The Most Dangerous Man in America

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
)

The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Michael Chandler
  • Judith Ehrlich
  • Rick Goldsmith
  • Lawrence Lerew
    • Produced by
    • Judith Ehrlich
    • Rick Goldsmith
    StarringDaniel Ellsberg
    Cinematography
    Edited by
    • Michael Chandler
    • Rick Goldsmith
    • Lawrence Lerew
    Music byBlake Leyh
    Distributed byFirst Run Features
    Release dates
    • 11 September 2009 (2009-09-11) (Toronto)
    • 5 February 2010 (2010-02-05) (United States)
    Running time
    		92 minutes
    CountryUnited States
    LanguageEnglish

    The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers is a 2009 American documentary film directed by Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith. The film follows Daniel Ellsberg and explores the events leading up to the 1971 publication of the Pentagon Papers, which exposed the top-secret military history of the United States' involvement in Vietnam.[1]

    The film was shown on the

    Peabody Award.[2][3]

    Reception

    Critical response

    In a review for The New York Times, Mike Hale writes that the film "conscientiously notes the viewpoints of those who believe that Mr. Ellsberg betrayed his country or his former colleagues at the Defense Department" and the filmmakers "concentrate on their portrait of Mr. Ellsberg, who emerges as a complex and difficult man whose principles, whether you agree with them or not, can’t be denied."[1] Roger Ebert writes, "It is a skillful, well-made film, although, since Ellsberg is the narrator, it doesn't probe him very deeply. We see his version of himself."[4]

    Mick LaSalle writes in a review for

    The San Francisco Chronicle, "The film is packed with stories, from numerous talking heads, including Ellsberg. A wealth of information is conveyed with complete clarity."[5] In a review for The Journal of American History, Stephen J. Whitfield notes "the most dangerous man in America" was a moniker "bestowed by Henry Kissinger, who had admired his Harvard University colleague's pioneering work in decision theory. But the film commits the unpardonable sin of leaving the title unexplained."[6]

    In a review for NPR, Mark Jenkins writes that the filmmakers "sometimes rely on Errol Morris-style reconstructions of events, which are less deft than Morris'. Distractingly, they also use sketchy animation for a few sequences."[7] In a review for Variety, Ronnie Scheib writes, "While a present-day Ellsberg complains that the massive number of bombs dropped on Vietnam, which he repeatedly mentioned in press conferences back then, was never duly reported, Ehrlich and Goldsmith redress that silence with a bombardment of newsreel images of aerial destruction."[8]

    The Most Dangerous Man in America has an approval rating of 96% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 56 reviews, and an average rating of 7.84/10.[9] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 75 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10]

    Awards and nominations

    Nominated

    • Best Documentary Feature

    Won

    International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

    • Special Jury Award

    Palm Springs International Film Festival

    • Audience Award Best Documentary

    National Board of Review, USA

    • Freedom of Expression Award

    Mill Valley Film Festival, USA

    • Audience Award Best Documentary

    San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, USA

    • Best In Fest

    Boulder International Film Festival, USA

    • Best Feature Documentary

    It's All True Film Festival, Brazil

    • Audience Award Best Documentary

    Fresno Film Festival, USA

    • Audience Award Best Documentary

    Sydney Film Festival, Australia

    • Best Documentary

    Mendocino Film Festival, USA

    • Audience Choice Award Co-Winner

    Docaviv Film Festival, Israel

    • Special Jury Mention

    Traverse City Film Festival, USA

    • Audience Award Best Documentary

    American Historical Association, USA

    • John O'Connor Film Award

    History Makers Award, USA

    • Best History Production

    Organization of American Historians, USA

    See also

    References

    1. ^ a b Hale, Mike (16 September 2009). "Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, The Untold Story of a War, and the Story of the Man Who Told It". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
    2. ^ "The Most Dangerous Man in America | POV | PBS". PBS.
    3. ^ 70th Annual Peabody Awards, May 2011.
    4. ^ Ebert, Roger (24 March 2010). "His conscience leaked the Pentagon Papers". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
    5. The San Francisco Chronicle
      . Retrieved 17 June 2022.
    6. JSTOR 40662976
      . Retrieved 17 June 2022.
    7. ^ Jenkins, Mark (4 February 2010). "Ellsberg's 'Dangerous' Decision: To Tell The Truth". NPR. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
    8. ^ Scheib, Ronnie (13 September 2009). "The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers". Variety. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
    9. ^ "The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (2009)". Rotten Tomatoes.
    10. ^ "The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers". Metacritic.

    External links

    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Most_Dangerous_Man_in_America&oldid=1215635975"