Think you know the story behind Edward Snowden and his alleged traitorous spilling of classified U.S. information? Think again. Although the documentary Citizenfour covered the story of Snowden and his whistleblower status as a NSA employee who discovered that the U.S. government was spying on its own citizens and decided to let the world know, there’s nothing like a good old fashioned narrative Hollywood film directed by the leader in conspiracy cinema to truly bring the man’s complicated story to life — Oliver Stone.
Snowden is out now on DVD and Blu-Ray and features an impeccably cast Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the title character. The actor has been turning in great work for decades, but there is something about his turn as the so-called traitor that shows his talent knows new levels of awesomeness. Not only does he capture the tenor of Snowden’s voice, but he incredibly nails his movements, subtle ticks and personality in a way that must bring some serious joy to the man himself who is currently living in exile in Russia.
First and foremost, Stone uses the Mira Hotel in Hong Kong as a central piece to his cinematic puzzle. It is where Snowden made his shocking discoveries about the National Security Agency and its efforts to collect data on American citizens. From there, it is truly a global story in that Snowden makes some tough choices that he knows will change his life forever and will most likely; as history has shown to be true, result in him being a “man without a country.” Although the story is global, it is truly is a laser sharp look at a man whose love of his nation is challenged in a way that he probably never thought it would be.
As we learn in Snowden, the man signed up and served in our military, was recruited by the NSA and launched a career with the agency that played right into his patriotism. It was only after years of working for the agency in our post-9/11 world that our protagonist learns of the – what he perceives to be – illegal activities his agency is practicing.
It’s clear that the Oscar winning filmmaker and his team watched Citizenfour quite intently. Their narrative follows much of the same lineage and as such, is a smartly crafted film.
The cast beyond Gordon-Levitt is outstanding. Melissa Leo nails Laura Poitras, Zachary Quinto is a mirror image, sight and sound-wise of Poitras’s collaborator, the investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald. Tom Wilkinson is Ewen MacAskill, the bureau chief for The Guardian, the outlet that first broke Snowden’s story. Nicolas Cage also nails it as Hank Forrester, the engineer who built the spyware, encryption machines and supercomputers that were used during the Cold War. He is a central figure in Snowden’s evolution from patriot to “traitor.” Rhys Ifans is also terrific as Corbin O’Brian, Snowden’s most trusted instructor at the CIA.
Having interviewed Stone on many occasions, his thoughts on his films always prove priceless. That’s why when it comes to the bonus features on the Snowden Blu-Ray, we have to start with the Audio Commentary with Director Oliver Stone, which is a digital exclusive. The man is beyond knowledgeable on his subject matters, and that is true once again with his expansive research done preparing to make Snowden. Hearing his thoughts on the film, the man himself and the culture that we live in that has produced this story, is truly fascinating, educational and entertaining.
Finding the Truth is a brief (almost four minute) featurette that showcases interviews with Stone and Gordon-Levitt as they discuss what brought them to the film and what most drew each to the story that could easily have been a hot potato too stinging to go near. It is also interesting to hear about the two and their method of collaboration.
What could have been somewhat pedantic proves to be an awesome insight into the making of the film and why Snowden is so important. Snowden: Q&A, is a forty-minute-plus Q&A that took place in New York City that features not only Stone, Gordon-Levitt, but also Shailene Woodley and the real Edward Snowden via video satellite from Moscow! It is truly stunning and a must-view part of the experience that is Stone’s Snowden.
Film Grade: B+
Bonus Features: A-