Pluskylang
Great Film overall
Baseshment
I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.
IncaWelCar
In truth, any opportunity to see the film on the big screen is welcome.
MartinHafer
Daniel Ellsberg was a very, very important figure during the 60s and 70s and today most people 50 and younger probably have no idea who he is. This is a shame, as his story is fascinating and well worth hearing.The documentary begins in the mid-1960s. Ellsberg is a big name in the Pentagon. He'd served in Vietnam and was rather hawkish about the war. However, as he gained more and more power, he came into contact with more and more super-secret documents and what he read disturbed him. There in black & white he could see some evil facts. First, that the Gulf of Tonkin attack that justified President Johnson escalating the Vietnam War was a hoax! Yes, Johnson KNOWINGLY expanded the war and brought in US combat troops after the American public was informed American ships were attacked--but there was no attack! Second, that Pentagon and State Department documents showed that they KNEW the war was unwinnable--yet they were pushing to expand it and throw young folks into this mess! As a result, Ellsberg went from begin pro to anti-war. In fact, he began to speak out publicly. But, this wasn't enough--Ellsberg decided that he need to release these documents regardless of whether or not this would result in him being sent to prison. How all this later led to the downfall of the Nixon White House, you'll need to see for yourself.Overall, this is an excellent documentary. It uses contemporary film footage and modern interviews to tell the story of a man who felt compelled to violate his oath of loyalty to the President. See this--it's fascinating from start to finish.
dougmcnair
This is a decent documentary and history lesson, chronicling the evolution of Daniel Ellsberg from Marine Corps company commander and true believer in the Vietnam War to radical anti-war whistle blower. It's told entirely from the perspective of Ellsberg and his fellow travelers so it's likely skewed to the left, but it's still a good portrait of the late war era and how public opinion turned against the war. Of particular interest was the saga of how the press fought for the right to publish the Pentagon Papers, with one paper after another picking up publication of the documents after the courts had stopped other papers from doing so. It was the first time the free press had taken on the government like that. Another interesting sequence was the chronicle of Nixon's increasingly paranoid reactions to the Pentagon Papers' release and the courts reactions thereto, setting him on a course of action that would eventually lead to his downfall. Six stars.
druid333-2
Let us all be eternally thankful that Daniel Ellsberg,a decorated Marine,working for the Rand Corporation in the 1960's had the inner vision to question the dangerous mindset of President Lyndon B. Johnson when he sent troops to South East Asia,in a country (at the time)nobody had even heard of before,the People's republic of Viet Nam to liberate the country from the (so called)Godless Communists that threatened our existence (or better,threatened Johnson's so called existence,despite the fact that Viet Nam had never even fired a shot at us). The war in Viet Nam was a war that was predicted America would never win,and did not,not however,before thousands of American troops were killed or maimed in various battles with the Viet Cong. In 1969,Ellsberg decided to take a calculated risk & make photo copies of top secret documents of the (then)Pentagon reports on America's involvement in Viet Nam. The papers were finally brought to attention to aspects of the mainstream media in 1971,and the flood gates opened (and opened up wide),at a time when Richard Nixon,who when elected a scant three years earlier,promised to bring American troops home (and not surprisingly,lied through his teeth,and did not,extending our involvement in Viet Nam for another seven years). All of this makes for one powder keg of a political thriller,for those who expect more from film. Judith Ehrlich & Rick Goldsmith co direct this well documented film,with testimony from those who were there,both currently still living,as well as those who have passed away over the years,from a script written by Judith Ehrlich & Michael Chandler. Cinematography by Vicente Franco & Dan Krauss,with editing by Michael Chandler,Rick Goldsmith & Lawrence Lerew. Featuring:Daniel Ellsberg,John Dean,Patrica Ellsberg,Bud Krogh, Tony Russo & Hendrick Smith,as well as the voices of Richard Nixon,Henry Kissinger,and others involved in the dirty dealings of war. Not rated by the MPAA,but contains horrific images & testimonies of the horrors of war,as well as some undeleted expletives from the mouth of Richard Nixon & others that some parents may,or may not want very young children to hear
Pradip Shah
I am well aware of the facts as they happened. I have watched the movie based on this drama and "enjoyed" is not quite the word for it but felt sorry for the US population in general.It is really unfortunate that there doe snot exist another Daniel Ellsberg from the regime of Bush Jr. It is about time the US government comes up with something like an Ombudsman - universally trusted would be the first requirement - who has unimpeded access to everything under the sky - within US, of course, to verify the truth as handed out by the people in power. They also need to take away the power of "presidential pardon" in the current form. It should be available only when a person is accused, tried and convicted.Going off on a tangent I watched Avatar with great interest. Apart from the technology and special effects one message came through very clearly. What US wants they will get by hook or by crook. When any one else has what it wants simply make them your enemies and under the guise of preemptive action against terrorist attack destroy them and take over!