The disagreement between Benedict Cumberbatch and Julian Assange over the recently released The Fifth Estate has been one of cinema's most polite and respectful, albeit impassioned, battle of words. It culminated last week with the WikiLeaks release of the letter Assange sent to Cumberbatch, requesting the actor to not take the role. You can read more about it here.
The Fifth Estate was released in the UK & Ireland last week to mostly middling reviews. However, Cumberbatch has again defended his decision to portray Assange, as well as the motivations behind the film itself.
On a Reddit Ask Me Anything session, the Sherlock star explained "I believe that the film, quite clearly, illuminates the great successes of WikiLeaks and its extraordinary founder Julian Assange... The Fifth Estate is a powerful, if dramatized, entry point for a discussion about this extraordinary lurch forward in our society. I wanted to create a three dimensional portrait of a man far more maligned in the tabloid press than he is in our film to remind people that he is not just the weird, white haired Australian dude wanted in Sweden, hiding in an embassy behind Harrods... I'm proud to be involved in tackling such a contentious character and script".
Cumberbatch says he had cause for concern when he read Assange's "intelligently and politely" worded letter, but also expressed his objections to Assange's labeling of him as a "hired gun". Cumberbatch stressed "not only do I NOT operate in a moral vacuum but this was not a pay day for me at all. I've worked far less hard for more financial reward. This project was important to me because of the integrity I wanted to bring to provocative difficult but ultimately timely and a truly important figure of our modern times."
Meanwhile, Assange has taken part in a Skype interview with the Telegraph, describing his life in London's Ecuadorian embassy. Although he doesn't significantly expand on his previously articulated grievances with The Fifth Estate, he does again criticise it and documentary WikiLeaks: We Steal Secrets. Assange says "it appears that there is an aspect coming out of the United States that reflects the wounded feelings – for want of better words – of the security establishment in the US.” He also reaffirms his fondness for the lesser known feature film Underground: The Julian Assange Story, which details some of his earlier activist efforts.
