Movie Details
| Title: | Citizenfour | |
| Director: | Laura Poitras | |
| Year: | 2014 | |
| Genre: | Documentary | |
| Times Seen: | 1 | |
| Last Seen: | 03.11.15 |
Other Movies Seen By This Director (0)
| Date Viewed | Venue | Note |
| 03.11.15 | Internet | A doc following Ed Snowden's whistle-blowing. I really liked this and have some thoughts about both the movie and the subject matter. I'm not sure I can put them all down coherently but whatever. The movie: The best thing about this movie is how in-the-moment it is. You really get a glimpse of what it's like to be living in Ed Snowden's world at the exact moment in which he becomes world news. Right when I started to ponder what it must be like to leave your house knowing that you would probably not ever coming back. Leaving a note for your girlfriend or wife knowing that there's a good chance you may not ever get to see her again. Giving up ties to your parents, your home, your friends... trading it all in for a hotel room in Hong Kong and one bag full of clothes. A huge part of me is so glad to have an "uninteresting" life so I don't need to worry about any of that, so much so that you feel the full gravity of what Snowden's convictions must be in order for him to go through with it. He's totally smart enough to understand what it means... he didn't just fall into this like it was some movie or something... Then all of a sudden his face is on every channel on the tv, random fire alarms start going off as soon as he unplugs the phone, and just like that he has to go in hiding, knowing better than the rest of us how easily he can be found and fucked. And the cameras were rolling. That's what's so great about this doc... you feel and see it. Subject-wise: I still don't understand why people aren't more upset. For the last 20 or 30 years or whatever there have been people in tinfoil hats being mocked for thinking big brother is watching us and now that it's come out: not a rumor or an allegation or some matter in dispute but hard cold undeniable FACT... all people want to do is say "duh! Of course I knew that, only an idiot wouldn't assume that. geez! Like me on facebook subscribe to my youtube channel #imsosmart" This is not a hopeful picture of my country and its people. Where are the marches? The protests? the boycotts? Where's the fucking impeachment hearings? Clinton gets roasted for lying about fucking an intern but the "democratic" governments around the world, in concert, systematically collecting any and all information about all of its people regardless of motive or cause for a dozen years and we all are just happy to shrug our shoulders and say "what are ya gonna do?" *he fervently types into his keyboard as he sits comfortably at home in his boxer shorts not doing shit either* So I'm mad at myself as well. What's left but to consider this reaction another sign of America's decline, right? Or maybe even humanity's decline? They need to start showing this doc in schools... The testimony from that lavabit guy as he tearfully recounts how the U.S. government went after him, forcing him to shut down rather than knowingly betray every one of his customers, is enough for a high school or college course alone. So much impotent rage right now! Goddamn it! Holy shit where's the Tylenol... |
