Booze, cigarettes & porno - excellent bartering tools in the 3rd world. Once that underpaid customs officer or border guard has gotten his hands on some rare American treats, he no longer cares to go looking for the AKs in the trunk or the kilo of heroin in your underwear. In this scene, I originally heard the officer say "Do you have a drinking permit?" (instead of "drinking problem") which is precisely the way a customs official would ask for a bribe without being too obvious. I've also heard "special liquor tax" or "special tobacco tax", which literally means "Give me half or I'll take 100% of it."
This scene is beautiful because of it's lack of words. In lack of better terms, this is a bribe. Walken's character brought all of that to get past customs. The drinks, the magazine, the smokes and the money (multiple currencies to make sure the customs official could pick and choose). A gentle dance of bribery where the customs official thought he was getting a good deal but Walkens has plenty more up his sleeve. It was the real price of addition into the country.
Seen and agreed. This is a good example of why every African state is a failed state . The corruption is rife in all sectors . Regimes change as often as underwear , followed by civil wars , civil unrests and of course hunger and if that is not enough tribal disputes with genocide thrown in for good measure .
I’ve tried to bribe a customs officer in Zimbabwe airport in the 1980’s by offering him 3 bottles of Heineken beer. They put me in jail. Next morning the customs officer came to me in my cell. I asked him why they’ve put me in jail for 24 hrs. The officer said, with that wonderfull African accent: “do you really believe that you can bribe me with 3 bottles of piss?’ I said I’m sorry but couldn’t find any other brand, the shelfs in the shop were all empty. The officer answerd: “Whe are no longer a third world country. We have come up in the world. Next time bring four bottles.” And I was free to go... True story.
Very good movie, I saw it at the cinema when it first came out, based on a novel by Frederick Forsyth....there are many great scenes like this one, Walken's character is a mercenary and of course he is on a reconnaissance mission for a planned coup which he has been commissioned to carry out.....needless to say things don't quite go to plan while he is undercover, this scene of his arrival is quite important not only in showing the corruption and lawlessness of the country he has entered it also demonstrates that he is not really in control of anything and is a taste of what is to come, lets just say things go from bad to worse....I would highly recommend the movie , it is quite harrowing in places but riveting too and very watchable.
“Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?”― Tennessee Williams
Even though most of "The Dogs of War" is pretty mediocre, I've always loved this scene a lot. Olu Jacobs and Christopher Walken both do an incredible amount of subtle acting here. Jacobs' character knows full well that Walken's character is full of shit, but instead of calling him out, he takes advantage of him instead, blatantly robbing him while he's forced to watch. The whole scene plays out so simply, yet also so perfectly, and I love the foley sounds, they're especially good in this scene for some reason. Either way, one of my favourite little moments in cinema.
I loved the book. Listening to it now on Audible. The Day of the Jackal and The Odessa File were such good movies I had high hopes for this one which were dashed, despite the presence of Walken.
Welcome to Zangaro! I thought their were a drinking problem with the water. There is-one for you and one for me. Only corrupted nations can become prey.
It's always been a part of the mosaic of African life. Here it goes...well before European colonization, African tribes exploited one another, including using captives as slaves. When Europeans arrived for the slave trade, it was merely a matter of different players in a centuries old game.
Ukraine 2017 for me. We're musicians they tried to confiscate our instruments, combined value 25000usd. Only stopped when they realized they qould have to beat us and throw us in jail. Still love the place though. Haha
I used to work with some aircraft engineers who were in Africa in the 1970s when my airline leased aircraft. They had some great stories from that tie.
@@twt000 You mean an Indonesian airport is better than the whole country of the USA? This is indeed impressive. Do all Indonesians live at such wealthy airports?
@mdo686 The answer is $14.5 trillion that means that’s the equivalent of every single adult in the country owing $150,000. And you’re trying to tell me that the government doesn’t take too much?
@mdo686 What you're trying to say is that banks prey on people. That $14.5 trillion is total debt mortgage, student loans, CC, etc. You also must understand that banks don't loan money they have. When they make a loan or a CC purchase is made that money materializes out of thin air.
Most Americans and western Europeans seem shocked by this. But graft is the way business is done in Mexico and most all points south of the Rio Grande.
@@bdinaz Then again look at Washington DC, Congress people show up with nothing and leaving damn near billionaires..... should be changed to the District of Corruption.
@@darkstormy1545 Totally agree. The political class in the US needs to be removed and replaced by non-professional politicians. But at the local level graft in the US is damn near non existent. It is practically unthinkable that a local policeman would brazenly exchange favors for a payoff. It is not part of the culture like it is in points south.
Strange thing is if you laugh about it like a friend of mine did you can sometimes get away with a lot more. I had a friend hide 50 dollars USA in his sock who went back and gave it to the guy on the customs because he felt bad he missed it, he ended up dating the security guards sisters!
Well, he knows the score and will come back and kill everybody in sight! God, I was 25 in 1980 and was in my third year flying canceled checks in a Cessna 310 Q. I really Sharpe on instrument flying then. I didn't even have my ATP then, I took that check ride in '81. Good movie. More Cowbell!
In the early 80s, I was in the first half of my 20s and working in the Middle East. I've memories of a few very similar experiences with customs officials. 😊
Many citizens from countries where corruption is rife complain "ooooh my country is soooo poor, there is sooo much corruption boo hoo" (yes Brazilians I am thinking about you especially). HOWEVER..... later in the conversation, they will always laugh abut how it is possible to bribe people to get what they want and they always tell this version PROUDLY as if it is a great achievement without realising that they are the reason corruption continues in their country. Try this little experiment: the next time someone is complaining about 'the terrible corruption in their country', tell them that you just got points on your licence because of speeding and then wait for them to tell you about how they/their dad/their best friend always gets caught and just pays the police officer etc...
I once found myself in Gabon. I was there in advance of the arrival of a VERY wealthy U.S. gentleman who had a desire to see some gorillas in the wild. MY job was to ensure his smooth arrival, visit, and departure. Let's just say there were similarities to this scene. 😉
i read a along detailed article which gives evidence that le carre based the book on a real event with one excepetion it got as far as the boat trip but fell through. but upto that point the book was so detailed and knowlagable and matched this reall failed coup attemp by merceneries
There is a part where they are toasting "Everybody goes home." the French guy says something in French. "Vevla Vo, Vevla gell Vevla someting seconel" Or something to that effect. Can anybody translate?
he repeats the french motto, "vive la mort, vive la guerre, vive le sacre mercenaire" (long live death, long live war, long live the sacred mercenary) altered version of French Foreign Legion's toast, vive la mort, vive la guerre, vive la legion etrangere.
I went through Ukraine-Moldova border May, 2023 during the war and Ukrainian border agents search my luggages like I was a smuggler until they saw my Olympic medal then they said "Good" and let me go. Maybe I will stick a $100 bill next time.
That's obvious. But by acknowledging the issue, the customs agent admits to it as well as trying to minimize the impact of bad water to him and his own. He knows he's a thief, but that's the country he lives in.
