A story told from the perspective of an insider—a character whose increased access to a group or society raises questions about their morality as they act—is one of cinema’s most compelling and enduring themes. Whether it’s a journalist battling the power of Big Tobacco, a public defender fighting for the rights of incarcerated clients, or a wizard navigating his ill-advised summoning of an evil creature, insider-outsider dynamics are often at the heart of narratives.
The harrowing 1999 film The Insider—which tells the true tale of how tobacco industry whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand spilled the beans on CBS News—is an excellent example of an insider story. Directed by Michael Mann, this film has the heft of a historical drama but also ratchets up the tension of a thriller. Its superb cast, led by Russell Crowe and Al Pacino, captures the nuances of these ethical dilemmas.
Mann expertly builds suspense while suggesting what a long, tedious, frustrating process investigative journalism can be. He portrays a feisty Lowell Bergman as a modern Woodward and Bernstein, coaxeding Wigand into talking while working behind the scenes to manipulate lawsuits and the New York Times. His battles with the obdurate CBS executives, concerned more about their own bottom line than about the health of Americans, are riveting.
The movie’s depiction of Wigand’s slow, careful march toward a disclosure is masterful; each time he teases out a shocking fact, we can practically hear his jaw drop. Yet Mann resists allowing these “ah-ha!” moments to overshadow the film’s other strengths, which are in large part its characters—including Bergman’s partner, Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer), who is forced to go dark to protect his source; Wigand’s lawyer, Richard Scruggs (Colm Feore); and his skepticism-plagued wife, Ellen (Diane Venora). In a rare moment of restraint, Mann lets these well-developed personalities hold the spotlight.
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