GurlyIamBeach Instant Favorite.

Salubfoto It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Roy Hart If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

tiailds Saw a article online about it and gave it a shot."Was it interesting?" It definitely tells the events well, though the lead-up is far too long.2 out of 3."Was it memorable?" The acting was good for a TV movie. Spader did well, but would have casted someone closer in looks and temperament.1.5 out of 3."Was it entertaining?" The back-story was so long, I wondered where the movie was going to end. The "antagonists" are somewhat comical.1.5 out of 3.Starting with 1 (or else military intelligence will come looking), 1 + 2 + 1.5 + 1.5 = 6 While flawed and slightly cheap, this movie was done well.

TheMulderFox Daniel Ellsberg is a brilliant and impassioned military analyst who wants nothing more than to serve his country in the most meaningful way he can. However in the end it seems that his greatest act of patriotism is to commit an act of treason.Sounds like gripping stuff, the kicker is that it is all based on real life events. Now these types of docudramas can go horridly wrong all too easily in so many ways, however "The Pentagon Papers" manages to cleverly avoid most of these. Half of this is down to a solid script and the other primarily to the director for clearly thinking his decisions through to completion and creating a cohesive film on the whole.Now I have to confess that I am a fan of James Spaders' work and find him to be a very under rated actor over the whole. Now that being said he does do an admirable job of chronicling the characters proverbial decent into madness (if you will forgive the dramatized language) as he goes from being a trusted insider only three steps removed from the president to being branded a traitor and hunted by the F.B.I.The movie has some shortcomings and most of them I feel are likely due to time constraints placed on made for TV movies. They could, for instance, have easily taken time to develop the gaps in the story some more. Specifically in terms of the inter personal relationships portrayed and in terms of Elsberg's ever increasing sense of disillusionment in the government he believed in so vehemently just a few years before. As it seems at times, though years have passed in the time line, nothing has really changed for the characters.That having been said I am of the opinion that the film does capture the general feeling of mistrust in the government that was so prevalent during the early seventies, as more and more revelations of the abuse of power at the highest levels and the lies that were being fed to the public to justify even greater lies became known. Although it is all related from very personal perspectives.One of the strongest elements was the visual style employed by the director. I was constantly reminded of Oliver Stone in that respect. The uses of period news broadcasts are very cleverly deployed throughout the movie.So do yourself a favor and watch "The Pentagon Papers", it can be both enlightening and entertaining, definitely 90 odd minutes well spent.

rgblin This real story describes how did Daniel Ellsberg try to stop Vietnam War. He was one of them who thought the victory belongs to USA. But when he was being a inspector in Vietnam, he started to doubt himself. The papers for evaluating the situation of the war for Vietnam from Rand Corporation is totally changed him. I don't know anything about Vietnam War before seeing this movie. And this movie makes me to recall another movie, Fahrenheit 911. Both movies are different in style. One is telling the truth in back, the other one may be a truth, too. One is using serious way, the other one using a humorous way(but we should take it seriously, war is not a funny thing). I think anything has connection with politics, that will be the most terrible thing. Because everybody has a dark side. No one is totally bright!(That is that guy's dark side is having huge bright proportion.) I don't think Daniel Ellsberg is a traitor. If he is, he betrayed to the law which protect people who make wrong decision and don't want to take responsibility.

bertieclem This is a terrific movie about a story that few know. I believe Walter Cronkite called Daniel Ellsberg's leaking of the Pentagon Papers war document the most important story of the latter part of the 20th Century. Performances are really strong and the direction excellent. This is one of those rare moments when a telefilm elevates itself and becomes something very important.