Although quite obviously not a high-budget film, Coup certainly should give the willies to anyone contemplating political or revolutionary activity in Africa these days. The SAIS (South Africa Intelligence Service) is a worthy and, one hopes, much more principled successor to BOSS (Bureau of State Security) that was its predecessor in apartheid South Africa days.
It's hard to imagine which of the key players was the dumbest; besides money, the hooks were excitement, action, and reliving one's glory days. Simon Mann must truly have been nuts to forgo his comfortable (if not well-earned) existence, and many of us who are of his generation can only wonder why it was apparently so easy to give up his pleasant existence for such a risky thing.
Greed, of course, plays a big part in it, but as I indicate in the summary, good ol' hubris was really at the heart of it all. And to top it off, to paraphrase the SAIS agent, you really must have a huge amount of hubris flying around in your head to imagine taking on such a chore without taking into account the black players on the chessboard! Brilliant writing.
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