Line #16 Film/Snowden


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/snowden_poster.jpg]]
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3	''Snowden'' is a 2016 [[{{Biopic}} biographical]] political thriller film directed by Creator/OliverStone based on the books ''The Snowden Files'' by Luke Harding and ''Time of the Octopus'' by Anatoly Kucherena. The film stars Creator/JosephGordonLevitt as eponymous Whistleblower, Edward Snowden, with Creator/TomWilkinson, Creator/ZacharyQuinto and Creator/NicolasCage in supporting roles.
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5	Disillusioned with the intelligence community, top contractor Edward Snowden leaves his job at the National Security Agency. He now knows that a virtual mountain of data is being assembled to track all forms of digital communication -- not just from foreign governments and terrorist groups, but from ordinary Americans. When Snowden decides to leak this classified information, he becomes a traitor to some, a hero to others and a fugitive from the law.
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8	!!This film provides examples of:
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10	* BeepingComputer: Computers in the movie make beeping sounds when being operated.
11	* BigBrotherIsWatching: What Edward realizes is going on and seeks to expose.
12	* BrokenPedestal:
13	** While Ed starts the film idolizing America, seeing how much the USA spies on its own citizens and how corrupt the system can be slowly wears him down.
14	** After seeing what the NSA did under UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush, he couldn't be happier to hear UsefulNotes/BarackObama say he's not going to continue Bush's program. Ed is very disappointed to find out that Obama actually didn't change anything.
15	* CharacterDevelopment: At the start of the film, Ed's point of view is MyCountryRightOrWrong, but witnessing the corruption and questionable methods of the NSA, he slowly realizes that America isn't really that different from what it calls threats.
16	* CompositeCharacter: The character of O'Brian is a composite of a few people and not an actual individual.
17	* CyberPunkIsTechno: Techno music is played in a club scene in a movie about cybercrimes.
18	* {{Dramatization}}: The movie plot overall is very accurate to the real events. One of the artistic licenses taken was [[spoiler:Snowden using the Rubik's cube to smuggle data from the NSA. Snowden never revealed how exactly he managed to get the data]].
19	* DrillSergeantNasty: Snowden encounters one when joining the basic training in the Army.
20	* FanDisservice: There's a sex scene between Ed and Lindsey, played by the very attractive Shailene Woodley, but Ed's paranoia over the strong possibility that someone is watching them make it difficult to find anything erotic in it.
21	* HeroicSacrifice: Ed states that he had the know-how and skills to stay anonymous after leaking the files if he so wanted, but intentionally left a trail so that his co-workers wouldn't be blamed and punished for it.
22	* HistoricalBeautyUpdate: Glenn Greenwald isn't necessarily a bad-looking guy, but he's not quite as handsome as Creator/ZacharyQuinto who plays him here.
23	* HitlerAteSugar: Averted, in that the argument is used correctly. When one of Ed's collegues mentions that while their job may be in a legal grey area, they cannot be arrested for doing it since they work for the government. Ed points out that the Nuremberg trials saw the arrest and execution of several German civil workers who (claimed they) were JustFollowingOrders.
24	* HugeHolographicHead: In one scene, Corbin O'Brian is video-chatting with Snowden via an intimidating huge screen.
25	* GoIntoTheLight: When Snowden leaves the NSA center for the last time, he is bathed in the light coming from the end of the tunnel which symbolizes his transition into a new life.
26	* LudicrousPrecision: When Snowden bumps into Gabriel at the NSA's command center, he asks him how long he's been working there, upon which Gabriel replies "three years, two months, and five days".
27	* MononymousBiopicTitle: ''Snowden''.
28	* RealPersonEpilogue: The real Edward Snowden appears at the end of the movie addressing the audience with some final lines of his own.
29	* TactfulTranslation: When Snowden shows up at a bankster venue, a Russian diplomat tells his interpreter: "This man is either a fool or a spy. Thank him and tell him to piss off." Snowden doesn't understand Russian and the interpreter says politely: "Mr. Debrinin asks your business card, please."

Context Film / Snowden