Review of Shattered Glass

Introduction

If there is one thing that is paramount in journalism, it`s integrity. Newspapers and news broadcasts assume a duty to inform us, to tell the truth, to relate events in a balanced and unvarnished way. Some publications more than others pride themselves on accuracy. They build up a reputation of excellence that others aspire to. Were a tabloid journalist found to have embellished reports, less would be thought of this than if it were a journalist writing for a more prestigious publication. Of late, flaws in journalistic integrity are making the headlines to an unprecedented degree, often with tragic consequences. Last year, high profile journalists for The New York Times and USA Today were found to have fabricated articles. Yet even a word out of place can be just as damaging as mendacity.

Nothing can be more illustrative than the Hutton Report`s damning indictment of the BBC. Prior to Gulf War II, the UK government was highly motivated to make a case for going to war in Iraq. For this purpose, an intelligence dossier was published that outlined the threat that Iraq posed to British interests, chief among these were Saddam`s weapons of mass destruction and the alacrity with which they could be brought to bear on the UK. Curious when you consider that subsequent events have shown no such weapons to exist. The after war analysis still rages, but it was an Andrew Gilligan broadcast that brought the British Broadcasting Corporation low. In it, the passion with which the government pursued supporting intelligence was highlighted, as well as the pressure brought to bear on the intelligence services, and the quite obvious (in hindsight) inaccuracies of the dossier. All well and good, but it was the claim that the government deliberately ordered the evidence to be `sexed up`, in other words that they deliberately lied to the electorate, which had no evidence to support it, and indeed it still remains unsubstantiated. The fallout of this one act of poor journalism is still fresh in many minds. The reputation of the BBC was severely damaged; heads rolled at the highest level, and most damaging of all, one man took his own life. That the very issues that needed to be debated were lost in the aftermath of the Hutton Report was merely a coincidence. The result of a poorly worded report.

Imagine then, the idea of a whole journalistic career built on a web of lies. In 1998, Stephen Glass was the youngest reporter at the New Republic magazine, a publication that took pride in being essential reading matter aboard Air Force One. He was an up and coming star of the journalistic world, whose articles garnered praise, and were published in many prestigious titles. Like many such publications, the New Republic used a rigorous fact checking process to ensure the accuracy of its stories, with writers assigned to scrutinize each other`s articles. Having worked as a fact checker, Stephen Glass was in a perfect position to cheat the system, and it was only when he concocted a story about hackers extorting software companies that doubt was cast on his integrity. Shattered Glass is a dramatisation of these events. The script is accurate to the point of repeating phone conversations verbatim, no doubt helped by considerable input from former New Republic editors Chuck Lane and Michael Kelly.

Video

The preliminary artwork on the case that I received states the aspect ratio at 1.85:1, but the actual film is presented in the original ratio of 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. No doubt this will be corrected on the final release. It`s a recent film so blemishes will be few. The image is uniformly clear and sharp and at worst there is a little bit of grain and a couple of scratches. As always, it`s hard to fault such a recent film. First time director Billy Ray, makes an impressive debut, directing with an assured touch.

Audio

Shattered Glass comes with a DD 5.1 soundtrack. While not exactly necessary on such a dialogue-focussed film, it isn`t unappreciated, with some subtle use of the surrounds for ambience. Mychael Danna`s music is similarly understated but wonderfully effective.

Features

The extras on this disc are few, fewer than advertised in fact, but they are appropriate to the film and certainly add to it.

First of all, the articles written by Stephen Glass purported to be on the disc aren`t. I assume this is down to some rights issue, although it would have been interesting to read exactly what all the fuss was about.

America`s 60 minutes programme did a programme on Stephen Glass, where the man is interviewed regarding his career. His opportunity for contrition is undermined somewhat by a plug for his novel. Presented in 4:3 and DD 2.0 and lasting 13 minutes, there is also input from New Republic editors and a brief outline of how he was caught.

There is an audio commentary featuring director Billy Ray, and most interestingly former editor of the New Republic, Chuck Lane. You get the usual making of anecdotes, but you also get a feel for the director`s passion for the subject matter. What is absolutely riveting though is Chuck Lane`s input. He comments on the accuracy of the screenplay, instances of dramatic licence, but also explains how Stephen Glass hoodwinked him and so many others. It brings a degree of immediacy the story that is fascinating.

There is the ubiquitous theatrical trailer of course.

Conclusion

I`ll come clean; I had ulterior motives when it came to watching Shattered Glass. The Star Wars prequels have come under considerable criticism, and when it comes to Attack Of The Clones, much was said regarding Hayden Christensen`s portrayal of a young Anakin Skywalker. In Shattered Glass, Hayden Christensen plays Stephen Glass, and I seized the chance to see his acting chops without the influence of Uncle George Lucas. It didn`t take long for me to forget why I initially started watching, and I was soon engrossed in an absolutely riveting story.

In the best tradition of All The President`s Men, Shattered Glass follows the genesis of a story, but this time the story is the journalist himself. The sheer audacity and shamelessness of Stephen Glass as he concocts elaborate structures of lies to support his completely fabricated stories would be considered far-fetched and laughable, had it not all actually happened for real. The film`s structure is intricate and engrossing. The story is told from Stephen`s perspective, as he visits his old school to deliver an inspiring talk about journalism and integrity. The story of his perfidy is told in flashback, and Hayden Christensen`s performance is amazing as he portrays a complex and coloured character. Glass is shown as manipulative and Machiavellian in his political awareness in the New Republic office, yet there is also a vulnerability and need for attention in the character. He`s as layered as the lies he tells, and you genuinely believe that he is a character who no longer knows where the stories end. He truly believes in his self-image. Hank Azaria co-stars as Michael Kelly, the first editor at New Republic who fights for his writers against the establishment and shows faith in Glass. When he is ousted due to office politics, Peter Sarsgaard as Chuck Lane replaces him. Not only must Lane face a hostile office, still loyal to Kelly, but also his tenure begins when Glass` hacker article is found to be bogus. His reaction to Glass is misconstrued as a backlash against Kelly loyalists, and he has to balance his instinct to support his writer with the overwhelming evidence of betrayal. It`s a measured performance from Sarsgaard upon which the film hinges.

If there is a problem with Shattered Glass, it is that it is short. One can`t fault the intent of the filmmakers to tell the story factually, with little dramatic licence. But the result is that while the foreground is painted in bright vivid colours, the background remains sketchy. The supporting characters are ephemeral; Chloë Sevigny hardly registers, as does Rosario Dawson. Forbes Online were the publication to `out` Stephen Glass, and while much is made of the discovery and journalistic hunt that found Glass out, further reaction would have been effective, a means of emphasising the rivalries between old print and new technologies. There is also a missed chance in showing how Stephen Glass` actions affected his co-workers. As it is, this film focuses on the bare essentials, Glass` betrayal and how Chuck Lane reacted to it. There are no frills, and it`s as journalistic a piece of filmmaking as I have ever seen.

I was thoroughly riveted by Shattered Glass, and if anyone has any doubts regarding Hayden Christensen`s acting ability following Star Wars, I would point them in the direction of this film. Actually, that`s beside the point. In today`s age of blockbusters and mega budget special effects extravaganzas, the art of good old-fashioned story telling has taken something of a beating. But it`s not down and out yet, and Shattered Glass is indicative of a thriving film industry that produces intelligent, thoughtful and entertaining films, about people and relationships. Shattered Glass is one of this year`s more impressive releases, and if you want something thought provoking, you`ll have to go far to better this.