One of the most intriguing figures from World War II is Juan Pujol García from Spain.
The fascinating documentary Garbo the Spy details the life
of this double agent who worked for both the Allies and the Axis,
becoming the only person awarded by both sides for service during World
War II.
The movie hit DVD ($27.95) April 17 from First Run Features, and I
recommend you see this — especially if you’re a history or war buff. The
film won Best Documentary Film at the 2010 Goyas.
With no training but a need for a job, Pujol García offered to
volunteer for British intelligence during WWII. Though he had noble
intentions, the British were unsurprisingly suspicious of this unknown
man and declined his offer. He then went to the German embassy, offering
the same.
Eventually, he built a web of false agents across Europe, feeding
fabricated information to Nazis. British intelligence finally offered
him a job after they saw that he already was a freelance spy with
information and influence on the German side. They code-named him Garbo.
Though Pujol García never fired a single shot, he helped save
thousands of lives on both sides during the war. His most notable deed
was giving the Germans bad information regarding the Normandy invasion,
which led the Allies to a decisive victory.
Pujol García is an intriguing character, and the film creatively uses
old feature film footage as well as historical war footage to
illustrate the story. The doc also includes songs from Brian Eno and
Sparklehorse in the film’s soundtrack, which I particularly liked.
The DVD extras include an interview with intelligence and espionage
expert Nigel West, who was great in the film, as well as Sonic
Deception: WWII Training Film.
http://www.homemediamagazine.com/skinny-burrito/i-spy-garbo-dvd
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