So tonight I was able to catch an opening day showing of the Oliver Stone directed flick "Snowden," which obviously revolves around the NSA whistle-blower, and seeing as how I have an interest in both politics and movies this feels like something I should discuss. I remember hearing about Edward Snowden when the events first occurred and I didn't know what to think about the situation initially amidst all the confusion.
However after learning more about the man and his intentions for leaking classified information, I've come to express a great amount of respect and admiration for Edward Snowden. What he did in exposing the NSA for violating the privacy rights of not just Americans but people from all over the world is the modern-day equivalent to the leaking of the Pentagon Papers. I believe it's important to always question the morality of our government's actions, and never fall into the trap of blind nationalism no matter how the state acts on our behalf. If there's one thing that Edward Snowden taught us, it's that to hold the government accountable and ensure that it continues to be of the people, by the people, and for the people is the most patriotic thing you can do.
When I heard a new movie was being made about the man, I was very curious to see how the story would be told and now here we are. The title character is played exceptionally well by Joseph Gordon Levitt and he practically disappears into the role in which he performs. It would have been nice however if there was more development from the other characters to make this movie less of a one-man show.
The girlfriend in particular, Lindsay Mills (although played very well by rising actress and fellow liberal Shailene Woodley), doesn't have as much development and appears to be strung along the main character's ride most of the time. Of course the movie isn't about her, but while there are some moments of good chemistry (like when the two discuss their political beliefs when they first meet), that seems to dissipate later and it's a bit difficult to buy into the fact that she would take the risk to move to Moscow to live with her exiled boyfriend. I would blame this more on the writing rather than the acting itself, which was perfectly fine in my opinion.
I enjoyed the film photography and there are certain shots in the movie that really convey the Orwellian undertones of the film's subject matter. I've always known that mass surveillance was a big problem and while this movie may be taking some artistic license in its portrayal for dramatic purposes, being able to see it through the visual medium of film really punctuates the gravitas of what we're currently dealing with in the real world.
The pacing was a bit disjointed in my view, as there is a lot of shifting between flashbacks and the present day which can sometimes make the run time of 2 hours and 18 minutes feel a little sluggish at points. As someone who is fascinated by the subject matter it wasn't a big issue, but it might turn off the casual moviegoer who hasn't looked up much about Edward Snowden. I also think the narrative acts as a bit of a data dump and is not as effective at interweaving the facts about Snowden's life into a the most cohesive story line.
Despite these flaws however, this movie has the real-life hero's seal of approval and I still recommend seeing it for the experience of watching an important current event being dramatized for the big screen.
Rating: 3.5/5
