Edward Snowden, It is a name you may remember hearing in the news. He risked his life to inform the public that the technology to give the government access to every phone call, internet search, and online activity is being used to record and store huge amounts of data, analyzed whenever anyone is suspected of being a threat to national security.
The movie Snowden, directed by Oliver Stone is an eye opening look into this man’s life, and motivations. Stone personalizes this newsworthy figure by showing his journey from a young man embarking on a career in line with the values of his family’s legacy of honorable military service, to a top security clearance whistleblower, who gave up everything to share information about our government’s top agencies of intelligence.
By including the personal dynamics of Snowden’s romance with girlfriend Lindsay Mills, Stone expertly awakens the viewers empathy for them both.
While it is an exciting, and sexy story of secret agents and covert operations, it is also a sobering reminder that our government enacts undisclosed policies against its own citizens without their knowledge. This is not fiction but facts.
This feature film is an important history lesson on events which will have long lasting ramifications. Whether Edward Snowden is a remembered as a traitor or a patriot will be determined by the American public’s understanding and actions in the up-coming years.
Snowden is playing now at local cinemas, but if you don’t get a chance to see it in the theater, make sure to check it out on your favorite platform in the future.