Official Secrets: Movie Review and Analysis of Communication Aspects

This report provides a detailed review of the film 'Official Secrets', a docudrama based on the true story of whistleblower Katharine Gun. The review explores the film's plot, which centers on Gun's leak of a GCHQ memorandum requesting information to manipulate UN council members into supporting the Iraq war. The analysis delves into the characters, including Keira Knightley's portrayal of Gun, and examines the film's communication aspects, such as self-esteem, emotional turmoil, and the ethical dilemmas of breaking the law versus speaking out against injustice. The review also touches on the negative aspects of the film, including the portrayal of lying and violence, and offers a critical assessment of the director's approach, highlighting both the film's strengths and weaknesses in its storytelling and dramatic impact. The report concludes with an evaluation of the film's success in conveying its message about governmental deceit and the importance of individual action.

Surname 1
Name
Professor
Course
Date
Official Secrets: Movie Review
Introduction
This piece of research is going to review the movie ‘official secrets ‘an American-British
docudrama film which was based on whistleblower Katharine Gun. In some people's eyes,
Katherine Gun, a translator for British people Government Communications Headquarters is
nothing wanting a hero. Not for the actual fact that she discovered some damaging Chinese or
Russian info, or one thing of that kind. It's as a result of she stood for what she believed in.
She chanced on a memorandum written by National Security Agency in early
2003 requesting info that will assist the U.S. and U.K. governments in investment reluctant
members of the U.N. council, Katherine balked. Well, that is not fully true (Zhou, Xuelin).
Reading between the lines, the National Security
Agency memorandum was really requesting dirt on those council members to support
them into supporting associate degree Iraqi invasion. Katherine, appalled by this official-but-
secret request and its implicit arrange to manipulate United Kingdom of nice kingdom and
Northern. Ireland into change of integrity a war, makes a call to try associate one
thing regarding it: She leaks the GCHQ data to a first love within the crusade, hoping that the

Surname 2
knowledge would reach the relevant people and be investigated. Then the full factor is free to the
general public, and her conscience is clear.
Things failed to total as planned; instead, Associate in nursing enormous London
newspaper publishes the full memorandum. And it isn’t long before investigations, and hard-
boiled governmental officers, notice their approach back to a minimum of one Katherine Gun.
Things do so expand. Not specifically as she had unreal. Not long when, a
GCHQ but Katherine's colleague shows up at her door, repentant that she did not blow the
whistle on the government's misdeeds. And Katharine comforts her, locution that
this confirmative friend didn’t do something wrong. Of course, identical cannot
be aforementioned for Katherine. She profaned the terms of the Official Secrets act that could be
a pretty vital law for GCHQ workers. In line with the govt., Katherine was kind of a spy
exposing classified info to the planet. Which selection might well cause public humiliation, the
deportation of Katherine's husband and a protracted stretch of jail term turns out being a
conscientious hero isn’t as nice as it's cracked up to be.
Several characters stand move into secret official movie;
Keira Knightley, as Katherine Kelly
She was born on Nov nineteen, 1979 in Barnsley, Yorkshire, England. She is Associate in
nursing actor, best-known for Cheat (2019), Criminal: UK (2019) and Happy Valley (2014). She
has been married to Ryan Clark since August twenty, 2013. They need 2 kids. Hood’s major ace
is Katherine Kelly whose lead performance adds a much-needed fireplace, igniting the
pedestrian-level drama round her. She’s enjoying Katharine Gun, a translator acting

Surname 3
at Government Communications Headquarters World Health Organization finds herself pissed
off with what she’s seeing on the news (Stratton, Celina).
Matthew William Goode as Matt Smith
He was (born three Gregorian calendar month 1978) is Associate in Nursing English actor. His
films embrace Chasing Liberty (2004), point (2005), Imagine Maine and You (2006), Brideshead
Revisited (2008), Watchmen (2009), one Man (2009), bissextile year (2010), and Stoker
(2013) and therefore the Imitation Game (2014). He acts as Katharine’s ex from pismire war
movement.
The following communication aspects stand move into official secret flick
Self-esteem
My biggest downside with any film like this, wherever the central figure virtually becomes the
text of the film, is that it will be onerous to believe the particulars of the
globe. Once there's finally an answer offered to the current scenario,
it looks thus unbelievably hiding-in-plain-sight obvious that it’s kind of annoying.
Emotions – irrational thinking, fallacies or enfeebling emotions
Perception
One downside with any film like this, wherever the central figure virtually becomes the text of
the film, is that it will be onerous to believe the particulars of the globe. Once there's finally an
answer offered to the current scenario, it looks thus unbelievably hiding-in-plain-sight obvious
that it’s kind of associate in Nursing. Katherine appears to be in an emotional ride, not a
tough science-fiction film concerning Associate in nursing alien invasion. this can

