MOVIE REVIEW - ZERO DARK THIRTY, MANHUNT & CODE NAME : GERONIMO - THE HUNT FOR OSAMA BIN LADEN

MOVIE REVIEW

Three movies were made detailing the hunt for the Worlds Most Wanted Man Al Qaeda terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden and his eventual death in the hands of Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 in May 2011. The three movies giving an insight to "Operation Neptune Spear" - "Zero Dark Thirty", "Manhunt" & "CODE NAME: GERONIMO"

ZERO DARK THIRTY TRAILER

For Zero Dark Thirty full movie go to: http://megashare.info/#Search,zero dark thirty 

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Zero Dark Thirty is a 2012 war film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal. Billed as "the story of history's greatest manhunt for the world's most dangerous man", the film dramatizes the decade-long manhunt for Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Ladenafter the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, leading to the eventual discovery of his compound in Pakistan, and the military raid on that compound that resulted in his death in May 2011.

The film stars Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt, Jennifer Ehle, Mark Strong, Kyle Chandler, and Édgar Ramírez. It was produced by Boal, Bigelow, and Megan Ellison, and was independently financed by Ellison's Annapurna Pictures. The film had its premiere in Los Angeles, California on December 19, 2012 and had its wide release on January 11, 2013.

Zero Dark Thirty received wide critical acclaim and was nominated for five Academy Awards at the 85th Academy Awards, includingBest Picture, Best Actress (Chastain) and Best Original Screenplay. The film won one, for Best Sound Editing. Zero Dark Thirty earned four Golden Globe Award nominations, including Best Picture – Drama, Best Director, and won one Best Actress – Drama for Chastain.

The film's graphic depiction of torture has generated controversy, with some critics describing it as pro-torture propaganda, as torture is shown as producing reliably useful and accurate information."The film creates the strong impression that the enhanced interrogation techniques…were the key to finding Bin Laden. That impression is false." said Michael Morell, acting C.I.A. director. Other critics describe it as an anti-torture exposure of interrogation practices.

Some Republicans charged that the filmmakers were given improper access to classified materials, which they denied. An unreleased draft IG report published by the Project on Government Oversight in June, 2013 stated former C.I.A. Director Leon Panetta discussed classified information during an awards ceremony for the SEAL team that carried out the raid on the Bin Laden compound. Screenwriter Mark Boal was among the 1300 present during the ceremony.

President Obama in the situation room watching the operation Live!

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's hand-written note concerning the raid on Osama Bin Laden's compoundj

MANHUNT

In May this year a more less dramatized documentary movie version was released by HBO - " Manhunt".


HBO released a documentary movie - Manhunt: The Search for Bin Laden is a 2013 documentary directed by Greg Barker that explores the CIA's investigation of Osama bin Laden starting from 1995 till his death in 2011. It was premiered on HBO on May 1, 2013, two years after the mission that killed bin Laden in May 2011.

This documentary has the real video footage of  Humam al-Balawi, the Jordanian double agent who killed seven CIA employees in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan in December,2009

The documentary features narratives by many of the CIA analysts, operatives who worked over almost two decades understanding and then tracking bin Laden and also includes archival film footage across Washington, D.C., Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East. It also features extensive and rarely seen footage of Al-Qaeda training and propaganda videos, including digital suicide notes from various terrorists who later worked as suicide bombers.

Humam Al Balawi, The Suicide Bomber that killed 7 CIA agents in Pakistan in 2009

On release, the documentary was noted as a "less Hollywood-ized version" of the film Zero Dark Thirty (2012) and appreciated for showcasing "the nitty-gritty" of decade-long search for Bin Laden and the CIA analysts' job. It was acknowledged for putting "a human face on the secret world of intelligence gathering". 

The documentary was selected for 2013 Sundance Film Festival and was part of U.S. Documentary Competition. Three CIA agents featured in the documentary; Marty Martin, Nada Bakos and Cindy Storer; also attended the discussion about the documentary after its premier in the festival.

The director of the film, Greg Barker, noted that it was difficult to trace down the individuals who worked for the CIA but did not have any exposure. He also mentioned that as the CIA did not have any approval over the content of the film. Interviewees had to make sure that they did not reveal any classified information.

CODE NAME : GERONIMO

The third movie that came out much earlier in 2012 is Code Name: Geronimo

"Code Name Geronimo" is based on the military incursion into Bin Laden's compound from the perspective of a small contingent of Navy SEALS. The film takes a look inside their lives as tensions rise between them until they learn the identity of their latest target, whose code name is Geronimo. 

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5cTFhOgUo8

Full Movie - Seal Team Six The Raid on Osama bin Laden

Finally this writers most favourite documentary must still be the one by National Geographic, The Hunt for Bin Laden.

NOTE : THE MUSIC PLAYER CONTROLS ARE AT THE TOP BAR OF YOUR SCREEN AS YOU MAY HAVE TO PAUSE IT TO WATCH THE VIDEOS BELOW

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQHREd95wkk

Source AFP, Wikipedia, Time Magazine, Chindits, YOUTUBE, The Guardian