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Game of Pawns

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For the Missouri game show, see Game of Pawns (game show).

Short film Game of Pawns

Game of Pawns: The Glenn Duffie Shriver Story is a 2013 American docudrama short film about the Glenn Duffie Shriver case. It was produced by Rocket Media Group,[1] in association with the Counter-Intelligence Unit of the FBI and released online in April 2014. One of the film's goals was to warn students of dangers in China.[2] It featured the actor Joshua Murray as Shriver.[3] Its runtime is 28 minutes.[1] It changes some elements of the story from the real-life scenario, as Shriver is portrayed as a student even though he had already graduated in real life by the time he began the espionage scheme, since the FBI wanted this as a video to warn American tertiary students studying abroad.

Daniel Golden, author of Spy Schools: How the CIA, FBI, and Foreign Intelligence Secretly Exploit America's Universities, described it as "partly propaganda".[1] The FBI wanted U.S. universities to show the film to students about to study abroad, but they largely chose not to do so.

Production and release

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The film was released in January 2013. Sean Paul Murphy, the screenwriter, stated that he wished to make the portrayal of Shriver "better and more sympathetic".[1] Golden stated that the film made Shriver seem "more naïve and less cocky".[1] The film depicts Shriver as discovering the true intentions of the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) at a later point than in real life and as being a student when he first gets involved with the MSS even though, in real life, he had already graduated at that point.[1]

Within the film the Washington, D.C. Chinatown is used as a stand-in for Shanghai.[4]

Reception

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In Game of Pawns Shriver is portrayed by actor Joshua Murray, depicted as being in front of the main entrance to the East China Normal University in Shanghai; ECNU's administration complained about the use of the university in the film.

Adam Taylor of The Washington Post described it as "strikingly cheesy, obviously low-budget".[5] Emily Rauhala of Time described it as "a bit of a stinker" that "comes off as cross between a public service announcement and a parody."[6] Rauhala concluded that since the film had a "stereotypical view of China" it meant that "the people behind it, like Shriver, seem well-intentioned but unforgivably naive."[6] Jason Koebler of Vice referred to it as being "very bad".[7]

The administration of East China Normal University, where Shriver studied abroad, criticized the inclusion of the institution in the film due to potential negative publicity; the film does not mention the institution Shriver matriculated from, Grand Valley State University.[8]

The FBI wanted universities to use the film in pre-departure orientations for study abroad programs, but the universities chose not to do so because they felt espionage was not a likely concern or because there was too much melodrama in the film.[9]

Peimin Ni (Chinese: 倪培民; pinyin: Ní Péimín) and Geling Shang (商戈令; Shāng Gēlìng), professors at Grand Valley State involved in the university's China study abroad program, disliked how the film showed Shriver as being still a student when he was first contacted by the MSS. They mention Shriver in orientation sessions but do not show the film.[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Golden, Daniel. Spy Schools: How the CIA, FBI, and Foreign Intelligence Secretly Exploit America's Universities. Henry Holt and Company, October 10, 2017. ISBN 1627796363, 9781627796361. p. 130.
  2. ^ Wallace, Christopher (May 22, 2017). "China boasts after news report it executed CIA informants". Foxnews. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
  3. ^ "Advice for U.S. College Students Abroad Be Aware of Foreign Intelligence Threat". FBI. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  4. ^ Stein, Perry. "Chinatown Passes for Shanghai in the FBI's Eyes." Washington City Paper. April 15, 2014. Retrieved on August 6, 2016.
  5. ^ Taylor, Adam. "A cheesy FBI video hopes to stop U.S. students from becoming Chinese spies." Washington Post. April 15, 2014. Retrieved on August 7, 2016.
  6. ^ a b Rauhala, Emily. "FBI Movie Warns U.S. Students Not to Spy for China." Time. April 16, 2014. Retrieved on August 6, 2016.
  7. ^ Koebler, Jason (2015-11-12). "A List of the Dumb Swag the FBI Made to Promote Its Dumb Propaganda Movie". Vice. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
  8. ^ a b Golden, Daniel. Spy Schools: How the CIA, FBI, and Foreign Intelligence Secretly Exploit America's Universities. Henry Holt and Company, October 10, 2017. ISBN 1627796363, 9781627796361. p. 133
  9. ^ Golden, Daniel. Spy Schools: How the CIA, FBI, and Foreign Intelligence Secretly Exploit America's Universities. Henry Holt and Company, October 10, 2017. ISBN 1627796363, 9781627796361. p. 129-131.
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