Surname 4
be concerning what happens at intervals folks after they stop act, however necessary it's for
survival to be ready to say the onerous things to every different, and the way very
important it's that you just tell folks what their actions could do to others (Syam, Andi
Tenrisanna).
Self-esteem
Where the film excels is in exploring Katharine’s personal turmoil. It’s additionally wherever it
fails North American nation as viewers. As her personal story, the topic matter could be
a distinctive and rare investigate the wheels of presidency intelligence. Sadly, Associate in
nursing immoderate quantity of your time is spent on the media and reportage, and not enough
on what emotional torture the year of waiting should are for her.
Sexual Content
Katherine and Yasar cuddle and kiss in bed. It's implicit that they are each naked as a New
World jay, though' we have an inclination to solely see his blank higher body and
her blank shoulders. Later, we've got an inclination to see Katherine in bed garments.
One amongst GCHQ worker makes a comment regarding taking note of a on the QT recorded,
sexually recorded phone oral communication.
Katharine’s act of act the matter helped within the following ways
Katherine is convinced that U.S. and British administration square measure lying regarding the
threat expose by weapons of mass destruction that square measure allegedly gift in Asian nation.
She's seen official documents that counsel the most quantity and she or he hates the concept of
war. So once the National Security Agency suggests that one

Surname 5
thing unlawful may happen therein push-to-war pursuit,
Katherine cannot keep quiet any additional. "My motive was to prevent war and save folks,"
Katherine says whereas she was being interrogated regarding her actions.
Speaking out against injustice is that the right factor to try to do. However, breaking the law is
not. This is the ethical pin that this drama teeters
on. Throughout an approach then, you'll read this film as a cautionary tale regarding the potential
consequences of taking unlawful action. As it is, the film is also extremely rated on justify
Katherine's technically unlawful decisions, those decisions square measure seen as heroic due
to her readiness to follow her heart. whether or not or not she comes across as a hero of villain
here can probably be influenced by every viewer's political perspective. The
subsequent communication aspects happens in real world (Shaffer, Ryan).
Negative Parts
Lying is one amongst the central problems with this film. And you'll spot it on each side of the
story's political tug of war. However, the story clearly condemns the deceptive; real-world
political figures WHO song and apparently wanted to drive the planet to
war. Administration push to own Yasar deported due to his wife's actions (Hannah, Matthew,
Jamie Peck, and Andrew Friedman).
Violent Content
We see TV reports and depository video footage portraying the war and destruction in Asian
nation. The film conjointly uses shots of dead bodies close against political speeches to
stress the se of and seriousness Katharine’s opposition to the war.
Conclusion

Surname 6
From this dramatic film's gap moments, it's no, uh, secret that Official Secrets is intended to spill
the beans on instances of governmental deceit that you simply have probably ne'er detected of.
And it takes regarding ten minutes of screen time to urge the total gist of British whistle-blower
Katherine Gun's story. After that, thespian Kiera Knightley diligently invests her portrayal of
Katherine Gun with a combination of quivering intensity and righteous passion. Director Gavin
Hood applies directorial savvy in creating this medium slice of political history into one
thing vital. For example, prompt US of however vital it by pausing at intervals to view the
camera directly.
However in truth, this will be an awfully skinny tale full of additional f-words and crudities than
notable intrigue or dramatic high points. And though you'll steel yourself against the profane
dialogue, you may still be laborious ironed to justify investment 2 hours of your soon-to-be
history, and a 9 greenback bucket of popcorn, throughout this would-be adventure story.

Surname 7
Work cited
Hannah, Matthew, Jamie Peck, and Andrew Friedman. "Book review: Covert Capital:
Landscapes of Denial and the Making of US Empire in the Suburbs of Northern Virginia."
(2017): 263-266.
Ingram, Daniel J., et al. "Assessing Africa‐wide pangolin exploitation by scaling local
data." Conservation Letters 11.2 (2018): e12389.
Shaffer, Ryan. "Unraveling India's Foreign Intelligence: The Origins and Evolution of the
Research and Analysis Wing." International Journal of Intelligence and
CounterIntelligence 28.2 (2015): 252-289.
Stratton, Celina. "Nonverbal Communication and the Influence of Film Success: A Literature
Review." Concordia Journal of Communication Research 4.1 (2017): 1.
Syam, Andi Tenrisanna. "The Analysis of System Constraints in National Treasure 2: Book of
Secrets Movie." Language Circle: Journal of Language and Literature 13.2 (2019).
Zhou, Xuelin. "Codename Cougar: Politics or Entertainment?." Globalization and
Contemporary Chinese Cinema. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore, 2017. 9-33.