Daniel ellsberg explains why he leaked the pentagon papers. Heres what was really at stake in the pentagon papers case. Decisionmaking process on viet nam policy, 19451967are of a similar order. The papers were released by daniel ellsberg, who had worked on the study. What were the pentagon papers, and why were they so important. The post was a good movie, but daniel ellsberg was no. His historical movie about the pentagon papers affair, starring tom hanks and meryl streep, has been slated for limited release in december followed by wide release january 2018, two months before ready player one, a feature film that sees steven spielberg return to.
Steven spielbergs pentagon papers movie cast is nuts. The pentagon papers was a classified study about the vietnam war commissioned by the defense department which revealed the futility and escalation of what was looking like an unwinnable war. The new york times had not only published the pentagon papers before the washington post, but had also set the stage for the major legal. The post is a 2017 american historical political thriller film directed and produced by steven. Mike gravel of alaska, an opponent of the vietnam war draft, reads to reporters in a senate hearing room from what he said were the pentagon. Read the true story behind the controversial papers. Len downie, former washington post editor, talks about the real people behind the major motion picture.
This compelling political drama is based on the true story of highranking pentagon official daniel ellsberg, who, during the nixon era, strove to preserve american democracy by leaking topsecret documents to the new york times and washington post. The secret history of the vietnam war neil sheehan, herick smith, e. The scandals of the pentagon papers and watergate, coupled with a general post60s distrust of authority and institution, led to a miniboom of taut, paranoid conspiracy thrillers like the. New movie the post focuses on the washington posts publication of the pentagon papers. The movie made nothing of the great democratrepublican divide that exists today. The pentagon papers, the post, and journalism in 2018 new. The pentagon papers was the name given to a secret department of defense study of u. The script was written by liz hannah and josh singer, and the film features an acclaimed ensemble cast including alison brie, carrie coon, david cross, bruce. The movie pentagon papers was quite good in bringing that time period to life, although it was rather hard to tell when it was actually taken place due to the costumes used. An account of the legal and political battle over the pentagon papers. Compare and contrast it to the first new york times pentagon papers based article. Their publication culminated intense debate within both. Ellsbergs disclosure, by the times and later the washington post, became known as the pentagon papers.
Presidents pushed the countrys first female newspaper publisher and a harddriving editor to join an unprecedented battle. The liberties taken by director spielberg and writers liz hannah and josh singer last year in making the postabout defense analyst daniel ellsbergs 1971 leak of the socalled pentagon papers formally titled history of u. Ben bradlee tom hanks and kay graham meryl streep grapple with. Spielberg, streep, hanks may team for pentagon papers movie. The second installment appeared the next day, and when it was clear that the papers would be coming out in an extended. Steven spielbergs new movie about the leaked pentagon papers. Focusing on the post seems to me historically slightly off, but the movie really isnt about the pentagon papers, he said. The movie is called the post, but the times got the. Hollywood dream team steven spielberg, tom hanks and meryl streep are considering taking on some classified government documents in a feature film about the pentagon papers case. The documents in question would eventually become famous as the pentagon papers, which revealed the true reasons for u. T he pentagon papers broke in the new york times on sunday, june, 1971. The heart of the movie is set at the post, where the papers executive.
The papers were first released by daniel ellsberg, a former u. Meryl streep to star in steven soderberghs panama papers. The press, the pentagon papers and the post newspaper in. With the release of steven spielbergs movie, the post, we look back at the battle between the post and the nixon administration over the. On thursday december 14, the washington posts chief film critic ann hornaday sat down with director steven spielberg and cast members of. For instance, roy harris wrote for poynter that the overall story of the pentagon papers as journalism seems somehow twisted by the postcentric focus of the movie. Meryl streep calls pentagon papers movie an extremely patriotic.
