The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers

Released Feb 5, 2010

1h 32m

Documentary

List

96%

Tomatometer

56 Reviews

90%

Audience Score

1,000+ Ratings

This acclaimed documentary provides insight into the actions of Daniel Ellsberg, a leading American military strategist who leaked the Pentagon Papers, a massive top-secret document that pointed to government deception about the Vietnam War. The film looks at Ellsberg himself and at the repercussions of his surprising revelations, which led to a media circus and ultimately contributed to end of both the Vietnam conflict and the presidency of Richard Nixon.

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Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

It's a bit surprising that a documentary with such an unwieldy title offers such a streamlined and resonant account of history.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 30, 2010

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Chris Vognar

Dallas Morning News

For those who know the story, Most Dangerous Man puts it in fresh perspective. If you don't, there's probably not a better way to discover it.

Rated: 4.5/5

Apr 23, 2010

Full Review

Steven Rea

Philadelphia Inquirer

For those who lived through the turmoil of Vietnam, and for the generations that have come since, the film is an important document in its own right.

Rated: 3.5/4

Apr 1, 2010

Full Review

David Harris

Spectrum Culture

If anything, there is much to learn from The Most Dangerous Man in America that is still applicable today, or at least until our country ceases beginning conflicts on false pretense.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 5, 2020

Full Review

Glenn Dunks

The Film Experience

Watching this film in 2018 with The Post so fresh in the mind, however, is a particularly unique experience. The documentary helps flesh out many of the exterior strands of the story that Spielberg's film left out (deliberately).

Rated: B+

Feb 28, 2018

Full Review

Christian Science Monitor

Rated: 4/5

Jan 3, 2011

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Thomas H G

To be and informed citizen you need to see this movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/01/23

Full Review

s r

An important story, but the bias in it undermined the credibility.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The Most Dangerous Man in America is quite literally the best documentary I have ever watched. The producers of this documentary, Rick Goldsmith and Judith Ehrlich, effectively show the truth about Daniel Ellsberg and the release of the Pentagon Papers. Throughout the documentary, the interviews with Daniel Ellsberg himself, B-roll clips, and soundbites all are used as convincing elements in showing that Daniel Ellsberg is not the evil man he is often portrayed to be. Instead, he was simply taking part in civil disobedience and wanted to show the American public the truth about our government, which was that they were lying to the American population about the Vietnam War. The documentary covers the timeline from the decision of Ellsberg releasing the Pentagon Papers to the American public all the way to when his case was dropped and he was deemed innocent. This documentary is truly a must-see for anyone who is interested in this period of American history, or simply for anyone who is interested in history in general. Interviews with Daniel Ellsberg help show his thought processes in releasing these government reports and that he was truly acting in a noble manner. After watching this film, anyone will be able to see how ironic Ellsbergâ(TM)s label of the most dangerous man in America is, and that he actually acted in a virtuous manner.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers is a documentary film that follows the widely known scandal of the release of government documents regarding the position of the Vietnam war. Ehrlich and Goldsmith present this piece through the accounts of Ellsberg, his surrounding family, as well as the opposing view. Illustrated throughout the film is Ellsberg's change of mind from pro-war to anti-war. He initially loved his job under Robert McNamara trying to moderate the war and bring democracy to Vietnam. He viewed his job as righteous but soon came to see the real truth of the war and how the government was keeping the public blind to the actual state of the Vietnam war. Ellsberg then made the decision to tear the blindfold away from the public by illegally copying thousands of top secret documents and then releasing them to the press. Ellsberg conveys his willingness to sacrifice himself to a lifetime jail sentence to rightfully restore truth to the public. The Most Dangerous Man in America, is a film that exemplifies Ellsberg's actions to guide the American citizens on how we should perceive the government. Ellsberg's attempt to end a war is justified through this documentary by his greater word to question our government and public officials. The film encourages us to use perseverance and persistence to find the truth about what is really happening in our society and government.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This documentary, directed by Ehrlich and Goldsmith, is a must-see for anyone who has an interest in the U.S. governmentï¿ 1/2(TM)s involvement in the Vietnam War. The film walks the audience through what happened leading up to the release of the Pentagon Papers all the way through when Daniel Ellsbergï¿ 1/2(TM)s case was dropped and he was seen as innocent. Though narrated by Daniel Ellsberg, the directors did an excellent job of not glorifying him and exploring his thought process regarding him giving the Papers to the press. This act of civil disobedience, by releasing the Pentagon Papers, led to a sense of mistrust within the American government as a number of secrets were kept from the American people. This film accurately depicts this by ironically calling Daniel Ellsberg the ï¿ 1/2most dangerous man in Americaï¿ 1/2? when that fact isnï¿ 1/2(TM)t true. Through Ellsberg telling his personal account and the plenty of B-roll clips and soundbites, the film makes for an entertaining, yet educational watch. The filmmakers send a message to the viewers, that Ellsberg tries to do what is for the greater good of the American people and that we should try to follow in his footsteps. The documentary is very well-done and truly captures the essence of the man who helped bring an end to the Vietnam War.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This documentary, directed by Ehrlich and Goldsmith, is a must-see for anyone who has an interest in the U.S. governmentâ(TM)s involvement in the Vietnam War. The film walks the audience through what happened leading up to the release of the Pentagon Papers all the way through when Daniel Ellsbergâ(TM)s case was dropped and he was seen as innocent. Though narrated by Daniel Ellsberg, the directors did an excellent job of not glorifying him and exploring his thought process regarding him giving the Papers to the press. This act of civil disobedience, by releasing the Pentagon Papers, led to a sense of mistrust within the American government as a number of secrets were kept from the American people. This film accurately depicts this by ironically calling Daniel Ellsberg the âmost dangerous man in Americaâ? when that fact isnâ(TM)t true. Through Ellsberg telling his personal account and the plenty of B-roll clips and soundbites, the film makes for an entertaining, yet educational watch. The filmmakers send a message to the viewers, that Ellsberg tries to do what is for the greater good of the American people and that we should try to follow in his footsteps. The documentary is very well-done and truly captures the essence of the man who helped bring an end to the Vietnam War.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

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Judith Ehrlich

Director

Rick Goldsmith

Director

Peter Arnett

Self

Ben Bagdikian

Self

Judith Ehrlich

Producer

Rick Goldsmith

Producer

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Synopsis

This acclaimed documentary provides insight into the actions of Daniel Ellsberg, a leading American military strategist who leaked the Pentagon Papers, a massive top-secret document that pointed to government deception about the Vietnam War. The film looks at Ellsberg himself and at the repercussions of his surprising revelations, which led to a media circus and ultimately contributed to end of both the Vietnam conflict and the presidency of Richard Nixon.

Director: Judith Ehrlich, Rick Goldsmith
Distributor: First Run
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 5, 2010, Limited
Release Date (DVD): Jul 20, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $453.5K
Runtime: 1h 32m