Tree
We have chosen a tree as a symbol of connectedness and connectivity.
The public is shown in the crown.
The trunk personates the Team of Brean, Motss and Ames.
The roots show the Army, the merchandise and Schuman.
The whole story of the Albania war is build on the lies of the team, so they are the “massive trunks” in Wag the Dog.
To get the story realistic they needed the merchandise and the Army and the Schuman-Story, which were parts of the merchandise.
So they get their essential things from the roots like a tree his water.
The public is shown in the crown because they are dependent on what the team tells them and they “grow up” with fakes and lies in the media, like leaves grow in the crown actually.
Our tree shows the media in a very negative way.
That’s the fact why the tree has no leaves and seems to be dead: He is putrid by the bad influence from the lies.
Another point is that the public does not notice that the team tells them lies, because all information which get to the public first come “through” the team and become checked.
The puclic cannot see what happens under the ground at the “roots”.
William Schuman
He is the hero of the Albania war of “Act Two”, how Motss calls the situation after the CIA abandons the war.
It is said that Schuman would be a soldier from the Group 303 who is left behind the Canadien border.
For this hero even a new song is written about a good old shoe, which was allegedly published in the 1930er for getting a better “hymn-feeling”.
This song was chosen because Motss and his team which has formed around him have given Schuman the nickname “Old Shoe”.
To boost the Schuman-Story Brean and Motss through old shoes in trees one evening and they cheer a boy on to follow suit.
In reality Schuman is just a psycho convict who raped a nun and who relies on strong pills to control himself.
But Motss thinks that it would be good when the hero who was left behind looks a bit battered after that exertion.
At the end Schuman dies while trying to rape a woman:
Her husband comes and shots him dead.
“Change the story, change the lead”
What does the motto mean?
I think this motto can be understood in different ways.
To change the story, for example from the sex scandal to the Albania war, can change the “leading information” in the news.
When Brean changes the most important story about the president, the headlines of the newspapers, the ones who “lead” the reader’s interest, also change.
Another option would be the persons who stand behind the stories:
At first the president was the leader of the media with his sex scandale.
Then Brean was the one with his faked illness for the president and the beginning of the war.
Following Motss was a kind of leader with his film about the war.
At one moment it seems like the CIA would be the leader: when they change the story in that way that the war is over.
As last option I see that the president as leader changes by changing the stories about him.
At the beginning of the film he was just the man who has a sexual affair with a Firefly-Girl.
After Brean’s changing the story the president seems to be a man who cares about his country and who deserves to be re-elected
Themes: the title
It is clear in the film who is wagging the dog; however, who is the dog being wagged? Who is the target of the political and media manipulation orchestrated by Conrad, Winnie and Stanley?
No, I do not think that it is clear who is wagging the dog at the beginning.
It is said that if the tail would be smarter than the dog, the tail would wag the dog.
In my opinion there are some moments where you could might think that there are people who are smarter than the Three.
For example: When the CIA notices that there is no war in Albania and they interrogate Brean and Ames the viewer thinks that is the end for them or when the CIA “abandons” later on the war.
In this situation the CIA seems to be smarter than Brean and Ames.
Another example: When the woman from the news notices that it is a kind of weird that the president has the flu, a war
in Albania etc happens in such a short time – and just a few days before re-election.
The viewer fears that the public notices the fake war – the one who should be manipulated by Brean, Ames and Motss.
The public votes in a few days for their new president who has a little affair with a Firefly-Girl.
To be elected again, the spin doctor Brean has to give another “scandal” to the media – the war in Albania.
So the media and the public concentrate on the war and no longer on the sex scandal now.
Brean achieves his aim: The public does not talk about the sex scandal from the president – so he’s becoming elected again probably.
the film about the Albania war
Why this person?
- she seems naturally and like an Albanian girl
- she looks pale and poor [perfect to personate a raped girl]
- she is a young actress
Why this appearance, posture?
- she is running and saving her kitten -> dramatic atmosphere
- she is holding her head down -> afraid of bombs
Why the Anne Frank sirens?
- people connact cruel things with the sirens
- to create a dramatic situation
Why this colour [kitten]?
- white – seems to be innocent and peaceful
- consequential: the public should have pity on her
Quotations
On the backdrop of the video clip you just saw, please explain the following quotes.
“You want me to produce a war?” Not a war, its a pageant. [...] It’s like the Oscars.”
Motss asks Brean if he wants him to produce a war when he is told about the fake Albania war.
Motss accents the word “produce” because it seems to be very weird and confusing to him.
Brean euphemises the fake war by telling Motss that it would not be really a war – more like a pageant.
Besides, Brean compares the produced war with the Oscars – maybe to pique Motss’ interest
“They want to destroy our way of life. [...] We just found out we have the bomb. [...] It’s a suitcase bomb…”
This quotation is a part of Brean’s and Motss’ fake Albania war.
To become more realistic they need as many as possible details why there should be a war.
A suitcase bomb – it is the faked reason to wage the war for Brean and Motss.
Albanian terrorists had left the bomb in Canada to get in the USA for more attacks.
That is the story.
