Factual error: During the protests in the opening scene protesters are chanting "ubij ga", meaning "kill him" but in Serbo-Croatian or Bosnian language, definitely not in any Iranian language. (00:02:45)
Factual error: The embassy takeover was November 3rd. A scene in Washington DC described as 69 days later showed Tony Mendez driving around town with yellow/fall like leaves on the trees, something that would not have been true in the middle of January. A similar scene at the end of the movie has Tony Mendez approaching his house in Virginia and a very fall like scene is shown. (00:13:45 - 01:49:00)
Factual error: In the beginning of the film, when Agent Mendez is called to CIA Headquarters, as he passes the secretary's desk, the outgoing letter propped against her word processor has two postage stamps affixed (2-cent Navajo necklace & 37-cent US Flag) which were first issued and then reissued by the US Postal Service beginning 2003-04, 23+ years after the hostage event in 1980. (00:14:10)
Factual error: During the first movie lot scene, John Goodman walks past a 1990's Ez-Go golf cart. Another is seen in the background. (00:25:55)
Factual error: The glasses, which John Goodman is wearing throughout this movie are called Ray Ban Clubmaster. They premiered in 1986, but the movie is set in 1980. (00:26:00)
Factual error: The establishing shot of Mendez's trip to California in January 1980 shows the Hollywood sign in a state of severe disrepair as it appeared in the 1970s. However, the sign was replaced in 1978, so it should appear more pristine, like it does today. (00:26:35)
Factual error: When Ben Affleck and John Goodman are eating on the studio lot, they are drinking from Solo cups with the Jazz design on them, seen in many modern cafeterias. This design was not available in 1979/80. (00:28:20)
Factual error: In the scene where Tony Mendez finds the Argo screenplay - while browsing into piles of other screenplays at Siegel's house - he handles a screenplay called "PASSIONS REQUIEM" by Brian Cowden that is dated "09-21-2009" - this date is visible/printed in the cover. (00:32:30)
Factual error: At the press conference for the bogus movie Argo the actor dressed as a C3P0-knockoff robot has blue-white LEDs for eyes in his costume - which were not available until well into the 1990s. (00:41:00)
Factual error: CIA agent Mendez takes-off from Washington to Tehran, apparently via London because he boarded a British Airways flight, on a twin engine aircraft. Twin engine aircraft flights across the Atlantic were just being introduced by TWA around 1980 and weren't flown by BA until years later, if at all. Also, the BA Boeing 747 depicted had tail colors that were not introduced by the airline until the early 2000s. (00:46:35)
Factual error: Error in the Istanbul scene. Ben Affleck is shown entering what looks like the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. We are shown the outside and the courtyard of the Blue Mosque with its distinct blue rooftops. When Ben Affleck is meeting another dude inside, they are inside the building which now serves as a museum and which is known as "Hagia Sophia." (00:48:40)
Factual error: They play a track "When the Levee Breaks" from a Led Zeppelin album. The hand shows the needle being placed at the next to last track on the album. However, "When the Levee breaks" is the last track on Led Zeppelin IV's second side. (01:18:30)
Factual error: The Canadian military policeman (Sgt. Claude Gauthier - based on a real person) depicted as the house guests leave Ken Taylor's residence, and subsequently shown breaking up communication equipment has several errors in depiction. He is shown wearing combat uniform while on diplomatic duty (although perhaps the situation excuses this). He has service dress sergeant's chevrons sewn on the arm of his combat uniform instead of combat uniform rank. He is wearing a military police red beret, but at that time Canadian military police wore green berets. Also, having enough years of service to attain the rank of sergeant, he would have known how to form his beret properly, rather than having it look like a pizza. The slip ons worn on his shoulder epaulets are way too long, and are not like any Canadian Armed Forces slip ons for any uniform. They are definitely not Canadian combat uniform slip ons. The chest pockets on the combat shirt are sewn flat, whereas in reality the chest pockets had sides (they stuck out from the shirt) as they were designed to hold ammunition magazines for the FNC1 rifle. The buttons on the chest pockets are small, like the ones running down the front of the shirt - the pocket buttons should be much larger in diameter than the shirt front buttons, His long hair and sideburns would not have been permitted under the dress and deportment regulations of the Canadian Forces, and as a Sergeant he should have known better. (01:23:45)
Factual error: The interior shots of the Swissair 747 cockpit show a mockup. The window frames as shown are very wide and thick, but the real ones are much thinner. (01:39:55)
Factual error: In the final scene where the Swiss Air 747 is taking off, the police cars are travelling right behind the engines of the jet. They would have easily been blown away by the engine. (01:41:15)
Factual error: In the scene where the Swissair 747 is taking off from Tehran the police cars keep up with the plane until it lifts off. Takeoff speed for a 747 is about 160 mph so the police cars would have been far behind by then. (01:41:40)
Factual error: In one of the intertitles in the final scene when Mendez is lying in his son's bed, it is stated, "The involvement of the C.I.A. complemented efforts of the Canadian embassy in freeing the six held in Tehran." The six freed from Iran by Mendez were not being held; they were in hiding. The hostages that were held were freed by Iran much later. (01:50:39)
Factual error: It's mentioned that the British and New Zealanders turned the Americans away. This is untrue - the Americans stayed with both for a time until it was decided that they would be safer with the Canadians.
Factual error: Ben Affleck is supposedly in 1980, but wearing a Rolex Deepsea Sea Dweller, which wasn't released until 2008.
Factual error: Tony Mendez finds the Argo screenplay with it already titled "Argo." The title was originally "Lord of Light", and changed later by the CIA.
Answer: A film crew is more credible than a group of tourists being involved in this type of activity. Tourists' behavior would be more limited and subject to being noticed by authorities if they acted in a unusual manner. A film crew would have access to more out-of-the-way locations, and if they acted suspiciously, could pass it off as it being part of making a movie.
raywest