to imagine. The number of people killed – fairly directly – by the state in the 20th century is in the area of 150 million, apparently.

… Once one knows what patterns to note, even mainstream events, properly reported, can prove useful. This is another complication for those attempting to control the 'Net's newsflow. The incredible aggregation it offers is nearly as important as the alternative points of view.

A February 2012 article by alternative media sleuth Samam Mohammadi posted at Infowars provided us with information about the REALITY of the Middle East situation within the context of Western control. He basically laid out a case that Iran is a phony US enemy and that the Iranian Revolution was actually Western-inspired. Here's an excerpt:

Francisco Gil-White's series of investigative articles at his website, "Historical and Investigative Research" goes into great detail about the complicated relationship between the Anglo-American shadow ruling elite and the Iranian mullahs. His investigations feature many links to news articles and other historical material that prove his thesis that "US policy towards Iran has been pro-Islamist since 1979, and that the Islamist Iranian mullahs have been US assets from the start," (The Big Picture: US policy towards Iran in the broadest historical perspective, January 5, 2006).

In "The Big Picture," article, Gil-White writes that "the basic structure of the relationship between the US and Iran did not change in 1979, with the exception that the puppet government in Iran, since 1979, has pretended in public to be an enemy of the US ruling elite."

According to this narrative, the Iranian mullahs were hand-picked in the late 1970s to rule over a government that is still in a colonial relationship with America and Britain. The research done by Iranian political dissident Fara Mansoor, which I have highlighted before, backs up this narrative.

Among the many positive reviews, Yahoo's concludes as follows:

Working with a top-notch production team, including cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto and composer Alexandre Desplat, Affleck creates a vivid '70s vibe while moving fluidly between these intersecting storylines. While steeped in the trends and filmmaking style of the decade, "Argo" still feels immediate and relevant. Affleck's best film yet is also one of the best films of the year.

It is one of the best films of the year only if one can ignore the larger questions swirling about the Middle East and the "War on Terror." This episode itself may be truthful but the larger truth about the CIA's role in the Middle East rigorously avoids scrutiny.