Review of Thirteen Days (2000) by Student A — 18 Feb 2013

As a history student, I was intrigued at what this movie, concerning the Cuban Missile Crisis I am currently studying, had to say and depict about the events. Was it an accurate film? Was the tension felt? Were the politics good? After watching all 2 hours of it, I have reached a primary conclusion; that the facts are good and the actions are accurate.

Historically, all the characters (which they did well to introduce by adding their titles and positions) are present and despite the dramatizations (it is still Hollywood in the end), were representations of the real people behind the crisis. As for the blockade, they showed how it wasn't the first choice, and how they tried to distinguish the differences between a blockade (which is an act of war) and a 'quarantine', which they were trying to do. The other options (an air strike, etc.) were present, along with EXCOMM, the council brought together for the weeks. Robert Kennedy played the big part he did, and even the UN emergency meeting brought out the pictures the U2 planes took of Cuba (even the U2 plane being shot down was accurate). So all in all, good for history fans!

As for the cinematic experience, I was expecting a dry thriller - I mean, the topic itself isn't too action drenched, but I found myself on edge for the majority of the film! The music was on target and I loved the black and white effects of some scenes - they certainly added severity and the realism of the situation! How they included the scenes that became famous photographs is a nice touch and all through the eye of a family man (which helps us understand how much is on the line), of one's involvement I didn't even know of! A great movie overall!