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1971

Play trailer Poster for 1971 2014 1h 19m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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97% Tomatometer 31 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
On March 8, 1971, The Citizens' Commission to Investigate the FBI, a group of ordinary citizens, breaks into a small FBI office in Pennsylvania, takes every file, and exposes the FBI's illegal surveillance and intimidation of citizens.
1971

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Illuminating a chapter of America's past that ties directly into current events, 1971 persuasively demonstrates that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

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Critics Reviews

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Robert Lloyd Los Angeles Times In her recounting, a strange and lively atmosphere of outrage, enthusiasm and paranoia, Hamilton has made of her tale a kind of real-life, old-fashioned analog caper film. Jun 4, 2015 Full Review Kate Muir Times (UK) 1971 is a fascinating documentary that unearths the human story behind a burglary of the FBI offices in Media, Pennsylvania, when every secret file was stolen. Rated: 4/5 Jun 4, 2015 Full Review Leslie Felperin Guardian Well worth seeking out, especially for anyone with an interest in activism and counterculture history. Rated: 4/5 Jun 4, 2015 Full Review Deborah Krieger The Stake (Minnesota) The film is entertaining; there are many small moments of humor to be found in the tense situations, and audiences are satisfied to see the FBI's activities exposed for what they were. Jul 27, 2018 Full Review John Fink The Film Stage Well-told and engaging, 1971 effectively build a portrait of the times and what follows without leaning too heavily on the recreations. Rated: B+ Jun 6, 2016 Full Review David Parkinson Radio Times Grips like a thriller but it also amuses ... Rated: 4/5 Jun 4, 2015 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member It's I must see for everyone. It just shows how people have truly changed and not in the best way either Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member "1971" is such a wonderfully realized and informative documentary, that not only gives you a real sense of the period in which it documents, but also acts as a brilliant and tense story, leaving the viewer in awe. "1971" follows the story of a group of young political activists, who in the early 70's had enough with J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI. As a form of protest, the group managed to secretly infiltrate an FBI office and steal hundreds of incriminating documents, which they would send to new papers and media outlets alike, bursting the FBI wide open and forcing them to rethink and change their strategies. It's no secret to anyone who has ever watched a documentary on America, that the FBI are criminally corrupt and held up by the grace of the corruption in the American government, its just a fact, however for me, although I was aware of the stuff they were capable of, still found "1971" to be totally fresh and in some instances frightening. Here we have a brilliantly simple and human story, told via the actual activists who carried out the raid, its constantly intimate and the entire first act feels like you are sitting through the best parts of a Mission Impossible plan. The story is wonderfully told through contributor and also reenactment, adding a further sense of tension. The film manages to have all its markers laid out and hit each one every time, the film is paced brilliantly, is constantly heartfelt and informative, it is full of information and never makes your feel over bloated, this is a brilliantly crafted piece of film. Its hard to find flaws with "1971", maybe a lack of opposing contributors may file under that category, however the proof is so in the pudding with its argument, it would be impossible to argue with anything this film lays on the table. A must watch. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member Interesting forebear of wikileaks and expose of governmental misdeed. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member This excellent documentary is almost a prequel to Watergate. FBI and internal surveliance. Aren't you glad this never happened again?! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member important documentary Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Audience Member A reminder that it is never a good idea to hand over to much power to any group or agency for the illusion of safety. The best intentions always end up being corrupted and abused. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews
1971

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Movie Info

Synopsis On March 8, 1971, The Citizens' Commission to Investigate the FBI, a group of ordinary citizens, breaks into a small FBI office in Pennsylvania, takes every file, and exposes the FBI's illegal surveillance and intimidation of citizens.
Director
Johanna Hamilton
Producer
Katy Chevigny, Johanna Hamilton, Marilyn Ness
Screenwriter
Johanna Hamilton, Gabriel Rhodes
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 5, 2016
Runtime
1h 19m