Review of The Fifth Estate (2013) by Ce C — 23 Oct 2013

I think the problem many people have with this film is that it doesn't fit into any typical pigeon holes and makes pretty much everyone uncomfortable somewhere along the way. It requires too much focused attention for the adrenaline-rush ADD action/thriller crowd, doesn't choose a side and make either the establishment or the hipster/radical/tech crowd look heroic and free from blemishes, and it doesn't make Assange or Domscheit-Berg charmingly or especially likable but very real people with all the flaws and damage of humans, and it doesn't present things through the lens of U.

S., European, or Australian culture. What it does do is present a compelling look at the moral and ethical issues behind the questions of responsibility - both personal and governmental - in an open communications society.

And it doesn't claim there are easy right-or-wrong answers. The performances by Cumberbatch and Bruhl are amazing! I completely forgot I was watching actors and became lost in the story and the milieu these people inhabit.

As an American I was greatly disturbed in the revelations about our conduct in the Mid-East wars and as a Free Speech advocate and technical nerd working in expanding online access, I was equally disturbed by the scenes depicting the consequences of uncensored disclosure of sensitive information.

I found the cold, quiet, methodical presentation perfect for addressing the same kind grey areas and questions that many 50's/60's Cold War films. See it if you are willing to do a bit of uncomfortable self-assessment and thinking.