THIRTEEN DAYS

MOVIE SYNOPSIS

Thirteen Days (2000) is an American historical political thriller film directed by

Roger Donaldson. This film dramatizes the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, it is seen from
the view point of the political leadership of the United States. Not only that, there are
many actors who starred in the film which is the first character are Kevin Costner stars
as a political consultant Kenneth P. O'Donnell. The second character is Bruce
Greenwood featured as President John F. Kennedy. The next character is Steven Culp
as Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and Dylan Baker as a Secretary of Defense
Robert McNamara. In October 1962, Lockheed U-2 take photo and expose that the
Soviet Union is in the process of placing nuclear weapons in Cuba. Not only that, these
weapons also have the ability to destroy most of the Eastern and Southern United
States in a minute if they become operational. Bruce Greenwood as President John F.
Kennedy and his advisors must come up with a plan of action against the Soviet Union.
Kennedy is determined to show that he is strong enough to contend with the threat and
the Pentagon advises the United Stated military strikes against Cuba which could lead
the way to another United States invasion of the island. Nevertheless, Kennedy is
unwilling to follow through because the United Stated invasion can cause the Soviet
Union to react in Europe. This can cause a nuclear showdown appears to be almost
cannot be avoided. However, Kennedy try to find out a solution that will remove the
missiles but avoid a war act. The initial offer they made to solve the problem is to
establish blockade or more known as quarantine. Therefore, the United States
announce that they will stop all ships from entering Cuba waters and they will check
them to verify that they are not bring any weapons to Cuba. However, the Air Force U-2
an observer plane of United States is sent over Cuba to gather information for the attack
but the pilot was killed consequence shots. After much consideration by the Executive
Committee of the National Security Council, Kennedy made a last attempt to avert war
by sending Robert F. Kennedy to meet with Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin on
Friday night. Ultimately, the Soviets announced on Sunday that they would remove their
missiles from Cuba to avoid a war that could rise to the use of nuclear weapons.

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CONFLICT
External Conflict
In this movie, 13th day is about the Cuban missile crisis. Conflict between two
nations the U.S governments and Russia rise because the U.S has discovers that the
Russians are secretly installing nuclear missiles on the island of Cuba. The Soviet
governments secretly began to build bases in Cuba for a number of medium range and
intermediate range ballistic nuclear missiles (MRBMs and IRBMs) with the ability to
strike most of the continental United States.
At the sea boarder, there was a Soviet Union ship and submarine are
approaching towards the Pierce unfortunately there some ship still not stop and
approaching. The U.S navy force them by firing the star shell flares towards the soviet
ship.
At the world press, Mr. Zorin representative the Soviet Union denied that they are
building and place any offensive weapon on Cuba and do not exist. They said that the
U.S doesnt have any evidence that can associate them with the offensive weaponry in
Cuba. Unfortunately, the U.S does have the evidences.

Internal Conflict
Tension is rise between the U.S internal conflict to make a decision which
President John F. Kennedy analysed his decision making process. He now knew that
before making important decisions he needed to explore the possible consequences of
each alternative course of action and seek advice from a variety of sources, inside
government and out. In this situation, he had been pushed by many side to do
something with their own opinion but with help from his younger brother, Robert F.
Kennedy and his assistant Kenny, he had make the best decision to prevent the two
nation to start war.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff advise immediate rein those who would take unilateral
U.S. military strikes against the missile action sites followed by an invasion of Cuba but
the president refuse to authorised.

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 Several wrong steps were done from the U.S military which where the U.S
defences readiness level of Strategic Air Command (SAC) is raised to DEFCON 2 which
they are ready to maximum readiness for imminent war without informing the President
and a routine test launch of a U.S. Offensive missile is also carried out without the
Presidents knowledge.

Conflict between two nations solved in the terms which Soviets offer to remove
the missiles in exchange for the U.S. that it will never invade Cuba and involving
removal of its Jupiter missiles from Turkey.

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EXTERNAL NEGOTIATION (OPEN NEGOTIATION)

In this movie, after the United Stated spot and identify the Union Soviet place a nuclear
weapon in Cuba by their U-2 aerial surveillance in October 1962, negotiation take place
in this situation by the United State politician called EXCOMM.

1. Initial Offer
The blockade has been sent to Soviet to stop all the ship that loaded with this
nuclear weapon. Almost all the ship turns back from the quarantine line and
announce by the secretary of state Dean Rusk. But the administration continues
their survey and spy the movement of all the ship ordered from the advisor Kevin
ODonnell by using their pilots without any strike and spot that one of the Soviet
ships still continually to move towards the quarantine line. From this negotiation,
it seems that the Soviet still hasnt agreed about the quarantine (blockade).