“When it’s cooking, it’s cooking.”
Motss says that when he gets his “brilliant” ideas for the war.
It could mean when it is cooking, then it keeps on cooking.
So the team has just to start the war and when the public believes them as a start – it will be go on all by itself.
Viewing log
| Scene # | Content | Comment | |
| 1 Expression Wag the Dog (00-00:43) | “Why does the dog wag its tail? Because it`s smarter than the tail. If the tail wagged the dog, it would mean that the tail would be smarter than the dog.” |
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| 2 Commercial (0:44-1:11) | Two jockeys exchanging their ideas that it`s not wise to “change horses in midstream” thereby supporting the idea of re-electing the current president. |
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| 3 Mr Fix It (01:12-8:36) | The assistant of the White House, Ames, calls Mr.Brean “Mr Fix it” when he comes to help them. |
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| 4 Landing in Chicago (08:37-11:06) | Brean and Ames land in Chicage because they are searching the producer for their war. They also talk about if the Albania war could be blown as a fake – Ames is afraid. But Brea asks her “who should know?” |
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| 5 Meeting a Hollywood Producer (11:07-17:13) | Brean tells Motss about the fake war. At first Motss seems to be confused by hearing to produce a war – but then he’s in it. |
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| 6 Working on the war with Albania (17:14-21:16) | The Team searched a state which is almost unknown by the public and about which the less care about. |
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| 7 Think tank (21:17-21:16) | Motss and his team think about how they could produce the war in the best believable way. |
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| 8 The War starts (27:51: 35:01) | They start to produce the war by filming a scene from the war in Albania in a blue box. In this scene a raped girl is fleeing from terrorists and bombs. In the evening the film is published in the news. |
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| 9-10 The strategy worked (35:02- 43:11) | The public and the media believes that in Albania would be a war. |
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| 11 CIA interferes /Neall “ends” the war (43:12-48:11) | The CIA knows that there is no war in Albania, so they “catch” Ames and Brean and tell them about what they know. It starts an impressing conversation between Brean and the CIA-agent. |
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Film Poster
Compare the three different film poster.
The main colour is yellow and the names of the main characters are written above the image.
The viewer can read the title under the flag: Wag the Dog.
On the smaller white background the American flag is shown.
The flag is made of a kind of film reels which roll from the top to the bottom of the poster.
The two main characters, Brean and Motss, are in the viewer’s focus and their names are written above them.
A scene is shown in which both drink a coffee or tee, smile and it looks like they would toast to something.
The colous of the poster are the ones from the Amerian flag [Wag in red, Dog in blue, the rest in white].
It is also shown a film reel.
Like on the second poster, Brean and Motss as main characters are in the focus with their names above them.
Again, we find the colours of the American flag in the title of the film and the rest of the poster [like on the second one].
But this time, the posture of them is different to the first one:
Motss spreads his arms like he has one of his brilliant ideas for the war again and Brean stands behind him and seems to think about the whole story or maybe just about the next step.
It is also shown a film reels like in the one before.
~ ~ ~
If I had do pick the best poster, I would chose the first one.
Apart from the fact that to show just the main characters are too simpel for me, I really like the idea with the American flag which is formed by film reels.
No one can know if the whole American history is true or if it is all just fake in the form of a film like in Wag the Dog or something similiar.
So I think, that the poster awakens interest because it does not show too much and with its brightning colours it also appears very interesting.
Characterisation of Brean and Motss
BREAN
masterful – professional – self-confident – shady – influential –
educated – creative – energetic – cool – famous
MOTSS
enthusiastic – professional – self-confident – crazy – shady –
fashion victim – talkative – educated – helpful – creative –
energetic – attention seeker – famous – rich – stylish – trendy –
celebrity – leading – a life in luxury
first scene of WtD
1.The scene starts out with a close-up shot on a fridge / freezer / ironing board / vacuum cleaner (Hoover).
2. The action is set in the basement of the White House / of 10 Downing Street / at a PR agency .
3. Prior to entering the White House Brean has to say hello to the president / have tea with the first lady / pass the security check / have his eye-sight checked.
4. The Firefly girl story will be published on TWITTER right away / in the Washington Post on the next day / in the New York Times in 11 days / on the CNN evening news.
5. The president is currently in Indonesia / Japan / China / Malaysia because of trade relations / disarmament / charity organizations he is in charge of / environmental issues.
6. In Brean`s opinion the president shouldn’t come back that day because the trip is too strenuous / he should not face the American public at that point of time / his wife wants a divorce and welcomes her husband staying abroad for as long as possible.
7. At the meeting Brean makes sure that nobody reveals any secret information by saying “If it gets out, I`ll hurt you.” / If it gets out, the President will be very sad.” / “If it gets out, you leaked it.” / “If it gets out, the CIA will be after you and your family.”
8. Brean’s plan involves an imaginary B3 missile / tank / bomber / supercar.
9. Brean seems to be an honest person / a ruthless person / a shy person / an amiable person.
10. The rest of the team listen but also question many of Brean’s points / listen attentively and do what the are told / listen and comply with some of Brean’s suggestions / are against all of Brean’s suggestions.
