“Zero Dark Thirty” was a pretty solid movie. I liked it because the producers and director didn’t sugarcoat the way that CIA operatives treated terrorists. Terrorists deserved their fate. The composite protagonist “Maya” was a CIA analyst who worked tirelessly to bring justice down on Osama Bin Laden — AKA a bullet to the brain.
After Maya had fingered where Bin Laden was, she met with Leon Panetta, the then-head of the CIA. Panetta was portrayed by James Gandolfini. I don’t object to artistic license when actors portray real people, but Gandolfini was a big man: 6’1” and intimidating. He looked intimidating just standing still. Panetta, on his best day, is 5’7”. If Panetta had “met” Maya face to face, she likely looked “down” at Panetta. Panetta was portrayed as a tough-as-nails leader rather than a man who calculated the political winds before opening…
