MovieChat Forums > Breach (2007) Discussion > Do you think Hanssen will ever see the f...

Do you think Hanssen will ever see the film?

posted 13 years ago by ikilledsanta
15 replies | jump to latest

He IS in solitary confinement for 23 of 24 hours until he dies...but there is a movie made after him! It seems like he MUST see it.

[–] aGuiltySoul 13 years ago

On the contrary, the man who never let his secretary call him by his name, even after he invited him and his wife to his house for dinner, would never be influenced by or interested in popular media. Besides, I believe he does not have the privilege of a DVD player. There have been many books written about him, too, and I doubt he has read any of them either. But I hear he does spend his time reading the dozens and dozens of books that his wife sends to him.

"I'd never ask you to trust me. It's the cry of a guilty soul."

[–] tchevyz71 13 years ago

It's surprising she'd do that, considering the sex tape.

[–] aGuiltySoul 13 years ago

Yes, it is rather surprising. But she has remained absolutely loyal to him. It is not so incredible, however, when you know how she views the bonds of matrimony and the notion of forgiveness. (One does wonder how that would change should she have to live with him once more...which will never happen.)

"I'd never ask you to trust me. It's the cry of a guilty soul."

[–] tchevyz71 13 years ago

I'm guessing she is american

[–] aGuiltySoul 13 years ago

Duh, what part of this film and story would make you think she wasn't American? What that has to do with her conservative religious viewpoint, I don't know.

"I'd never ask you to trust me. It's the cry of a guilty soul."

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] aGuiltySoul 11 years ago

I blush for your myopic world view. Now THAT is something singularly American.

As for present election I have no comment to make in this space.

"I'd never ask you to trust me. It's the cry of a guilty soul."

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] rsimard 13 years ago

He was allowed to watch the CBS-TV documentary about his case. He quickly got angry, so much so that that he shut it off.

While there's no indication that he's seen Breach, if he could see the CBS film, presumably he'd be able to see that as well if he wanted to.

On the commentary track of Breach, director Billy Ray asks O'Neill (the real one), who co-comments with him, if he thought Hanssen would ever see the film. O'Neill's response is lightly scornful, to the effect that it would only play to his ego. Considering his reaction to the CBS film (which I have not seen), that's not quite so likely now.

[–] Burning_Sosobra 12 years ago

This thread died over a year ago, but I'll answer anyway for anyone else that happens to stumble upon this thread wondering the same thing as the OP. Apparently he DID watch this film, it's even stated on Robert Hanssen's Wikipedia page. The guards let him watch the movie and he turned it off because it pissed him off. rsimard says it was the CBS documentary he was allowed to watch, but it was actually this movie. Maybe he watched both the documentary and this movie, but either way he was allowed to watch Breach but turned it off in anger. I would think they'd let him watch it. It's not every day a movie based off of you is made with a famous actor portraying you, prison or not they'd let him watch it I'm sure. Anyways, it doesn't surprise me it pissed im off, he probably didn't like how it portrayed him. Maybe too close to the truth for his liking.

Behold a pale horse, and his name that sat upon him was Death. And hell followed with him.

[–] Adina_IMDb-March-2006 10 years ago

Actually, according to Wikipedia, Robert Hanssen saw the OTHER movie that was made about him, not "Breach."

The 2007 documentary Superspy: The Man Who Betrayed the West describes the hunt to trap Robert Hanssen. Hanssen also was the subject of a 2002 made-for-television movie, Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story, written by Norman Mailer and starring William Hurt as Hanssen. Robert Hanssen's jailers allowed him to watch this movie but Hanssen was so angered by the film that he turned it off.

I've seen the William Hurt movie myself and I can see what would have angered Hanssen.

William Hurt was apparently trying to find a focus for playing a very religious traitor so he spent a lot of time looking dreamily religious (up in the air like a saint waiting to see heaven open up).

Also, the Hurt film had him being horribly henpecked by his wife.

Although I really like the "Breach" movie, the William Hurt movie did nothing for me. Chris Cooper is a far better actor than William Hurt and I think the storyline was more interesting in "Breach."

[–] BQQ 10 years ago

Then we could assume Master Spy soured the opportunity for him to want to watch another movie about himself.

-sometimes I feel like I'm on everyone's ignore list

[–] Adina_IMDb-March-2006 10 years ago

Then we could assume Master Spy soured the opportunity for him to want to watch another movie about himself.

Yes, I would imagine so.

What's interesting about "Breach" (and I might have mentioned this elsewhere on the IMDb board for "Breach") is that the real life clerk who created the story about his time with Hanssen brought detailed information about the man to the story after having spent months working in his office.

One item I heard about from an interview with the real life Eric O'Neill: If you remember in the movie when they were walking down the hall together, Hanssen would crowd Eric so that Eric ended up bumping into file cabinets or drinking fountains or walls on their way down the hall.

This really happened, according to Eric O'Neill. Hanssen would keep getting closer to him as they walked so that Eric would bump into things. Eric attributed it (as I recall) to Hanssen being self-absorbed and not noticing that he was sending his clerk into the sides of file cabinets or water fountains.

It's an interesting insight into Hanssen's character, IMO.

[–] morganseer 7 years ago

Then we could assume Master Spy soured the opportunity for him to want to watch another movie about himself.

Yes, I would imagine so.

I'm not so sure about that. The man is a major narcissist. I think he would keep trying to watch programs about himself, hoping that the next one would portray him closer to his own image of himself.

Besides, he must be mighty bored.

Is it really true he otherwise can't watch videos? Twenty three hours a day in isolation, and not even a tv voice for company? That's punishment indeed.

BBL

[–] Adina_IMDb-March-2006 7 years ago

I'm not so sure about that. The man is a major narcissist. I think he would keep trying to watch programs about himself, hoping that the next one would portray him closer to his own image of himself.

Good point!

Besides, he must be mighty bored.

Is it really true he otherwise can't watch videos? Twenty three hours a day in isolation, and not even a tv voice for company? That's punishment indeed.

Yes, that would be boring indeed.

I'm sure they're allowed some sort of reading materials, but not having a TV voice for company, as you put it, year after year after year - that would be rough.

Formerly Rippling_River - Bio Link: Adina_IMDb-March-2006