The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers

The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, US 2009 colour  92 min.
dir:  Judith Ehrlich, Rick Goldsmith
pro: Judith Ehrlich, Rick Goldsmith, Independent Television Service (ITVS)
sc: Lawrence Lerew, Rick Goldsmith, Judith Ehrlich, Michael Chandler
ph: Vicente Franco, Dan Krauss
mus: Blake Leyh
ed: Michael Chandler, Lawrence Lerew, Rick Goldsmith
cast: Patricia Marx Ellsberg, Richard Falk,  Thomas Schelling, Tom Oliphant, Mort Halperin, Janaki Natajaran Tschannerl, Anthony (Tony) Russo, Robert Ellsberg, Hedrick Smith, Daniel Ellsberg

 

“The Most Dangerous Man in America” catapults us to 1971 where we find America in the grip of a familiar scenario: a dirty war based on lies. And Dr. Daniel Ellsberg, one of the nation’s leading war planners, has the documents to prove it. Armed with 7000 pages of Top Secret documents; he leaks the truth about the Vietnam War to “The New York Times” and risks life in prison to end the war he helped plan. It is a story that held the world in its grip, with daily headlines, the top story on the nightly news for weeks on end. What makes a dedicated Cold Warrior throw away his high-level access, his career, his friends, and risk life in prison for a mere CHANCE at helping to end the war?  Ellsberg’s leak of the top-secret Pentagon Papers to “The New York Times” sets into motion an extraordinary series of events. Ellsberg goes underground to avoid a nationwide FBI manhunt. When he emerges, he is hailed as a hero, accused of being a traitor, ostracized by friends, and finds himself on trial for his life.

 

Special Jury Award – International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA)
“Freedom of Expression Award” & One of Top Five Documentaries – National Board of Review
Audience Award, Best Documentary – Mill Valley (CA) Film Festival