The Good Shepherd (2007, DVD)

I don't normally trek into this part of the woods here at Epinions - movie reviews. However, this movie moved me in a few particular ways to the point where I thought I should share my experience viewing it.

I skimmed over some of the other reviews here at Epinions about this movie. And I totally get why people view this movie as boring. There are people who go gang-busters for movies like "Fast and Furious," "Transformers," "X-Men," and such movies. And there are people who love shows like "Moulin Rouge!" and "Chicago." I hate those movies, but they do well at the box office.

I love drama. I love very deep stories, requiring a lot of thought and commitment in following the storylines.

Before I get to the message that I want to deliver as the reason for writing this review, I want to just review some aspects of the movie.

First, the acting is phenomenal. Absolutely superb. They couldn't have cast a better guy than Matt Damon in the leading role. His acting style is just perfect for the leading role. I don't think Angelina Jolie was necessary for this movie, but her acting is fantastic as well. Ditto all the way down the line, including performances from William Hurt, John Turturro, Robert De Niro, and Alec Baldwin. Believe it or not, there are other big names in this film I didn't mention, and other great performances by bit roles in the film. If anything, this is one of those movies that is worth watching just because of the acting. It's unbelievable!

I should also say that this movie is very long. It is nearly three hours in running time. It is a commitment, in more ways than one. But I loved every minute of it.

Basically, this is a movie about the CIA of the USA federal government. The movie is fiction, but it is obviously based on history. The plot is brilliant - at least to me - and the execution - directing, acting - is equally brilliant. Again, I understand why some people would get bored with this movie, but this film is not intended for the action/adventure crowd. It isn't intended for the comedy crowd.

I think every person should see this movie. Because this movie is essentially a narrative of American foreign policy in the modern industrial age. The film picks up from 1939 and runs through early 1961. But in that window, they manage to run through everything that is relevant in today's CIA and what happens inside the American federal government and its isolated foreign policy agenda, its intelligence agencies, and so forth.

What this is about is displaying America's foreign policy of "containment" against second-world counties (communism) post-WWII. That is the background of the movie and what drives the plot. But the greater issue in my mind is why America felt it needed to pursue this great "New American Militarism" (as one author puts it). Basically, why does America feel the need to meddle in others' affairs, police the world, "contain" third-world states from turning communist, and preparing to fight multi-front wars?

The Good Shepherd provides glimpses of what goes on in our CIA. Yeah, this is a movie, but this is like a small window into what really goes on in our intelligence community. There is no conscience. There is only a bottom line. Morality goes out the window in the name of the interests of the United States.

With the recent revelations of torture by America abroad (in the real world), this movie is even more relevant. But the torture aside, it really goes a long way in portraying the lengths America will go to for its interests. This CIA business is brutal. It is uglier than any Cosa Nostra story you've seen in any movie (think The Godfather or Goodfellas).

So that is why I wrote this review. I think people should see it for the purpose of understanding American foreign policy and what our government does to that end. In short, they stop at nothing to get what they want. This may be a movie, but with my history education and considerable personal research, the revelations in this movie aren't far off the mark.

And for those who just love to watch brilliant acting, it doesn't get much better than this. I checked and am shocked that Matt Damon was not nominated for his role in this movie. It is his best performance in any film, in my opinion.

I highly recommend The Good Shepherd.