This film is recommended.
Traitor or hero? Idealist or cynic? Whistleblower or pawn? No matter one's opinions, Edward Snowden remains a fascinating person and this documentary analyzes his actions and motives. The filmmakers met him at the outset of his controversial decision to leak pertinent and highly classified information to the world about the underhanded dealings of the National Security Agency under the guise of homeland protection.
Laura Poitras, who was directly contacted with some encrypted e-mails from Edward Snowden, under the alias of citizenfour, directs this documentary as it follows his rise and fall as those stolen NSA documents are leaked to the public. These copies expose the international spying of thousands of American citizens and other foreign nationals. Filmed in Hong Kong, prior to his exile to Russia, Citizenfour documents Snowden as he becomes a man without a country. Articulate and appearing sincere, one senses his moralistic stance and his principles, but also his naivety when dealing with ruthless and powerful forces.
Poitras' film is a series of perfectly timed moments of news-in-the-making as she captures historic footage of the beginnings of a political bombshell that will escalate into an international scandal of epic proportions. The filmmaker develops a rapport and admiration with Snowden, which tends to bias her documentary, as she takes aim at the governmental spin to discredit him.
Nevertheless, what gives Citizenfour its real impact is its behind-the-scenes look at the misconduct and cover-ups of a nation, involving espionage wrongdoing by the American government and the unethical invasion of privacy of its people, via their phone and internet connections.
The film is extremely well made but lacking in innovative editing or artful photography. It's purely interview after interview, one talking head-shot after the next. The lengthy interviews between Snowden and Glenn Greenwald, the investigative reporter who broke the story, make up most of the film. But these sections are in need of some judicious editing as they go on far too long, even if they are historically significance moments in time.
Citizenfour is an important film about important issues. Its subject matter deals with larger issues of sacrifice, patriotism, and paranoia. A flip of the coin and one can see the film as sheer propaganda, intense political thriller, or a passionate film about our basic civil rights. It raises questions about our essential loss of freedom and our need for bigger and better surveillance tactics to fight terrorism and preserve homeland security at any costs.
Citizenfour remains a thought-provoking treatise on our politics post 9/11 and the fallout of one man's actions to make a change. GRADE: B
ANY COMMENTS: Please contact me at: jadepietro@rcn.com
Visit my blog at: www.dearmoviegoer.com
Traitor or hero? Idealist or cynic? Whistleblower or pawn? No matter one's opinions, Edward Snowden remains a fascinating person and this documentary analyzes his actions and motives. The filmmakers met him at the outset of his controversial decision to leak pertinent and highly classified information to the world about the underhanded dealings of the National Security Agency under the guise of homeland protection.
Laura Poitras, who was directly contacted with some encrypted e-mails from Edward Snowden, under the alias of citizenfour, directs this documentary as it follows his rise and fall as those stolen NSA documents are leaked to the public. These copies expose the international spying of thousands of American citizens and other foreign nationals. Filmed in Hong Kong, prior to his exile to Russia, Citizenfour documents Snowden as he becomes a man without a country. Articulate and appearing sincere, one senses his moralistic stance and his principles, but also his naivety when dealing with ruthless and powerful forces.
Poitras' film is a series of perfectly timed moments of news-in-the-making as she captures historic footage of the beginnings of a political bombshell that will escalate into an international scandal of epic proportions. The filmmaker develops a rapport and admiration with Snowden, which tends to bias her documentary, as she takes aim at the governmental spin to discredit him.
Nevertheless, what gives Citizenfour its real impact is its behind-the-scenes look at the misconduct and cover-ups of a nation, involving espionage wrongdoing by the American government and the unethical invasion of privacy of its people, via their phone and internet connections.
The film is extremely well made but lacking in innovative editing or artful photography. It's purely interview after interview, one talking head-shot after the next. The lengthy interviews between Snowden and Glenn Greenwald, the investigative reporter who broke the story, make up most of the film. But these sections are in need of some judicious editing as they go on far too long, even if they are historically significance moments in time.
Citizenfour is an important film about important issues. Its subject matter deals with larger issues of sacrifice, patriotism, and paranoia. A flip of the coin and one can see the film as sheer propaganda, intense political thriller, or a passionate film about our basic civil rights. It raises questions about our essential loss of freedom and our need for bigger and better surveillance tactics to fight terrorism and preserve homeland security at any costs.
Citizenfour remains a thought-provoking treatise on our politics post 9/11 and the fallout of one man's actions to make a change. GRADE: B
ANY COMMENTS: Please contact me at: jadepietro@rcn.com
Visit my blog at: www.dearmoviegoer.com