Oliver Stone's Snowden Film Review

Critics Are Polarized Not Only By Edward Snowden, But By The Movie Snowden Too

Who Is Edward Snowden?

Edward Joseph Snowden is a former CIA employee who leaked classified information from the National Security Agency without permission. He revealed many global surveillance programs that acted under the guise of strictly being for national security.

One of the biggest leaks he brought to light was that there were multiple countries who were spying on each other and not on their own citizens, so that they could circumvent domestic regulations that prohibit this.

Snowden The Movie

Director Oliver Stone tends to make controversial films, but he approached this with far less controversy than I expected.

Cast

Joseph Gordon-Levitt did a brilliant job portraying Edward Snowden and will surely receive an Oscar nomination for best actor. He captured the voice and mannerisms of Snowden quite well and when the real Edward Snowden makes a cameo at the end, the depth to which Levitt went to as an actor to portray Edward is apparent.

Shailene Woodley plays Edward's girlfriend Lindsay Mills and did a good job capturing what life may have been like for someone dating a CIA employee. Nothing spectacular, but the chemistry between her and the socially awkward Snowden worked well onscreen.

Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto, Nicolas Cage, Rhys Ifans, and Joely Richardson all do a solid job in supporting roles, but I don't see any real outstanding work by any one individual.

Oliver Stone wants you to see Edward Snowden as a hero who stood up to injustice and let the American people (along with others) decide whether or not they should be subject to the type of surveillance that unbeknownst to many, can take place in a moments notice.

Like any hollywood movie, some tension and liberties are added that are not 100% factual. The movie is not a documentary, and is not any definitive account of Snowden's life, but has many factual elements built into the movie. This is not a fast paced high octane movie. It sticks to tell a story about an everyday American who feels compelled to make a stand for what he feels is in the best interest of others. It's not a movie I would watch more than twice, but I do believe it should be watched. It may be better to see on Redbox in the comfort of your own home since the big screen does not add much to the story.

I do feel that with the performance Joseph Gordon-Levitt did that it should surely not be "rotten" (56%) on the rotten tomatoes website, but the non critics have deemed it to have a 68% approval rating. It's not a must-see, but if you like well acted dramas based on true life events (Like Argo with Ben Affleck, or The Informant with Matt Damon) I'd strongly recommend you see this film. Take the time to research those against Snowden as well as his supporters and come up with your own conclusion

If all I knew about Snowden was what I learned from this movie (and many will only see this as a means of learning), then I would also believe that he did things to pursue what he felt the public needed to know

If Snowden has acted on what he claims his motives were, then I would have to say that he is a hero to the public. He may not have released the information in a way that was appropriate (and has caused some terrorist organizations to change their communications so as not to be monitored), but overall I'd say I'm glad he brought to light what many governments were (and still are) doing to this day.

I am neither a traitor nor a hero. I'm an American.

It seems a bit ironic that a government that is spying on its citizens is trying to use the Espionage Act of 1917 to imprison someone who showed that the government was illegally spying. A bit like "The pot calling the kettle black"

If what Snowden said about his coworkers agreeing that what he showed them the government doing was wrong, I think he did the right thing. He claims that other coworkers were too afraid about job security to take the same stand that he did on the issue.

One of the most startling things seen on the film was the access to web cameras and intimate photos and videos that can be intercepted while surveilling a potential target. Snowden said that 18-22 year old analysts would sometimes stumble across explicit photos and it was seen as a fringe benefit to working in that position.

Drones play a rather important role in the movie and terrorists are "tracked" by their cell phones. One of the characters speaks of how they are unsure of whether or not those who are holding suspected terrorist cell phones are actually terrorists or not. And at one discussion about a drone killing an entire family at a funeral is spoken about. I can't speak on the truth to this, but I have a friend who flew drones and if I were to make an educated guess, I'd say this is an unfortunate far to common reality.

I, sitting at my desk [could] wiretap anyone, from you or your accountant, to a federal judge or even the president, if I had a personal e-mail.

Take a minute to let that sink in. Most people claim they have nothing to hide and so they have nothing to worry. Have you ever changed in front of your laptop or had a conversation that could be taken out of context? There's a reason people have things they do in private. If you have someone that has access to every digital interaction you make, I think we all have things we wish to hide. Knowing that this can happen to anyone is something I believe we should have the right to know. Most people assume only terrorists are surveilled, but this is not the truth.

“Most Americans Don’t Want Freedom — They Want Security” - Quote from Snowden Movie

What do you feel about this? And what do you think about Snowden? Do you admire what he did, or find him to be a traitor? I think as a steemit community we value uncensored data, and most likely the majority of those here will appreciate what Mr. Snowden has done, but I'd love to open the conversation for any polarizing person or group from Julian Assange, to Anonymous.

I hope to progress as a movie reviewer, so any positive or negative feedback is greatly appreciated. I tend to view all Oscar nominated films and am an avid movie buff. I will be reviewing some hidden gems that most people have not seen, so stay tuned and click the photo below and subscribe to my blog.

Pictures are credited to Rotten Tomatoes, Imdb, Wordpress and Huffington Post