Warning: This post contains spoilers for Amsterdam
Writer-director David O. Russell’s latest, Amsterdam, is about a trio of friends who are implicated in the murder of a US senator, and wind up unearthing a fascist plot. The film stars Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington, and features a star-studded supporting cast. Amsterdam purports that what happened in the film is based on true events — but what is the story based on and how much of the plot really happened?
Amsterdam’s characters had to contend with not only the murder of an old friend (which they were framed for), but of a bigger and far more nefarious plot than they could have ever imagined being involved in. They were at the center of it all without realizing until the end. But while Amsterdam ties up everything by its end, the fact that it is based on — or inspired by — real events will likely lead audiences to wonder how much of the film is true, and how much of it is fabricated to serve Russell’s own story about Burt, Harold, and Valerie.
Amsterdam does take a page from the history books, and here is a guide to the true story behind the film, what historical event it’s based on, who Bale, Robbie, Washington’s characters are inspired by, and more.
What Amsterdam Is Based On: True Story Explained
David O. Russell’s Amsterdam is based on the Business Plot of 1933, a political conspiracy that aimed to overthrow President Franklin D. Roosevelt by forcefully planting a dictator in his place. This was to be a veteran-led coup, with wealthy businessmen — who wanted fascism in a bid to follow in Germany and Italy’s footsteps at the time — at the center of it all. The coup was also meant to place retired Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler (who Robert De Niro’s character General Gil Dillenbeck is based on) as the dictator, though he ultimately testified against the businessmen in front of a special committee serving under the US House of Representatives.
Although the Special Committee on Un-American Activities ultimately ruled that the coup was indeed planned, none of the wealthy businessmen, allegedly including J.P. Morgan, a banker, involved in the Business Plot were actually prosecuted. They also denied that a coup was being planned at all. The Business Plot is ultimately a little-known aspect of history — namely because General Smedley Butler’s accusations were dismissed despite the confirmation that a fascist plot did, in fact, exist. It’s given a life of its own in Russell’s film. What’s more, the veteran reunion in the film takes its inspiration from the 1939 Nazi-affiliated rally that was held at Madison Square Garden, which was held several years after the events of Amsterdam.
The Real-Life People Burt, Harold & Valerie Are Based On
While Burt Berendsen, Harold Woodard, and Valerie Voze are all characters made up for Amsterdam, they are based (very loosely) on real people. Burt, in particular, is based on a man named Dr. Shields, a military officer. Margot Robbie’s character Valerie was based on many female artists of the era, including Georgia O’Keeffe and Meret Oppenheim. While Harold isn’t described as being necessarily influenced by any one person from the 1930s, John David Washington researched the lives of African Americans — in the US and in Amsterdam — during that time period to help inform the character of Harold. David O. Russell wanted a trio of friends at the forefront of Amsterdam, which came to mind after seeing photos of people dancing during that time period.
The idea that the main characters were just a trio of regular people who happened to stumble into something huge like a conspiracy to overthrow the US government gives Amsterdam a grounding point. During a press conference, Russell elaborated on why he chose to focus on seemingly anonymous people, because “a lot of history’s not recorded. So we took some recorded history that’s explosive and fascinating, that’s our secret plutonium for any filmmaker to share as a dramatic tool.” Russell created the trio’s friendship to explore their sense of freedom in the close bond they shared, as well as the untapped potential in the parts of history — and, by extension, the nuances of people’s lives — that might get lost or deemed unimportant.
How Much Of Amsterdam’s Plot Really Happened?
While Amsterdam is based on an aspect of history that really happened, much of the film is a fabricated story written to aid the Business Plot arc and Gil Dillenbeck’s final speech. Burt, Harold, and Valerie are fictitious characters — though some were based on real people — who were never involved in the murder of Bill Meekins or the Business Plot in 1933. What’s more, as far as research can tell, a man named Bill Meekins was never killed in the 1930s. And since many of the businessmen’s names remained hidden, there is no evidence pointing to Anya Taylor-Joy and Rami Malek’s characters’ involvement. In place of the veteran reunion party, General Smedley Butler was asked to give a speech by Gerald C. Macguire, a bond salesman, at the American Legion convention, which was for veterans. Similar to what happens in the film to Dillenbeck, General Smedley Butler goes along with the pro-fascist plot so that he could gather intelligence on them. While Amsterdam never sees Dillenbeck speaking in front of Congress, the film ends with Smedley Butler’s speech — the same one De Niro’s character gives — denouncing fascism and speaking out about the coup. In the film, this speech is made public, but that never really happened. All told, Butler’s involvement is the biggest event that was adapted onscreen outside the Business Plot schemes.
Does The Committee Of Five Actually Exist (& Who Do They Take Their Name From)?
The Committee of Five plays a crucial role in Amsterdam, and it’s their fascist plot that Burt, Harold, and Valerie work to stop before it can have detrimental effects. The Committee of Five did actually exist, but the real-life version had no relation to fascism or to businessmen in the 1930s. Rather, the name seems like a nod to the Committee of Five — John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman and Thomas Jefferson — who, as a part of the Second Continental Congress, drafted the Declaration of Independence. The film’s version of the Committee of Five is contrasted with the real-life version, whose members were in favor of democracy, whereas Tom Voze and the wealthy businessmen in Amsterdam were staunchly against it. The film juxtaposes the two iterations to make a point about the rise of fascism and its threat to democracy. Though Russell’s film is set in the 1930s, its themes, and what the Committee of Five stands for — in fiction and in reality — remains a timely matter. The Committee of Five could also be a reference to the American Liberty League, the association Smedley Butler believed was behind the coup. Unlike the Committee of Five, however, the American Liberty League was publicly acknowledged, and one of their goals was to put an end to Roosevelt’s New Deal.
Was Bill Meekins Really A US Senator?
In Amsterdam, Bill Meekins is not only a highly regarded military veteran and friend of Harold and Burt’s, he is also a senator. Regarding whether Bill Meekins was actually a US senator, he was not, and his political station was created for Amsterdam’s story. While Meekins’ murder is at the center of the film’s plot and drives Burt, Harold, and Valerie’s entire journey, there is no evidence that a senator by that name existed, let alone poisoned and killed by Benito Mussolini’s men. Certainly, a lot of creative liberties were taken in the making of Amsterdam, but viewers can walk away from the film having learned something about history that has been rarely, if ever, brought to light in this way.
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