UNDERGROUND: THE JULIAN ASSANGE STORY
Australia, 2012, 90 minutes, Colour.
Rachel Griffiths, Anthony La Paglia, Alex Williams, Benedict Samuel,
Directed by Robert Connolly.
Julian Assange came into prominence with his distribution of secret documents and emails from the American government and military. Sought by the Swedish police for sexual harassment, wanted by the American government, somewhat disowned by the Australian government, with the British police ready to arrest him, he took refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Opinion is divided about his Wickileaks, some seeing him as a champion of freedom of information and expose of cover-ups, others seeing him as a danger to national and International security.
This film is the story of his late teens and his capacity for hacking into secure sites, especially American military, during the 1990 Gulf War.
The film was written and directed by Robert Connolly (The Bank, Three Dollars, Balibo. His screenplay is favorable to Assange while trying to give some explanation about his motivations, coming from his personality but also from his background and his experience as a child and teenager. Newcomer Alex
Williams portrays Assange. Rachel Griffiths is his mother, Christine. Anthony La Paglia portrays the investigating officer.
In his early years, Assange was taken to a secretive community, a cult. His mother, a forthright protester for causes which involved justice, was a strong influence on her son. She escaped from the community with her two sons and lived in hiding and on the run.
Julian was a computer whiz in the 1980s. As were many of his friends. For a bet, he hacked into the site of an American bank. In collaboration with his friends, he went into more serious sites, especially that of the American military with classified information about targets in the Gulf War, buildings bombed with civilian casualties. Assange took a righteous stand about these sites.
On a personal level, Assange became involved with a young woman who became pregnant. Ultimately, she found living on the run too difficult and left him, with his having to bring up the child as a single parent.
The police arrested him and his friends, having to catch them in the act of hacking for the charges of a crime to stick. Assange went to court, was found guilty but the judge treated him leniently because of his age. The rest became history.
For a documentary on Assange and Wikileaks, there is Alex Gibney’s We Steal Secrets; for a film about Assange laser, there is Benedict Cumberbatch in The Fifth Estate.
1. The film’s history: television release, special screenings with experts and discussions?
2. Julian Assange and his place in history? Information technology? Hacking from the 1980s? Secrets, the U.S. military? His acquittal in 1991? His future career, Wikileaks?
3. Audience knowledge of Assange, attitudes towards him, pro and con? The attitude of the film? Sources for opinions about him?
4. The perspective of the makers, the facts, the portrait, explanations?
5. The story in the 1980s, Emerald, Fitzroy? Thornbury? Investigating office? Fitzroy computer market? The telephone exchange? The dates and
places? The introduction to information technology,
6. At age 17, understanding the technology, menus and skills? His memory? The background of the cult, his father, the photos, Christine, the baby and the escape? Secrecy? The car leaving? The family on the run? Christine’s code about the river for him to make an escape? The later use? The visit of the father, wanting his son back, Julian and his tough stance? The effect of this background on Julian?
7. Christine, a strong woman, alternative lifestyles, the community, the cult? Acceptance? Fleeing, on the run, setting down, secrecy, idolising Julian? Her attitude towards his computer work, hacking? Elektra and her pregnancy? Christine going to protests, the large puppets, anti-American? Julian moving out, her being upset, the visit of Ken Roberts, the explanations, the phone call to Julian, warning him? Julian thinking his mother’s protests ineffectual and his hacking as more significant?
8. Julian at 17, introspective, the community and the escape, his knowledge, skills? Friends? The television program about the arrests of the hackers in Ringwood? Going to the Fitzroy market? Examining the computers? The bet about the bank, the rivalry with his friend, hacking and succeeding? The decision to work together, the working out of passwords, the military, the documents, the first Gulf War, casualties, deliberate targeting of civilians? Julian’s later speech to Ken Roberts about targeting civilians?
9. The 1980s, the focus, the rise of computers, laptops, personal computers? Ken Roberts and his not knowing much about computers? Discussions with the expert? Setting up the task force, investigative office? Jonah as the expert and assistant? Information from the telephone exchange? Tracking people, the records? Gradually closing in on Julian? His large friend and his fear?
10. Julian and the warning, his mother, going to Adam, going to the large friend, the friend helping? The chase and arrest, the nature of the crime? The need for evidence? Catching Julian in action? His discussions with Elektra, his working on the computer, taken? Adam and the destruction of computers and documents?
11. Ken Roberts, his personality, his task, the law, with Jonah, discussions with Julian, the evidence about the targets, his sympathies, but arresting him?
12. Elektra, at school, on the railway station, discussions about stalking, going home, the sexual encounter, Christine seeing them? Her attitude? The pregnancy, Julian and Elektra leaving, the baby, Elektra finally saying she couldn’t live this kind of life, leaving? The final information about Julian’s life as a single father?
13. The court case, the verdict, the reasons?
14. Julian Assange’s subsequent history? Swedish law? The Americans wanting him? The British wanting to arrest him? Refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy? Ambitions for the Australian senate? His followers, online, political stances, for the Wikileaks?
