A Tale of Two Lions, Monday, 10/29

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"We're watching a film about one of my favorite subjects this week," Tyrion said, once the students seemed settled. "Espionage. That would be when you or your organization obtain useful information without the owner's permission and for your own gain. Typically the spied upon party is an enemy, or at the very least a rival. That said, it's a poor government that doesn't make certain it knows what its friends are doing as well. Sometimes, a spy sneaks into the heart of the spied upon -- working in their households, enlisting in their armies. You need nerves of steel to do this. Other times, a spy might convince someone in the household to give out information -- through bribery, through coercion, or through charm. At the heart of it, spies are thieves, but -- if you're on their side -- noble ones."

"The movie we're watching is considered a classic of the spy genre." It said so right on the DVD case. "It's about some of the risks faced by real espionage agents in larger organizations. Enjoy the easy week."