# Tell me about American intrigue, espionage, and agents in foreign films.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-american-intrigue-espionage-and-agents-in-foreign-films/599393>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 12, 2011, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-american-intrigue-espionage-and-agents-in-foreign-films/599393 "2011-10-12T05:19:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-american-intrigue-espionage-and-agents-in-foreign-films/599393/1 "2011-10-12T05:19:49Z")

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The [Conspiracy Theory thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=627421) got me to thinking.

It’s a staple of American drama and spy movies that there’s a foreign agent, Chinese, Russian, Korean, or whatever that’s behind the plot to steal military secrets, assassinate the president, or teach intelligent design in schools.

Is it pretty much the same in China, Russia, or Korea? Just with John Wayne as the shady character? Or do they have a different spin or cast of villians?

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-american-intrigue-espionage-and-agents-in-foreign-films/599393/2 "2011-10-12T18:34:49Z")

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Moved MPSIMS --\> Cafe Society.

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**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-american-intrigue-espionage-and-agents-in-foreign-films/599393/3 "2011-10-12T19:38:25Z")

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China has about a zillion movies that take place during the war with Japan featuring Japanese spies. There are also (Red) Chinese movies with Kuomintang spies.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-american-intrigue-espionage-and-agents-in-foreign-films/599393/4 "2011-10-12T21:09:06Z")

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There’s always the recent remake of _The Quiet American._