The West Wing: Ian McShane visits the White House
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- čas přidán 23. 05. 2023
- Ian McShane (Al Swearengen in Deadwood) visits the White House as a Russian diplomat in season 3 episode 19 of The West Wing ("Enemies Foreign and Domestic"), bringing a questionable Russian accent.
- Hudba
I have loved Ian McShane as an actor for a very long time. Finding this clip of a scene I remember fondly was like getting an early Christmas gift.
“Frumpy”
“Onomatopoeia”
Global politics and cultures boiled down to two words. Aaron Sorkin is a mad genius.
Hello. I did not need to hear a single second of this clip. It is burned in my brain. Ian McShane doing a Russian accent and saying "Onomatopoetically, sounds right".
Ah... My life has been a trainwreck in so many ways, but... nailed that!! Hope we can fit it on my tombstone.
TIL it's "onomatopoeically" - on-ah-mana-pee-ah-klee
Finally, a worthy opponent. Our negotiations will be legendary!
It's shame we don't get to see the follow-up to this.
Where Sam explains the importance of idiomatic expression to the President and Leo McGarry and then Percy Fitzwallace's amazement that putting Sam in the middle of tense diplomatic and military discussions hasn't put the US is imminent danger of annihilation.
Was thinking the same thing, HAL_NINER.
I am sure that clip is on You Tube - the trick will be to find it 🙂will need to try out a few keyword searches
Mcshane is one of the best actors on the planet
Just in case that someone doesn't get the implications, and because I'm a smartass, I'd like to give some context and explanation. Be aware, spoilers ahead.
In this episode, the preparations are being made to a joint summit in Finland between Russia and the US. However, the summit is on the verge of being cancelled, following revelations about Russian nuclear technology having been sold to Iran. A huge diplomatic crisis is looming on the horizon because it is unclear whether this happened due to corruption, or via a nuclear deal sanctioned by the newly elected Russian President who's yet an unknown factor.
Sam and these Russian diplomats are just talking organizational issues. It's... not an important meeting at all. Essentially, they're sitting there wasting their time to talk about times and dresscodes while real politics are happening behind the scenes and these two superpowers are moving towards a potential new, small Cold War over the issues mentioned above. Nobody there has any real political power and it should be meaningless - except during the last minute, when this small-fry diplomat suggests language discussing nuclear proliferation. Just a verbal suggestion, sent through the lowest of the lowest channels. And written in perfect English, on a level far above the guy who occasionally has to ask for meanings of certain phrases and idioms.
Sam realizes rather quickly what this is. This isn't organizational anymore. It's a message, sent directly from the new Russian president to POTUS, through backchannels. He can't allow himself to appear weak within his own nation right now, not during this time of crisis. But he doesn't want the joint summit to be cancelled. He wants cooperation with the US, he's willing to talk about nuclear proliferation and he needs - NEEDS - this win in order to stop further crimes like this. Because Sam understands it and takes this message up (the good one, naturally), the joint summit DOES happen and a major, international crisis is being averted through cooperation. All because a speechwriter and two lower Russian diplomats stepped up when the time was needed.
And here's a small theory: The diplomat did know the word 'onomatopoeia'. Perhaps, he faked his poor English on purpose, to really highlight that this last suggested change of language came from somewhere higher up - and perhaps that's why the other diplomat asked HIM for the meaning of the word?
Thanks -
Yep. You nailed it. About as thorough an explanation as it’s possible to get without becoming too wordy. Second most intelligent person here by far.
We also see that the McShane character understands the significance of the statement, since he so firmly claims it as his own despite the disparity with his own English.
That’s why the theory is wrong, I think. It belittles the character. He has not been chosen for his English - when a more fluent, low-level official must be available. He was chosen for his loyalty to the new leader, despite his halting English. Chosen to be certain those words were “passed up”.
They chose the perfect man (and actor) to deliver “I wrote it” with enough of a straight face to protect his president with “deniability” when he so obviously didn’t.
Great writing. This is why Sorkin is one of the best.
@@TimothyBushell I didn't mean to imply that he was chosen because of his knowledge of the English language, but precisely because he'd be intelligent enough to know that hiding the fact could aid his goal in this particular situation. Anyways, it's only a theory - whether right or wrong doesn't change your ultimate statement.
It IS great writing. And it's a shame that Sorkin didn't remain involved with the writing of WW. Later episodes were still... good, but Sorkin's writing is GREAT.
That’s actually really helpful, thank you!
@@Rabascan Yeah. I didn’t mean to imply you were wrong at all. I was just riffing on theory. Not often you find comments so full of interesting takes. All the best.
We need the conclusion to this scene.
We do.
You need to have the Series DVD where we see Admiral Fitzwallace with a big smiles as he realise that diplomatic affairs are being negotiated by Sam.
From what I recall, which is not all of it, Sam brings the message to the President, and mentions that he believed the note was written directly by Shigori (Russia’s President), because it was written in good and “idiomatic” English, rather than the lower level of English demonstrated by the two negotatiors.
The rest, I can’t remember certainly. :(
@@gustavofonseca6283 that. Is the gist of it
When Sam, one of the most intelligent people and brilliant writers in the administration, meets his intellectual equal, who happens to be Russian.
Ian McShane could do an hour of reading from the phone book and I'd want to hear it!
Reagan embarrassed Gorbachev when they met and Gorbachev the young man was all bundled up for winter and the old man Reagan just wore his suit. (November 1985; Geneva)
I was looking for this exact clip recently. English idioms!
"is freezing too cold"
By George! Lovejoy had one hell of a career change!
"Well gee, we sure wanted to reduce strategic nuclear arms but unfortunately the Senators from the states where the Minuteman missiles and bombers are based said they'd far prefer the world end in fire and blood than give up the jobs those bases bring to their constituents."
They want the jobs, not the fire. Fire has always been unreasonable as a weapon of geo politics.
“Stem the tide”. Sam catches it and that’s the whole reason for these scenes. When he takes to Bartlett is the payoff
This episode is when I learned what idioms are.
It's technically Season 3 Episode 18 because the 9/11 special wasn't officially given an episode number.
Politics to the Continental.. little bit a a lateral transition for the man :)
WIthout the context this loses a lot of meaning. Sam is realizing the Russian president is sending a back channel message to Bartlet through this change. He is in the big league for real, now.
What we’re thinking of to NOT include the resultant dramatic conclusion from their meetings .. duh.
Season 3 episode 20 Enemies foreign and domestic
struggles with colloquialisms but nails onomatopoeically in context with frumpy...
seconds later after pausing it, and this very statement is made...
Ian Macshane is one of the worlds greatest living actors… But asking him to do an accent is like asking Superman to juggle kryptonite.