Betrayed
DVD cover
Directed by	Costa Gavras
Produced by	Irwin Winkler
Written by	Joe Eszterhas
Starring	Tom Berenger Debra Winger John Heard John Mahoney Betsy Blair Ted Levine
Music by	Bill Conti
Distributed by	United Artists/MGM
Released	26 August 1988
Running time	127 min.
Language	English

Betrayed is a 1988 film directed by Costa Gavras, written by Joe Eszterhas and starring Tom Berenger and Debra Winger. Image File history File links Betrayed. ... Constantinos Gavras (born February 12, 1933, Loutra-Iraias, Greece), better known as Costa-Gavras, is a Greek-French filmmaker best known for films with overt political themes. ... Irwin Winkler is an American film producer and director. ... Josef Eszterhas (born November 23, 1944 in Csakanydoroszlo, Hungary) is a controversial Hungarian-American screenwriter best known for his work on the films Basic Instinct and Showgirls. ... Tom Berenger starring as Sgt. ... Debra Winger (born May 16, 1955) is an American actress. ... John Heard John Heard (born March 7, 1945 in Washington, DC, USA) is an American actor. ... John Mahoney John Mahoney (born June 20, 1940) is an English-born American actor best known for playing Martin Crane (Marty) in the popular TV show Frasier, as Kelsey Grammers character Dr. Frasier Cranes retired policeman father. ... Betsy Blair (December 11, 1923 is an Oscar-nominated American character actress. ... Ted Levine as Buffalo Bill. ... Bill Conti (born April 13, 1943 in Providence, Rhode Island) is a film musical director. ... The current United Artists logo (a variant was used during the 1980s). ... MGM logo Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer or MGM, is a large media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of cinema and television programs. ... August 26 is the 238th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (239th in leap years). ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Constantinos Gavras (born February 12, 1933, Loutra-Iraias, Greece), better known as Costa-Gavras, is a Greek-French filmmaker best known for films with overt political themes. ... Josef Eszterhas (born November 23, 1944 in Csakanydoroszlo, Hungary) is a controversial Hungarian-American screenwriter best known for his work on the films Basic Instinct and Showgirls. ... Tom Berenger starring as Sgt. ... Debra Winger (born May 16, 1955) is an American actress. ...

Plot summary

Set in the American Midwest, the film begins with the murder of a Jewish radio host in Chicago. FBI undercover agent Catherine Weaver (Winger), alias Katie Phillips, sets out to infiltrate a farming community, suspected of harbouring those responsible. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a Federal police force which is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ...

After receiving a warm welcome from land-owner and farmer Gary Simmons (Berenger), his two children and extended family, she begins to believe that the FBI lead is erroneous. Throwing caution to the wind, she moves in and falls in love with Simmons, a Vietnam War veteran who appears to command the respect of the local community. A short while later, her suspicions are aroused by talk of family secrets and as more chilling events unfold, Katie is exposed to the fact that Gary is the leader of a Klan-like white supremacy group involved in heinous, often gut-wrenching, acts of racial violence. Combatants Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) United States of America South Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand the Philippines Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) Strength ~1,200,000 (1968) ~420,000 (1968) Casualties South Vietnamese dead: 230,000 South Vietnamese wounded: 300,000 US dead... Members of the second Ku Klux Klan at a rally during the 1920s. ...

In too deep, Katie pleads with boss and mentor Michael Carnes (John Heard) to release her from the assignment, but he refuses, instead turning the screw on her mixed loyalties. Ultimately, she must betray either the man she loves or the country she has sworn to protect.

The film's beginning is loosely based on the 1984 murder of Denver DJ Alan Berg, who was murdered by white supremacists known as The Order. This is also the theme of the Oliver Stone movie Talk Radio. Alan Berg was a liberal Jewish talk radio host in Denver, Colorado, who broadcast his program on KOA 850 AM. The stations powerful signal allowed listeners in over thirty states of the United States to hear Bergs opinions on gun control, homosexuality, religion, and other controversial topics. ... The Order (a. ... Oliver Stone William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946), known simply as Oliver Stone, is an Academy Award-winning American film director and screenwriter. ... Talk radio is a radio format which features discussion of topical issues. ...

Reviews

The majority of independent reviewers found the storyline both compelling and powerful. Certainly, the scenes of racial violence are amongst the most hard-hitting and coldly calculated anywhere. The performances of the main actors were universally applauded, particularly Winger, who needed to convey complex and mixed emotions throughout. Critics of the film point to a muddled and sometimes unbelievable unravelling of the plot.

External links

• Betrayed at the Internet Movie Database