Missing Poster

Missing (1982)

Biography | History | Thriller
Rayting:   7.8/10 18.7K votes
Country: USA
Language: English | Spanish
Release date: 27 May 1982

When an idealistic American writer disappears during the Chilean coup d'état in September 1973, his wife and father try to find him.

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Pelrad 13 March 1999

Jack Lemmon, renowned up until this movie, for his comedic roles takes a very serious dramatic turn and proves that he can knock the wind out of those who like stellar performances. This political thriller involves a young American writer who goes missing in a Latin American country that is headed by a military-style government who like to execute people for the simplest things. His wife (Sissy Spacek) is joined by his father (Lemmon) who flies down from the States and they begin looking for him only to find that the American consulate is being very uncooperative and has its hands tied in politics and red tape. An excellent score by the master of New Age electronica - Vangelis ("Blade Runner", "Chariots of Fire") accents this historical film based on actual shattering events. (10 out of 10)

Nolf_ 2 August 2003

Fmovies: A terrific and brutal political thriller. It's supposed to shake you up and it really succeeds. It's a shame that they don't make films like this anymore. Costa-Gavras's "Missing" is emotionally riveting and thought provoking. For it's time, it still has the power to change the views of todays movie viewers. A must see. 5/5.

claudio_carvalho 30 October 2012

In September1973, in Chile, the American journalist Charles Horman (John Shea) arrives in Santiago with his friend Terry Simon (Melanie Mayron) to meet his wife Beth (Sissy Spacek) and bring her back to New York with him. However, they are surprised by the military coup d'état sponsored by the US Government to replace President Salvador Allende and Charles is arrested by the military force.

His father Ed Horman (Jack Lemmon), a conservative businessman from New York, arrives in Chile to seek out his missing son with Beth. He goes to the American Consulate to meet the Consul that promises the best efforts to find Charles while the skeptical Beth does not trust on the word of the American authorities. The nationalism and confidence of Ed in his government changes when he finds the truth about what happened with his beloved son.

"Missing" is one of the most powerful and sharp films of the cinema history and a must-see for people of my generation, raised in military dictatorships in South America sponsored and trained by the US Government. After more than thirty years from the first time I saw it, "Missing" is still impressive, with top-notch performance of Jack Lemmon. The first work by Costa Gravas in the American cinema could not be better, exposing the hidden wounds about the participation of the American government in Chile bloodshed.

Unfortunately and surprisingly this film has only been released on VHS many years ago in Brazil and I had to buy an imported DVD to change the media. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "Desaparecido" ("Missing")

jjj522002 23 December 2003

Missing fmovies. Though I was 30 yrs old when the film came out in 1982 I didn't see it at the time although I was aware of its content. And, as is true of a lot of people my age (tho not all, of course), I toyed with liberal political beliefs when I was younger (1960's and 1970's), then gradually became more moderate bordering on conservative as I got older, onto where now I personally am not too sure where to stand. Well, I just saw 'Missing' for the 1st time. It brings back all my previous leftist 'paranoia' about capitalism and national interests. And causes me to wonder why I ever abandoned them. After the movie, I cruised certain sites on the Internet, one being a series of articles referenced in the misc. section under this movie on IMDb. They chillingly re-enforced the truth (?) that at the highest levels of our government there was complicity, even outright orders, to kill thousands, including American citizens, in the interest of capitalism, national interests and (so-called) 'national security'. I am sorry to say (sorry in the sense that with my limited personal intelligence, I am never completely sure if I am right and sorry to doubt my own government) that I am starting agree with some others, that our foreign policy has, is and probably will be be based, to the detriment of our national security, on the almighty dollar. I'm also sorry for the political comments on a movie site but, of course, the nature of "Missing" brought this on, and its very well directed, written and acted scenes. Please don't question things I have said unless you have seen the movie and read some of the articles. 10/10 ***new addition*** And I completely, of course, agree with lev_lafayette. Read the book, it is much better. I have read the book, 'Missing'. And as with most movies based on books, especially 'non-fiction' books, the content in the book is more detailed and hits you closer to the bone, heart, mind and conscience in many ways than the movie. And that is hard to believe in this case because Constantin Costa-Gavras (director) managed to create a movie experience that is nearly as moving as the work it was based upon. It was/is a great movie experience....sir. Thank you, CC-G. For those of you out there who have an easy criticism (one I agree with) now of the US (MY country and I care about it) because of Iraq, you need to watch this film or read the book. What can go wrong is deep seated (human instincts) and hard to root out. It can happen to you and your country and government. We are all human and capable of desire, greed and religious beliefs overruling true morality and an open mind and heart. Please, all of you, keep things in perspective. Fight for the right of anyone to truly express their opinion without fear of repercussions and fight for the rights of all peoples. Especially against government repression and government crimes against humanity. Bless your soul, Charles Horman, and Thomas Hauser, the author of The Execution of Charles Horman: An American Sacrifice (1978). Curse your souls, all those who contributed toward Mr. Horman's death. Including my president and his advisers. nuffsaid newest revision: I humbly present that I am surprised and encouraged by the attention to this review, both in favor and not. Thanks...Jeff Johns, now 63 yrs old. (502)600-6111, jjj522002@yahoo.com, 130 Canterbury Street, Lawrenceburg, KY. This newest revision was added in spirit with Paris, France, Nov. 2015 (and in some understanding of the conflict)

