Deal of the Century 1983

Arrival in San Miguel to pitch weapons

Eddie Muntz travels to the war-torn country of San Miguel to pitch arms to both the dictator and the rebels seeking his ouster. He weaves through a dangerous, high-stakes sales pitch offering high-tech UAVs and assorted small arms. The assignment sets the stage for a morally murky convergence of profit, power, and peril.

Firefight interrupts the pitch; Muntz shot in the foot

A firefight erupts in the middle of a sales pitch, throwing the deal into chaos. Muntz is shot in the foot and wounded, hobbling through the aftermath as gunfire dies down. The injury forces a shift in his plans and pace.

Recovery and meeting Harold DeVoto

Days later, Muntz, now hobbling, checks into a rundown hotel where he meets Harold DeVoto, a sales representative for Luckup. Their uneasy alliance begins as they discuss the competing products and the lucrative potential. The encounter marks a turning point toward Luckup’s UAVs and Muntz's increasing entanglement in San Miguel’s politics.

The rebel and junta dynamics; DeVoto's fate

Muntz continues selling to rebels while Luckup's more sophisticated Peacemaker drone is demonstrated. The military junta strings DeVoto along, keeping him hopeful while sabotaging the relationship. The pressure drives DeVoto to suicide, removing him from the picture.

Muntz takes over the deal and wins contract

With DeVoto out of the loop, Muntz seizes the opportunity and secures a multi-million contract for Luckup’s UAVs. He navigates the politics and greed that govern the arms trade to land the lucrative deal. The victory cements his rise in the high-stakes world of weapons sales.

Return to the United States; Catherine confronts him

Back in the United States, Catherine—Harold's widow—accosts Muntz at gunpoint and shoots him, reopening the injury to his foot. The confrontation exposes the personal cost of his line of work. He survives, but the incident forces a reckoning with the consequences of his choices.

Hospital revelations about San Miguel's reneged deal

In the hospital, Frank Stryker of Luckup explains that San Miguel reneged on the deal after a disastrous and highly publicized demonstration of the Peacemaker. The setback shakes Muntz and sets the stage for a renewed push to win the bid back. He is warned that the geopolitical gamble continues to haunt him.

Resolve to re-sign San Miguel; partners join

Muntz decides to help Luckup re-sign San Miguel and is joined by Ray Kasternak, an ex-fighter pilot undergoing a religious crisis, and by Catherine. The team faces internal tensions and moral questions as they plan the comeback. Their coalition marks a shift from profit-driven deals to a more complicated, conscience-driven mission.

Massagi's visit and his revelations

On the eve of a major defense expo, Massagi, a fabulously wealthy arms merchant, urges Muntz to seal the San Miguel deal and drops staggering truths about the global arms trade. He explains how bribery can be legal and tax-deductible, and how their business sustains endless localized wars. The revelations add to Muntz’s moral unease and propel him toward a decision.

Expo prep and Muntz's anti-war message

Muntz accompanies San Miguel’s dictator to the weapons expo, where a parade of high-tech arms is displayed. He openly disparages warplanes to the dictator, emphasizing the seductive appeal of pilotless weapons. The scene frames the expo as a theater of moral compromise and ambition.

Ray hijacks a fighter jet demonstration

During a live demonstration, Ray hijacks one of the fighter jets and dares the organizers to attack him. His bold theft pivots the expo into a crisis, forcing decision-makers to respond quickly. The act heightens the pressure on Muntz to salvage the deal while preventing disaster.

Stryker unleashes the Peacemaker; expo chaos

Stryker launches the Peacemaker, and the drone proves to be a terrifying force, impervious to Ray's attempts to stop it. The drone’s power escalates the crisis, and the expo devolves into chaos as it threatens everyone present. The stakes quickly shift from sales to survival.

Muntz disables the remote; Ray destroys the Peacemaker

Before the drone can rearm, Muntz uses his cane to shut off the Peacemaker’s remote control, allowing Ray to destroy the machine. The act turns the crisis into an ending, sparing further catastrophe at the expo. The unlikely alliance between Muntz and Ray reaches an uneasy closure as the threat is eliminated.