2. First negotiation between Soviet and United Stated

After the first meeting among the EXCOMM, the president of United Stated has a
meeting with Mr. Gromyko (Soviet represent) to know what exactly the reason for
Soviet to place their nuclear weapon in Cuba and Mr. Gromyko stated that it is
just for a defensive nature only but John F. Kennedy know it is not true.

3. Distributive Negotiation Approaches

On Thursday October 25th a debate between Sun Tzu and Mr. Stevenson in the
public negotiation that Soviet claims that the United Stated has been lying to the
world regarding the nuclear weapon place in Cuba.

INTERNAL NEGOTIATION (PRIVATE NEGOTIATION)

1. Power tactics
In 14 October, after the United Stated notice that the Soviet place three of their
nuclear missile, they started their negotiation. There are three meeting and
discussion in the first stage of this movie. John F. Kennedy (Bruce Greenwood)
which is the president, his advisor Kenny ODonnell (Kevin Costner) and other

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 member in EXCOMM has joined this three meeting and discussion regarding this
missile nuclear weapon. So, the best option in their meeting is blockade.
2. Target point
The Soviets offer to remove the missiles in exchange for public assurances from
the U.S. that it will never invade Cuba. The other desire that they wanted is to
make United Stated remove their Jupiter missile in Turkey. But the United offer
them to agree that deal if they remove their missile in Cuba in 48 hours. This
private negotiation has been representing by John A. Scali (United Stated)
negotiating with Aleksandr Formin (Soviet).
3. Mixed Motive Bargaining

In this stage, the EXCOMM do a negotiation again on 27 October because the

Soviet still continue their ship to entering to Cuba. In their negotiation, the chief
military still insist to go for an air strike with invasion because their pilot was
shooting down by the Soviet. The president give an order if the Soviet still insist
to continue their mission, the United Stated will going to war with invasion.

4. Settlement Point

The president of United Stated makes a final attempt to avoid a war by sending
his brother, Robert F. Kennedy (Steven Clup), to meet with Soviet ambassador
Anatoly Dobrynin on Friday night. He asserts the demand that the Soviets
remove their missiles from Cuba and in return promises not to invade or assist in
the invasion of Cuba and also remove all Jupiter missiles from Turkey within six
months. The Soviets announce on Sunday that they will remove their missiles
from Cuba, averting a war that could have escalated to the use of nuclear
weapon.

LESSON LEARNT THIRTEEN DAYS

As we knowing that the movie Thirteen Days is the movie that based on the actual
events surrounding the Cuba missile crisis of 1962, taking place during the titular
thirteen days wherein the U.S. and the Soviet Union nearly engaged in full-scale nuclear
war. So the lesson that we have learnt after watching the movie is the responsibility of a
leaders. Being a leader in an organization is not an easy task. There a many of the

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responsibility in order to maintain the good name of the organization and achieve the
desired goals. For example, the President of U.S.A John F. Kennedy, trying to find good
solution to solve the problem of Cuba missile without violence which war. After he was
informed about the findings of photographs from a spy plane detailing the presence of
missiles in Cuba capable of obliterating massive areas of the U.S., he immediately
decide the most effective course of action for the country. Secondly is the leader must
understand every character his subordinates. Every individual has different properties.
Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. If a leader can understand the character
of each individual in it, it will facilitate the management and future planning organization.
As for the example in the movie, the President know that General Curtis LeMay, who
would rather take immediate action and invade Cuba. So he has decided that all
working and action in the Cuba are on his decision.

Besides that making a group discussion also had thought us in the movies. In that
movie, after them founding the missiles in Cuba, the President U.S.A John F. Kennedy
made a group discussion with all his subordinates in the White House. His subordinates
give or share the best solution to solve the problem on the Cuba. And the President
John F. Kennedy trying to find or hear his subordinate idea.

In conclusion, this movie had teach us about the ways of rules of leadership,
negotiation with each other and other party, being the best negotiators, knowing ethics
in negotiation, determine the conflict management, strategies for distributive
negotiations, the use of power tactics in negotiation, the use of hardball tactics in
negotiation and develop effective responses to counter their use by others, and lastly
the effectiveness of various tactics for obtaining commitment in a negotiation.

Reference

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/thirteen_days/

http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-thirteen-days-a-memoir-of-the-
cuban/#gsc.tab=0

http://lk21.org/thirteen-days-2000/

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https://www.scribd.com/doc/30438837/Negotiation-analysis-thirteen-days

http://maalroy.com/publications/54-13-days-negotiations-analysis