Ucurian 10 June 2002

I was 17 when I first saw the film in 1982 and I can say, that it changed my life. Up to that I believe in my own government an I believe in the US, as a strong friend of all democratic countries. After this film I'd never take the things for real. I questioned everything and this is good. Use your mind, try to get informations from all sides. I think Chile is one reason, that the US doesn't sign the treaty for the international court, because guys like Kissinger had to be scared, that he has to take responsability for Chile and Vietnam. Everything was said of the great performance of the actors in this film. This is the best political thriller ever made.

EUyeshima 19 October 2006

Accomplished Greek-French filmmaker Costa-Gavras has a compelling way of bringing the emotional resonance out of stories with overtly political themes. He hits the mail on the head with this searing indictment of American involvement in the 1973 military coup that ejected Allende from power in Chile. Facts are not discretely presented, even the country in which the story takes place is not disclosed (except for specific references to the cities of Santiago and Vina Del Mar). Yet, Costa-Gavras creates an atmosphere of palpable tension that doesn't let up in this 1982 film, and the unraveling mystery at the heart of the movie echoes the unsettling political situation surrounding the characters.

Adapted by Costa-Gavras and Donald Stewart from Thomas Hauser's non-fiction book documenting the true case, the plot focuses on American expatriate Charles Horman whose sudden disappearance in the days after the Pinochet coup brings together two familial adversaries, his wife Beth and his father Ed, who has flown in from New York. Charles and Beth had been leading a vagabond existence with his work in children's animation and their relatively passive support of Allende's reform measures. Charles' back story is revealed in carefully constructed flashback episodes that show him to be curious about the presence of U.S. military personnel in the area. Once he disappears, Ed and Beth seek help from the U.S. Consulate but face a seemingly insurmountable wall of bureaucracy. Frustrated, Ed, a highly conservative Christian Scientist, lashes out at Beth for what he considers her undesirable influence over his son. However, as they absorb the scope of the violence and the culpability of the U.S. government, they bond intractably toward their objective of finding Charles.

For once, Jack Lemmon, unafraid to convey his character's prejudices, is able to use his neurotically coiled energy in a suitable dramatic role as Ed. The result is a startlingly raw performance that ranks among his best. Sissy Spacek is terrific as Beth, though her character does not experience as big an arc of self-revelation. In the elliptical flashback role of Charles, John Shea provides solid support, as do Janice Rule as a political activist and a number of familiar TV faces - Melanie Mayron as friend Terry and David Clennon as U.S. consul Phil Putnam, both from "thirtysomething", and Joe Regalbuto, Frank from "Murphy Brown", playing another Frank, a possible victim of the coup. There are unfortunately no extras with the 2004 DVD.

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