Although it has earned significant criticism from Assange's fans, We Steal Secrets is an insightful documentary, arousing sympathy for the Wikileaks cause while remaining critical of Julian Assange.
The film follows a chronological narrative from Assange's early years as a hacker to the Bradley Manning scandal. It makes a good case for the necessity of an organization like Wikileaks, noting its role in exposing banking malfeasance in Iceland and the infamous "Collateral Murder" tape. It also provides an excellent argument for the heroism of Bradley Manning. Although it is careful to show his personal problems, it makes clear that his motivations were wholly benevolent. The film documents the sadistic treatment of Manning by the American military, making clear who the real bad guys are.
Much of the controversy surrounding this film revolves around its depiction of Julian Assange. Although I think its treatment of the rape accusations against him was not thorough enough, (I personally believe the allegations to be trumped up), the heart of its critique is that Assange was too self-centered to be a good leader for Wikileaks. He ultimately alienated most of his allies, fatally weakening the organization.
The ultimate message of We Steal Secrets is that we should not put too much faith in a public figure, or follow them unquestioningly. This is as applicable to the recent Edward Snowden case as it is to Assange. It is a thought-provoking film well worth seeing.
The film follows a chronological narrative from Assange's early years as a hacker to the Bradley Manning scandal. It makes a good case for the necessity of an organization like Wikileaks, noting its role in exposing banking malfeasance in Iceland and the infamous "Collateral Murder" tape. It also provides an excellent argument for the heroism of Bradley Manning. Although it is careful to show his personal problems, it makes clear that his motivations were wholly benevolent. The film documents the sadistic treatment of Manning by the American military, making clear who the real bad guys are.
Much of the controversy surrounding this film revolves around its depiction of Julian Assange. Although I think its treatment of the rape accusations against him was not thorough enough, (I personally believe the allegations to be trumped up), the heart of its critique is that Assange was too self-centered to be a good leader for Wikileaks. He ultimately alienated most of his allies, fatally weakening the organization.
The ultimate message of We Steal Secrets is that we should not put too much faith in a public figure, or follow them unquestioningly. This is as applicable to the recent Edward Snowden case as it is to Assange. It is a thought-provoking film well worth seeing.