For my final post on Oxford Daily Photo I've got something really quite bizarre. Today's film is Spy Game, a thriller that came out 2001 and stars Robert Redford and Brad Pitt. Now when you think of Oxford being featured in a spy you maybe you'd imagine it could be an elite espionage training school? Or perhaps an agent could be sent to the University to pose as a student and befriend the heir to a foreign oil empire? You probably wouldn't imagine it filling in for the location of a cholera infested Chinese prison, but in Spy Games that's exactly what it does.
The film features Oxford prison made up to look very run down. It would have been filmed in the period between the prison's closing and it's makeover into a luxury hotel. Queen's Lane was also used as a road leading up to the prison, complete with extras with stereotypical straw hats on riding bicycles.
I find it quite funny that while usually things are filmed in Oxford because of the beautiful old buildings, the makers of this film chose it because they thought it looked destitute and poverty stricken.
I'd like to thank Percy for the opportunity to contribute to his blog while he's on holiday. I'd also like to thank everyone who's commented on my posts over the past week, it's been really lovely reading your kind words.
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5 comments:
one of david hemming's final films i think
Enjoyed your photos, thank you.
your posts have been great - thanks for an entertaining week and come back soon! (though always glad to see Percy too).
I remember the film and think I have it on DVD also, but must confess I did not recognize the prison, though when I grew up in Oxford it still had inmates.
Thanks, Alex. I enjoyed your posts!
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