‘Citizenfour’ looks at sacrifices made by Snowden

Former U.S. intelligence operative Edward Snowden speaks during a virtual press conference. EFE/File

Rating: R

When: Opens Friday

Where: Landmark La Jolla Village

Running time: 1 hour, 54 minutes

Movies come along all the time that people say everyone should see. Usually, that isnt actually true, but I believe it is in the case of Citizenfour, the new documentary from filmmaker Laura Poitras about Edward Snowden, the NSA contractor who leaked a treasure-trove of classified documents to Poitras, journalist Glenn Greenwald and others last year, blowing the whistle on the NSAs massive surveillance and data-mining operation.

Put aside politics for a moment, as well as your feelings as to whether Snowden, a bright 29-year-old who tossed his life aside to expose those practices, is a hero, a patriot or a traitor. Citizenfour, which is the code name Snowden used when he originally contacted Poitras, puts you in the Hong Kong hotel room for the initial meetings between Snowden and Greenwald, and gives the viewer incredible insight into Snowdens personality and motives, as well as explaining precisely what the NSA and other intelligence organizations around the world have been up to.

It plays out like a real-life espionage thriller, and its horrifying in its scope. Most importantly, Citizenfour offers dramatic insight into what was probably the worlds biggest security breach of the new millennium, and might make you reconsider whether you currently think Snowden deserves the Nobel Peace Prize or a jail cell.

Perhaps the greatest strength of Citizenfour is the humanization of Ed Snowden. It hits home as you watch this young mans life crumble, while hes half a world away, doing his best to live up to his own ideals. Snowden comes across as thoughtful, sharp and committed to letting the public know the truth about the world in which they live, and he expects it to cost him everything. Still, when it does, the weight of all that information is clearly heavy on his shoulders, and hes juxtaposed with the audacity of the NSAs secret data collection, and the blatant lies its leaders told Congress.

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‘Citizenfour’ looks at sacrifices made by Snowden