History Film / TheSpanishPrisoner

* RefugeInAudacity: Susan manages to get their car around the road block by making a scene in front of the cop.

* ForWantOfANail: The entire scheme, including ''two'' elaborate failsaves, ultimately crumbles due to [[spoiler: Joe wanting to impress the girl and replacing the damaged book with a mint copy]] and the fact he's really a NiceGuy. And it's entirely on the schemers part, since [[spoiler: he's played to panic in the plane and to start think Jimmy could set him for something. Should he deliver the package without ever opening it, the plan would work flawlessly. Should they use a copy in good conditions rather than the first book they could grab, the entire plot would have worked]].
* ItWasHereISwear: [[spoiler: Joe leads authorities to Jimmy's "office," which is empty. Then he takes them to the private club Jimmy signed him up for, which turns out to be a family restaurant.]]

* {{Greed}}: [[spoiler: Rather than paying Joe his due for the process, which shouldn't be that much in the first place, Mr. Klein, his boss, takes part in an elaborate con to steal the process and frame Joe for murder of his friend]]. If he wasn't so greedy, he might actually profit on the process at minimal cost and without criminal charges.

* BetterManhandleTheMurderWeapon. Joe attaches himself to the murder of his lawyer friend by touching the knife in the chest.

* StunGuns: [[spoiler: Jimmy is caught using tranq gun. This was the main cause of fan theory about the real identity of the Marshalls, who make sure Jimmy is alive and well when the plot crumbles]].

* MassiveMultiplayerScam: There are roughly 30 people involved in the scheme, with countless locations used.
* MyCard: Felicity Huffman's character leaves behind a business card that turns out to be an important part of the larger [[MassiveMultiplayerScam plan]].

* BigStore: Given the multiple cons involved, it's only natural this is used. halfway through the film, Joe starts going back to the various offices he visited before to find they're either empty or used by business who have no idea what he's talking about.

* TheCameo: The fed who explains the SpanishPrisoner con is played by Ed O'Neill, a personal friend of Mamet's.

* SpanishPrisoner: The film includes a detailed explanation of this con, the purpose of which exposition is to disguise the fact that it is not the con being performed.

* TitleDrop: During the SpanishPrisoner exposition scene, delivered by Ed O'Neill's character.

** [[spoiler: The Japanese tourists aren't just background extras, nor they are sent out by the Japanese corporation to steal the process]].

** [[spoiler: The Japanese tourists aren't just background extras, nor they are send out by the Japanese corporation to steal the process]].

* OffScreenTeleportation: The only explanation for what happens to [[spoiler:the book containing the process]] during the OneSceneWonder scene (see YMMV).

* OffScreenTeleportation: The only explanation for what happens to [[spoiler:the book containing the process]] during the OneSceneWonder scene below.
* OneSceneWonder: Ed O'Neill plays a cop who explains the SpanishPrisoner con [[spoiler:and turns out to be one of the con artists]].

* OffScreenTeleportation: The only explanation for what happens to [[spoiler:the book containing the process]] during the OneSceneWonder scene below.
* OneSceneWonder: Ed O'Neill plays a cop who explains the SpanishPrisoner con [[spoiler:and turns out to be one of the con artists]].

* TheCameo: The fed who explains the SpanishPrisoner con is played by Ed O'Neill, post-''Series/MarriedWithChildren'', pre-''Series/ModernFamily''.

* [[Main/IncurableCoughOfDeath Chekhov's Cough]]: Joe's best friend, a lawyer, gets a cold that follows him throughout the movie. Subverted when [[spoiler: he is found stabbed to death in the second act]]

* JapaneseTourist: They seem to be everywhere and it's even invoked by one of the conmen.

* MassiveMultiplayerScam: There are roughtly 30 people involved in the scheme, countless locations are used and there is a possibility there even was [[{{Fanon}} a third-party involved in their own scheme]].