Steven spielbergs new movie, the post has premiered in washington telling the story of the battle to publish the leaked pentagon papers. Post and the nixon administration over the pentagon papers. In 1971, ellsberg leaked the pentagon papers to the press in the hope that they would help end the vietnam war. With meryl streep, tom hanks, sarah paulson, bob odenkirk. Defense worker daniel ellsberg seeks to publish a series of classified government documents detailing the true nature of americas involvement in the vietnam war. Daniel ellsberg on the key scene that didnt make the. Pentagon papers put the press under pressure by bob mondello npr jan.
Conflict brews when one of bens reporters unearths a copy of the pentagon papers, a secret document setting out the ongoing vietnam wars various. In the case of the pentagon papers, she wasnt encouraging incisive, independent. Since the release of steven spielbergs latest film, the post, theres been a spike in interest about the pentagon papers, a classified study of the u. The movie is called the post, but the times got the scoop on the pentagon papers. Katharine graham at the beginning of the film to the post owner at the moment of decision and after. In a recent interview on npr, ellsberg mentioned that, on one occasion, police came in and. Pentagon papers, papers that contain a history of the u. The pentagon papers was the name given to a topsecret department of defense study of u. The pentagon papers, the post, and journalism in 2018. The central human story of the film is the transformation of graham, the posts owner who had taken the helm of the paper only after her. Official youtube channel for 20th century fox movies. Articles related to pentagon papers movie the post. Steven spielberg pentagon papers movie retitled the post. Washington daniel ellsberg, the military analyst turned activist whose leak of the pentagon papers in 1971 is the backstory to the post, is a fan of the steven spielberg movie.
Neither was the future of the freedom of the press in the wake of daniel ellsbergs leaking of the pentagon papers in 1971 in what may be the most heralded case of federal whistleblowing ellsberg matthew rhys, the americans, brothers and sisters was. The full cast list has been unveiled for steven spielbergs pentagon papers movie, starring tom hanks and meryl streep, and its full of talented folks. They were turned over without authorization to the new york times by daniel ellsberg, a senior research associate at the massachusetts institute of technologys center for international. The pentagon papers came out during a relatively liberal on the court, although it was becoming more conservative since the departure of chief justice earl warren in 1969. In 1971, following the public revelation of the pentagon papers, both the. Factchecking the movie the post, oscar nominee for best picture. The washington post published its first pentagon papers based article, documents reveal u. The pentagon papers made headlines prior to publication when the.
Steven spielberg pentagon papers film adds sarah paulson. With james spader, claire forlani, paul giamatti, alan arkin. The washington post is now a stalwart of the national press corps, but, as the movie the post makes clear, its status was not assured. James spader was quite good as the hero of the story. The script was written by liz hannah and josh singer, and the film features an.
The post, but the times got the scoop on the pentagon papers. Seven films to stream if you loved the post nyt watching. From left, reporter neil sheehan, managing editor a. The pentagon papers was the topsecret department of defense study of our nations political and military involvement in vietnam from 1945 to 1967. The post is cofinanced by fox and amblin entertainment with fox handling domestic distribution. Steven spielberg dirige meryl streep et tom hanks dans le film pentagon. An hds alum, a xerox machine, and the pentagon papers. The post official trailer hd 20th century fox youtube. If you want to know more about the pentagon papers. Surprisingly, the pentagon papers premiered march 9, 2003, over the fx network, a cable service owned by the markedly conservative rupert murdoch. The new movie the post tells the story of the pentagon papers from a curious perspective that ignores much of the drama of the real history, as james dieugenio explains. The papers chase news worcester magazine worcester, ma. The times got and published the papers first, and times partisans are grousing that spielberg should have made a movie about that instead.
The post renews attention for pentagon papers ruling. Spielberg stretches back 46 years to assert the primacy of the first amendment, drawing a distinct parallel with eras in american history, including the current. Steven spielberg directs meryl streep and tom hanks in the post, a thrilling drama about the unlikely partnership between the washington posts katharine graham streep, the first female. The pentagon papers, officially titled report of the office of the secretary of defense vietnam task force, is a united states department of defense history of the united states political and military involvement in vietnam from 1945 to 1967.