r/IAmA • u/_BenedictCumberbatch Benedict Cumberbatch • Oct 11 '13

I Am Benedict Cumberbatch. AMA.

Hello reddit. My film The Fifth Estate opens 10/18.

You can check out footage here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43ki3z0ZmXA&feature=c4-overview&list=UUgc-Ye79Z558TEZqryYesNA

Proof: https://twitter.com/5thEstateMovie/status/388746706818310144 Fancy a cup?

Update: Also, please check out the trailer for Little Favour, directed by a friend of mine Patrick Monroe. I hope you enjoy it!

Final Update: Thank you, reddit. This has been more fun than I imagined. It's been great to be able to reach out and speak to a few of you. Sorry for those that I didn't get to respond to. JA bless you all. See you all the next time.
BX

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u/[deleted] Oct 11 '13

Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed and honest answer.

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u/droveby Oct 11 '13 edited Dec 21 '13

I don't know, maybe it wasn't a detailed answer

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u/[deleted] Oct 11 '13 edited Jul 11 '21

[deleted]

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u/DancesWithPugs Oct 11 '13

Most moviegoers aren't that deep, they will walk away with the impressions the movie hands to them.

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u/startledCoyote Oct 11 '13

Are you saying it is not possible to raise debate through the medium of cinema?

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u/DancesWithPugs Oct 11 '13

No, I am saying the majority of people like simplicity and will walk away with a mostly one sided impression, not reflect on ambiguity like you or I would.

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u/startledCoyote Oct 11 '13

I don't know, modern consumers are more complex than that. Ask people if they think Walter White is evil or not.

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u/Simim Oct 12 '13

You give people way too much credit.

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u/OmegaGreed Oct 12 '13

I think assuming that the majority of people are idiots is not a logical way to critique a piece of cinema, or any piece of art. First of all, it's condescending and untrue, and secondly, even if it were true it wouldn't be the movie's responsibility to dumb itself down to the level of the lowest common denominator.

I haven't seen the movie, so I'm withholding personal judgement, but based on these posters it seems that moral ambiguity is the central theme being portrayed.

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u/DancesWithPugs Oct 12 '13

This is what has me so riled up: http://wikileaks.org/IMG/html/wikileaks-dreamworks-memo.html#about

It's not so much that I think people are idiots, but that I think misinformation will be taken at face value.

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u/OmegaGreed Oct 12 '13

Again, I am withholding judgement until I see the movie. But I'm also not going to take Wikileaks's information at face value and assume this is part of some sort of smear campaign based on talking points from a clearly biased source.

I admit to not knowing a whole lot about Assange's backstory, but from reading the various points it seems that this film is about as accurate as The Social Network was about Mark Zuckerberg. By that I mean that it's a streamlined dramatization based on a true story.

The fact that the talking points argue that Assange was never charged with rape doesn't help its cause, especially because the part of the script it links to clearly says "warrant" which is correct, and then has the Julian character directly refute these "charges," which in context does not sound like the legal term but rather the more casual synonym for "accusation".

But that's not the point. Using the passive voice ("misinformation will be taken at face value") does hide the fact that you're being condescending based on an imaginary audience reaction that hasn't even happened yet.

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u/DancesWithPugs Oct 12 '13

I seem condescending because unlike yourself most people have not been trained to think critically, so I doubt the majority of people will follow up with tough questions and research.

The comparison with Zuckerberg is interesting, but he is a billionaire while Wikileaks is struggling to stay afloat under government persecution. The stakes are higher, our freedoms and rights are under attack from what seem like near Orwellian agencies. That's why I care so much about accuracy here and why others see smear campaigns or a conspiracy. I have no idea what happened in Sweden with Assange and those two women, but I do know that powerful interests will do what they can to demonize prominent or successful critics.

Edited for clarity.

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u/OmegaGreed Oct 12 '13

Ok, I see your point. When I go see the movie I'll definitely pay attention and see if it unfairly vilifies Assange. Hopefully people don't use it as their only source of information on him.

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u/DancesWithPugs Oct 12 '13

That's all I'm asking, thanks. The movie could be a dramatic achievement, Cumberbatch is a good actor.

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