This is a documentary about moral courage. It's the story of a man named Daniel Ellsberg who secretly released classified documents about the war in Vietnam to dozens of newspapers around the country in an attempt to end the bloodshed of fighting that he himself helped create overseas. Ellsberg began his career working for the government after he finished several years being a marine. He was an exceptionally intelligent, talented, and ambitious analyst who quickly moved up the ranks and eventually began working directly under Secretary of State Robert McNamara. After witnessing the events of the war first hand, his view began to shift dramatically. He eventually reached a point where he felt morally obligated to release top secret pentagon papers he himself helped work on that outlined the last ten years of U.S. intelligence in Vietnam. Explaining in blunt language the United States expectations and intentions of the entire conflict, beginning with the French in the 1950's. It also clearly detailed specific examples of direct lies that the last two previous presidents had engaged inn in order to help sell the war to the American people. It was a scathing and scandalous document to say the least, but what followed was one of the most important legal cases regarding the First Amendment rights in the nations history. The film works as a history lesson and as an engaging piece of entertainment that will make you wish more people nowadays were as brave and willing to sacrifice themselves for a just cause as Daniel Ellsberg.
B
2010
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