“The Insider” — Read Along
Crowe, Pacino and a masterpiece from Michael Mann.
I don’t recall seeing “The Insider” at the cinema but I do distinctly remember pre-ordering a USA/Canadian import version of the original DVD as at the turn of the century, all Region 1 encoded DVD’s were released many weeks ahead of the Region 2 equivalents here in the UK. I still have that imported DVD on my dusty shelves of other now largely redundant silver discs of delight and treated myself to a re-watch of this cruelly unloved masterpiece a few short evenings ago. The film is still as I fondly remembered it: “Dry”, slow, moving at its own pace, purposeful, revelatory, two acting masterclasses from Al Pacino and Russell Crowe, and yet another masterpiece from director Michael Mann.
I won’t tread on my own reviewing toes here by re-hashing the praise I lavish this film with in my spoiler free review and Youtube/Rumble videos linked below, but will set up the snippet that immediately follows by commenting that, although this is a film based on real life it’s still “just a film”, but here we are over two decades later and whereas “whistle blowers” and “insiders” were lauded and tacitly supported in the lukewarm embrace of Establishment media, now they are scorned as hateful traitors and a threat to the “National Security” (stop laughing!) of the twin set and pearls of the “Evil Empire”, the USA and UK. The only national security they are securing is their own shameless embarrassment for their own war crimes on humanity, but propaganda is a strong tool for a sleepy populace scared out of their tiny minds by a diet of fear sprayed into their eyeballs hour after hour from Orwell’s telescreen of doom in the corner of the room.
I write this on 22nd February 2024 as a journalist remains in a high security prison here in the UK and hours/days away from discovering his fate and an almost certain extradition to the USA where he’ll stay in prison for the rest of his life a destroyed man, and all for having the temerity of printing the truth.
A journalist by the name of Julian Assange.
A journalist. A life destroyed. For being an “insider” and for telling the truth.
Freedom and Democracy eh?
“Truly, whoever can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities” — Voltaire.
Here’s a snippet from my original and lengthy spoiler free review penned and published over a decade ago:
Rather than a continued back story I’ve chosen to concentrate on the real heart of the film and the shared scenes between two actors at the very top of their games. With no other real actor/character involvement I wanted to give a flavour for this tense classic from their joint scenes, their incredible performances, and from Mann’s brilliant direction.
Their tense first meeting is in an anonymous hotel room with awkward pleasantries over it becomes a two camera shoot, over each other’s shoulder looking at the other. Their first meeting quickly establishes their vastly different characters with Pacino’s Bergman tenacity and verve for a story to the fore, whereas Crowe’s Wigand is stiff, still, meticulous and efficient.
Following a heated stand off in the rain outside of the car, Bergman agrees to join Wigand and they share two similar car scenes (one raining, one not). Two cameras used in both scenes whereby Wigand tries to gain dominance in both of their conversations before Bergman cleverly lightens the first discussion with a passing joke and ends the second with a crushing clarity on Wigand’s insider position, it’s positives and it’s consequences for his life and family. Shortly thereafter follows another key dual scene which again commences light hearted and jovial and simply two men enjoying a Japanese meal together. Bergman however grows visibly tired of the games extremely quickly:
“You go public, and 30 million people hear what you gotta say, nothing, I mean nothing…….I mean nothing, will ever be the same again”
Bergman and Wigand share two very brief scenes (day and night) standing outside a Court House. These are the quietest, most reflective of the film, with the night time cinematography from Spinotti is a real joy.
Their final “joint” screen time is their last telephone conversation. Wigand, unravelling and frantic with Bergman pacing up and down a beautifully lit beach. There have been several small similar telephone conversations, each of which is key to the narrative and displays the deterioration of both men, but this scene in particular showcases two of our greatest acting talents.
So now dear reader you have a choice: You can either
(a) Read my entire review of this film via the first link below
(b) Then read my opus blog article on the films of Michael Mann
(c)Watch either of my Youtube or Rumble channel videos of my reading of my own review of The Insider, hence the “Read Along” moniker.
or (d) Treat yourself to any combination of the above or even (e) disappear to pastures new within our collective electrical Matrix.
Oh, and (f) There’s a link to my 7 exhaustive volumes in my e-book and Kindle series of “Essential Film Reviews Collection”. All free to read if you have an Amazon Kindle “Unlimited” package.
Bless you for reading.
My original review of "The Insider"
"Michael Mann and 9 films for your delectation!"
"The Essential Film Reviews Collection" - Available via Amazon
My Youtube reading of "The Insider"
My Rumble reading of "The Insider"
Thanks for reading. Here are three recent additions to my series of “Read Along” articles:
"The Killing of a Sacred Deer" - Read Along