The Pentagon Papers

Rating:
Summary: Intelligent, thought-provoking drama
Review: Despite excellent supporting performances, this movie is really a one-man show: it's all about Spader's smart, emotional performance as Daniel Ellsberg.

Very little of the movie happens in the Watergate time-frame from which we know Ellberg's name. Most instead covers the ten years (roughly 1963-1973) during which he reached the point of thinking the most patriotic act he could take was to release top-secret Department of Defense material about the Vietnam war. It's an engrossing exploration of the great questions: what is duty? to whom do we owe loyalty?

Nothing explodes, except during a few striking, necessary scenes in Vietnam. Thanks be for intelligent film-making.






Rating:
Summary: Pentagon Papers
Review: I've watched it twice, just to see if my overall appreciation of the film would improve, and it did. It's a stronger, worthier film than I thought.

In this film, we see Daniel Ellsberg make two crucial decisions: first, he stops supporting the Viet Nam War as a winnable war after visiting the country itself and being exposed to the real casualties, plus startling on-scene opinion; and then he returns home and gets his influential boss at Rand (played by Alan Arkin) to slip him a copy of some top-secret papers, Classified, that sum up America's involvement in the conflict from day-one. Reading these papers disillusions him, and he wants the papers exposed. No one with political clout will assist him in getting the information out, and David Ellsberg contemplates being a traitor to his country by releasing the papers to the public any way he can. He and his beatnik pal, Russo (played by Paul Giamatti), start making photocopies galore...and Ellsberg even gets his kids--from a broken marriage--to help out, until their mother finds out what is going on.

James Spader depicts the growing pains of Daniel Ellsberg with high expertise, coolly making this film about shocking political decisions, yes, but also about a man growing up all over again. Claire Forlani plays the woman he turns to after his divorce, even though, at the start, their views on the Viet Nam War are opposite. She comes to his aid, after abandoning him, when she discovers his epiphany. The two leads are strong together, sneaking around, making plans to funnel the papers to a major newspaper, watching the news to see if Ellsberg will be suspected as the "leak"--and once Ellsberg is in real trouble, we see how loyal Forlani's character--Patricia--can be.

Some of the war info squeezed into the script, so we can know what all the fuss is really about while enjoying the human-interest element, does suggest that this film is in some ways merely a surface-treatment of a complex, decades-spanning problem. But that is countered by the fairly successful look at Daniel Ellsberg and his few allies, and what they went through.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful "made for TV" film!!!
Review: THE PENTAGON PAPERS is a truly engrossing dramatic film! Despite being "made for TV," wonderful performances abound in this movie. James Spader--an extraordinarily gifted actor--gives a top-notch portrayal of Daniel Ellsberg, which keeps the viewers' attention throughout the course of the film. The story has a fascinating plot that explores a complex question: is treason justifiable when it will reveal the truth to the public? Should revealing classified documents to prove the failures of the Vietnam war be considered treason...or should it be considered an act of patriotism? This film thoughtfully considers these questions and more, and leaves you to form your own opinions about whether Ellsberg's actions were right or wrong.

If you are a fan of James Spader, this film is a must...as he is at his best here. For anyone interested in a good story, based on true events, this movie is worth a look!