The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (2009)

Daniel Ellsberg was a very, very important figure during the 60s and 70s and today most people 50 and younger probably have no idea who he is. This is a shame, as his story is fascinating and well worth hearing.The documentary begins in the mid-1960s. Ellsberg is a big name in the Pentagon. He'd served in Vietnam and was rather hawkish about the war. However, as he gained more and more power, he came into contact with more and more super-secret documents and what he read disturbed him. There in black & white he could see some evil facts. First, that the Gulf of Tonkin attack that justified President Johnson escalating the Vietnam War was a hoax! Yes, Johnson KNOWINGLY expanded the war and brought in US combat troops after the American public was informed American ships were attacked--but there was no attack! Second, that Pentagon and State Department documents showed that they KNEW the war was unwinnable--yet they were pushing to expand it and throw young folks into this mess! As a result, Ellsberg went from begin pro to anti-war. In fact, he began to speak out publicly. But, this wasn't enough--Ellsberg decided that he need to release these documents regardless of whether or not this would result in him being sent to prison. How all this later led to the downfall of the Nixon White House, you'll need to see for yourself.Overall, this is an excellent documentary. It uses contemporary film footage and modern interviews to tell the story of a man who felt compelled to violate his oath of loyalty to the President. See this--it's fascinating from start to finish.

Daniel Ellsberg was indeed a man of conscience who did his country a great service when he told the truth about the Vietnam War. This documentary explains in great detail how his personal experience both as a Marine Corps officer and later as a Rand Corporation officer made this possible. His unique POV put him in a position that compelled him to release the information as a matter of conscience to stop the killing. I see NOW that the Wikileaks case could very well develop along similar lines. The message I got from this documentary is to trust NO POLITICIAN - they all lie and the people must be informed. Finally, the American press has become lazy. We need a Walter Cronkite for the 21st Century. Oh, and Richard Nixon was not just a crook - he was evil, too. The documentary (and Nixon's own words) will make that clear.

This documentary is a must-see for anyone interested in American history. The most important reason to see it is that it illustrates the cozy nature of press-government relations in the 1960s, and how that relationship changed radically, albeit slowly, as a result of Daniel Ellsberg's leak of the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times.The Pentagon Papers were top secret documents that detailed the real reasons for America's entry into the Vietnam War. They clearly showed that presidents Kennedy and Johnson had lied to the American public and flouted international law in sending troops to Southeast Asia. What was revolutionary was the mainstream press's eventual willingness to publish the classified documents. This had never been done before in America. The story as told in this film is as riveting as any spy caper, and shows how individual acts of courage on the part of several people were crucial to the success of Ellsberg's efforts to reveal the truth.There is also some black humor in the film, where President Nixon reveals his vengeful anger against Ellsberg on excerpts from his famous tapes. It is no exaggeration to say that Ellsberg almost single-handedly set in motion the events that would bring down the Nixon presidency and end America's involvement in Vietnam.

Let us all be eternally thankful that Daniel Ellsberg,a decorated Marine,working for the Rand Corporation in the 1960's had the inner vision to question the dangerous mindset of President Lyndon B. Johnson when he sent troops to South East Asia,in a country (at the time)nobody had even heard of before,the People's republic of Viet Nam to liberate the country from the (so called)Godless Communists that threatened our existence (or better,threatened Johnson's so called existence,despite the fact that Viet Nam had never even fired a shot at us). The war in Viet Nam was a war that was predicted America would never win,and did not,not however,before thousands of American troops were killed or maimed in various battles with the Viet Cong. In 1969,Ellsberg decided to take a calculated risk & make photo copies of top secret documents of the (then)Pentagon reports on America's involvement in Viet Nam. The papers were finally brought to attention to aspects of the mainstream media in 1971,and the flood gates opened (and opened up wide),at a time when Richard Nixon,who when elected a scant three years earlier,promised to bring American troops home (and not surprisingly,lied through his teeth,and did not,extending our involvement in Viet Nam for another seven years). All of this makes for one powder keg of a political thriller,for those who expect more from film. Judith Ehrlich & Rick Goldsmith co direct this well documented film,with testimony from those who were there,both currently still living,as well as those who have passed away over the years,from a script written by Judith Ehrlich & Michael Chandler. Cinematography by Vicente Franco & Dan Krauss,with editing by Michael Chandler,Rick Goldsmith & Lawrence Lerew. Featuring:Daniel Ellsberg,John Dean,Patrica Ellsberg,Bud Krogh, Tony Russo & Hendrick Smith,as well as the voices of Richard Nixon,Henry Kissinger,and others involved in the dirty dealings of war. Not rated by the MPAA,but contains horrific images & testimonies of the horrors of war,as well as some undeleted expletives from the mouth of Richard Nixon & others that some parents may,or may not want very young children to hear