  |
||||||
|
|
There is a LOT of movies coming out recently that deal with secrecy within the military or some shadow Government agency. Most of these movies have been conspiratorial in nature and themed thus: General Officer/Government Scientist experiments on good people for bad ends with or without permission of his higher ups. Alternatively, experiment fails, and hero is sent in to fix the problem, kill the monster, etc. The new X - FILES movie is along this vein.
Now, all of these themes make for entertaining movies; but hardly real life. In reality, most secrets are mundane things. The military seemingly collects tidbits of information for no apparent reason. By themselves, the tidbits mean nothing. However, these tidbits can be strung together to make patterns and create a truth, or at least an illusion of truth. Why do I mention all this? I have always been amused by movies that show the hero finding that one piece of information that is the Rosetta Stone for all the truth surrounding his actions. For all you story tellers, it is NOT one piece of information, but a myriad of different information elements that make a truth. In other words, in the midst of all the background noise the truth can be heard from many elements; not just one. Ultimately, the storyteller will write a screenplay that reflects their knowledge and experiences regarding the military. There are several US Government agencies involved in the act of intelligence gathering. The most prominent of these is, of course, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The CIA is restricted by law to activities outside the US. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is authorized to gather intelligence on you and I. Several other agencies that are lesser known, but equally prominent in the intelligence field are the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Defense Mapping Agency (DMA). The NSA operates large (football field size) antennas throughout the world gathering electronic intelligence (ELINT). The DMA gathers photoimaging data from our satellites that orbit all over the world. Note: The picture is the emblem of the British Army, Special Air Service. While the U.S. Army Special Forces get a lot of press, it was this unit with their long range recon patrols during WWII that started the ball rolling.
Go To Page: 1
The copyright of the article Secrecy, the Military, and the Movies in Military Movies is owned by . Permission to republish Secrecy, the Military, and the Movies in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|||||
|
|
||||||