* PlotBasedVoiceCancellation: This is used to prevent the audience from ever learning [[spoiler:where the process was hidden]]. Oddly enough, though, the line shows up clearly in the subtitles.
** Judging by the DVD release, where the lines are much more audiable, the idea was different. [[spoiler: Jimmy uses the sudden noise to never give anything on the HiddenWire, since he expects the ruse]].

** [[spoiler: Joe isn't part of the SpanishPrisoner con, but everything is set up to make him believe it's the case]].

** The tennis book (with Jimmy's finger prints on it) eventually brings the charade down.

* TheCon: Joe spends the whole film trying to figure out what con he's been a victim of. The titular "Spanish Prisoner" con is but one of them.

* GambitPileup

* MassiveMultiplayerScam

* StunGuns

* UndisclosedFunds: The stake at the beginning is not shown to the audience, but is presumably an impressive sum.

** The business card of the CIA agent. Invoked to trap Joe deeper in the scheme.

* TheCon: Joe spends the whole film trying to figure out what con he's been a victim of. The titular "Spanish Prisoner" con is but one of many.
* DeusExMachina: When everything seems lost for the hero, he appeals to the only people around. Luckily, [[TheCavalry they're the law]] and they save the day.

* ChekhovsGunman: [[spoiler:In multiple scenes throughout the movie, there are Japanese tourists in the background taking pictures. Everyone ignores them; in the end they turn out to be Federal Marshals who were following the whole plot.]]

* DeusExMachina: When everything seems lost for the hero, the [[TheCavalry police appear]] out of nowhere and saves the day.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Early on, Joe sees a boat moving from a seaplane towards the shore. Susan points out that he never actually saw the boat leave the plane, it could have been coming from anywhere, "and we have no idea who anyone is."

* IdiotBall: Joe. He never browses the Red Book. Later he's got a ticket to Venezuela, and never once bothers to look at it. He has a cloth bag that is supposed to contain a camera; instead it has a handgun. He does not notice the difference. His lawyer friend is murdered and he immediately pats down the blood stain, leaves his glasses behind and [[BetterManhandleTheMurderWeapon touches the murder weapon]].
* ItWasHereISwear: [[spoiler: Joe leads authorities to Jimmy's "office", which is empty. Then he takes them to the private club Jimmy signed him up for, which turns out to be a family restaurant.]]

* OutGambitted: The plotters had a brilliantly detailed and multi-layered plan to get ahold of the process and leave Joe to take the fall. In the end [[spoiler: the Feds were watching them the entire time and were just letting them proceed to gather evidence.]]
* PlotBasedVoiceCancellation: This is used to prevent the audience from ever learning [[spoiler:where [[MacGuffin the process]] was hidden]]. Oddly enough, though, the line shows up clearly in the subtitles.

* TrickedIntoSigning: Used as part of a FrameUp. The hero is rushed to sign a club membership form which turns out to be a request for political asylum from the Republic of Venezuela. It gives away the impression that he is about to skip the country with a fortune. And [[PoliceAreUseless the police fall for it]].

* FailedASpotCheck: Dell duped Joe on several occasions without latter noticing anything wrong.

* ReadTheFinePrint: Joe is tricked into signing a club membership form which turns out to be a request for political asylum from the Republic of Venezuela.

''' ''The Spanish Prisoner'' ''' is a suspense/crime/mystery film written and directed by Creator/DavidMamet. It revolves around Joe Ross, a researcher for an unnamed major company who's recently perfected an unspecified process which is worth a great deal of money. While on a business trip in the Caribbean, he meets and befriends a wealthy traveler who offers to advise him and help him get a fair share of the profits. Shortly, however, he begins to question his new friend's motives and intentions. As in most Mamet stories, deceptions and cons pile up as both the protagonist and the audience try to figure out who's telling the truth, and who's part of a plot.

!!This film provides examples of the following tropes:

* ItWasHereISwear: [[spoiler: Joe leads authorities to Jimmy's "office", which is empty.]]