《The Insider》　惊曝内幕　自由之路向来满布荆棘

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2020年04月18日

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No.076　《The Insider》　惊曝内幕　自由之路向来满布荆棘

英文导读

The Insider is a 1999 film directed by Michael Mann based on the true story of a 60 Minutes segment about tobacco industry whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand. The 60 Minutes story originally aired in November 1995 in an altered form because of objections by CBS' then-owner, Laurence Tisch, who also controlled the Lorillard Tobacco Company. The story was later aired on February 4, 1996. The script was adapted by Eric Roth and Mann from Marie Brenner's Vanity Fair article"The Man Who Knew Too Much".

The film stars Al Pacino and Russell Crowe, with Christopher Plummer, Bruce McGill, Diane Venora, Michael Gambon, Philip Baker Hall, Lindsay Crouse, Gina Gershon, Debi Mazar, and Colm Feore in supporting roles.

The Insider tells the true story of a man who decided to tell the world what the seven major tobacco companies knew (and concealed) about the dangers of their product. Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) was a scientist employed in research for a tobacco firm, Brown and Williamson. Not long after he was fired by Brown and Williamson, Wigand came into contact with Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino), a producer for 60 Minutes who worked closely with journalist Mike Wallace (played here by Christopher Plummer). Bergman arranged for Wigand to be interviewed by Wallace for a 60 Minutes expose on the cigarette industry, though Wigand was still bound by a confidentiality agreement not to discuss his employment with the company. Despite Wigand's willingness to talk, CBS pulled his interview from at the last minute after Brown and Williamson threatened a multi-billion dollar lawsuit. The staff of 60 Minutes and CBS News were soon embroiled in an internal struggle over the killing of the story, and Wigand found himself the subject of lawsuits and a smear campaign, without his full story reaching the public.

The Insider was released in 1809 theaters on November 5, 1999 where it grossed a total of$6,712,361 on its opening weekend and ranked fourth in the country for that time period. It went on to make$29.1 million in North America and $31.2 million in the rest of the world for a total of $60.3 million worldwide, significantly lower than its $90 million budget.

Despite the disappointing box office reception, The Insider received near-unanimous critical praise, garnering some of the best reviews of 1999 and of Michael Mann's career. It holds a 96% "fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes based on 127 reviews and an 84 metascore on Metacritic. Roger Ebert of the Chicago SunTimes gave the film three and half out of four stars and praised "its power to absorb, entertain, and anger". Newsweek magazine's David Ansen wrote, "Mann could probably make a movie about needlepoint riveting. Employing a big canvas, a huge cast of superb character actors and his always exquisite eye for composition, he's made the kind of current-events epic that Hollywood has largely abandoned to TV—and shows us how movies can do it better".

In 2000, the film was nominated for seven Academy Awards; Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor in a Leading Role for Crowe, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing and Best Sound (Andy Nelson, Doug Hemphill and Lee Orloff).

获奖情况

2000年第72届奥斯卡：最佳影片提名、最佳导演提名、最佳男主角提名、最佳改编剧本提名、最佳摄影提名。

影片信息

导演：迈克尔·曼

编剧：艾瑞克·罗斯、迈克尔·曼

主演：艾尔·帕西诺、罗素·克劳、克里斯托弗·普拉默、戴安·维诺拉

类型：剧情、惊悚、传记

制片国家（地区）：美国

上映日期：1999-11-05（美国）

片长：157分钟

又名：《局内人》《夺命烟幕》《知情者》《内幕新闻》

剧情简介

劳埃尔·伯格曼（艾尔·帕西诺饰）是CBS电视台“60分钟”节目的王牌制作人，和德高望重的节目主持人迈克·华莱士（克里斯托弗·普拉默饰）向来合作无间。

乔佛瑞·维根（罗素·克劳饰）是烟草公司的员工，刚被大烟草公司解雇，他的人生似乎瞬间坠入谷底。伯格曼收到一份证明烟草公司制造的香烟对人体有害的报告。于是，他找到维根来解释这份报告。

从这个时候开始，维根感觉到有人在监视自己，家人的安全受到了极大的威胁。烟草公司提醒维根与自己签署过保密协议，他将不能对外透露任何有关香烟制造的研究信息。维根不想失去医疗保险等对家人生活的保障，然而同时也备受良心拷问。最终，他决定向外界宣布这一切，即使违反保密协议。于是先和伯格曼录制了一集“60分钟”栏目，然后前往密西西比州出庭作证控告烟草公司。

然而，烟草公司比他更快一步申请了言论禁制令。他的妻子带着两个女儿离去，“60分钟”栏目又遭到CBS禁播。这一切巨大的代价让人压不过气。维根和伯格曼成了单打独斗的勇士，他们面对内心的正义、勇敢，并一直坚持。

制作花絮

导演曼是看了克劳演的《洛城机密》后才决定起用他。

本片是金奖影帝艾尔·帕西诺的最新作品，与导演迈克尔·曼继《盗火线》后的第二次合作。