New Movie: The Catcher Was a Spy

frankbmd · #1 05-12-2018, 07:44 AM

One mo' Berg

joshuanip · #2 05-12-2018, 02:14 PM

Cool topical podcast on moe

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/...=1000347711326

Jason19th · #3 05-12-2018, 04:56 PM

If you give the book a close read it seems like there are a lot of questions as to what Berg really did and what the folklore is. For example there is a story that he basically picked up a few books on the boat ride to Japan and managed to be conversational by the time the boat docked. The book however suggests that in reality Berg could only say a few common phrases in Japanese. The book also hints towards some possible mental health issues that Moe may have had. I wonder to what extent the movie will deal with the less heroic possibilities

JollyElm · #4 05-12-2018, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason19th

If you give the book a close read it seems like there are a lot of questions as to what Berg really did and what the folklore is. For example there is a story that he basically picked up a few books on the boat ride to Japan and managed to be conversational by the time the boat docked. The book however suggests that in reality Berg could only say a few common phrases in Japanese. The book also hints towards some possible mental health issues that Moe may have had. I wonder to what extent the movie will deal with the less heroic possibilities

Yes, you said it. I read the book a couple of months ago and it painted a picture of a (very?) intelligent guy, but most, if not all, of the spy stuff seemed anecdotal at best. Over and over again the author asserted that no one really knew what he was up to at any given time, so I came to the conclusion that his spycraft was possibly more incidental than anything else. Perhaps I am 'misremembering,' but when he made films of Tokyo during the baseball tour there, for instance, he wasn't sent to do that, right? Wasn't it years later, after Pearl Harbor, when he said something to the effect of, "Wait, I have some films from years ago showing the landscape of Tokyo that our guys might be able to use."???

frankbmd · #5 05-12-2018, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JollyElm

Yes, you said it. I read the book a couple of months ago and it painted a picture of a (very?) intelligent guy, but most, if not all, of the spy stuff seemed anecdotal at best. Over and over again the author asserted that no one really knew what he was up to at any given time, so I came to the conclusion that his spycraft was possibly more incidental than anything else. Perhaps I am 'misremembering,' but when he made films of Tokyo during the baseball tour there, for instance, he wasn't sent to do that, right? Wasn't it years later, after Pearl Harbor, when he said something to the effect of, "Wait, I have some films from years ago showing the landscape of Tokyo that our guys might be able to use."???

The Tourist Was A Spy

History majors who use cinema as source material for their theses are _________.

To describe Berg as enigmatic is perhaps an understatement based on the book.

Will his portrayal in the film be accurate? Hardly, but most who see the film will not have read the book or care.

conor912 · #6 07-26-2018, 12:30 AM

Got around to seeing this the other day. I thought the sets, imagery, and cinematography were very well done. In the end, though, I couldn't help but think that Berg's story just wasn't quite compelling enough to make a Hollywood movie out of.

I also wish there were more baseball scenes. Other than the Fenway clip, which they showed in the preview, there's a clip from the Japanese tour and that's it. I know the story is about his service and not his career as a player, but I think they could have easily worked some more playing scenes for the baseball fans this was meant to appeal to, especially since it barely ran 90 minutes.

CollectingAmericasPastime · #7 07-26-2018, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by conor912

Got around to seeing this the other day. I thought the sets, imagery, and cinematography were very well done. In the end, though, I couldn't help but think that Berg's story just wasn't quite compelling enough to make a Hollywood movie out of.

I also wish there were more baseball scenes. Other than the Fenway clip, which they showed in the preview, there's a clip from the Japanese tour and that's it. I know the story is about his service and not his career as a player, but I think they could have easily worked some more playing scenes for the baseball fans this was meant to appeal to, especially since it barely ran 90 minutes.

Haven't seen it yet, but I'm excited to.

I need to bring attention to the bold. You mean it's possible to make a movie that doesn't kill 1/4 of my day? Between Jurassic World, Star Wars, etc., I don't know if I can handle another 2+ hour movie. This is refreshing news.

conor912 · #8 05-12-2018, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason19th

If you give the book a close read it seems like there are a lot of questions as to what Berg really did and what the folklore is. For example there is a story that he basically picked up a few books on the boat ride to Japan and managed to be conversational by the time the boat docked. The book however suggests that in reality Berg could only say a few common phrases in Japanese. The book also hints towards some possible mental health issues that Moe may have had. I wonder to what extent the movie will deal with the less heroic possibilities

Agreed. Never underestimate the powerful ambiguity of the term "based on a true story". People hear that and cling on to it, which is why history remembers a lot of things in a skewed way thanks to Hollywood.

Aquarian Sports Cards · #9 05-12-2018, 05:28 PM

Athlete, Scholar, Spy definitely deals with his mental health issues, especially later in life. Don't know if it's in print anymore.

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