This 1990 Australian made-for-TV docudrama brings remarkable insight into the moral maze that the hero of the piece finds himself in. Its sympathetic, economical but compelling portrayal draws you inexorably into the ethical dilemmas and the choices made, while constantly reminding you that the stakes being played for are extremely high, and that the game has many players, both seen and unseen.
From the very opening scene of this thriller - unmarked bus enters guarded desert factory with ominous music - you start to realise that the risks being taken are high and that this story will not end well. At various times in this film I can almost hear viewers shouting at the screen, as if watching a mediaeval mystery play that poses hard moral choices, "Stop! Think about what you're doing!"; "No, don't trust them!"
Speaking truth to power always was a risky business, and of course it still is. The subject matter is a piece of modern geopolitical history. The movie is gripping in its own way and of course has fine credentials - the actual journalists involved at the time were consulted on the storyline.
Any truly significant film might ask awkward questions, and to me this movie asks, "Should state-sponsored deception be left unchallenged? What should we expect in a free, open, democratic society?" Our hero is seen testing freedom of conscience, freedom of association, freedom of religion, freedom of travel, freedom of speech, and he holds on to his moral compass as hard as he can, as he tries to present his truth. But seductive forces come into play - and ultimately we see that love can be powerfully deceptive, and a whistle-blower's world can end up becoming dangerously small.
Of course to get the whole true story (probably) about Mordechai Vanunu you should look at Wikipedia. But I would recommend seeing this excellent and eye-opening movie first, if you can. I say if you can because although I have an ancient copy on VHS I can't find it on any of the usual channels now - you may need to look quite hard.
My favourite quotes: "The Sunday Express is a serious paper, its owned by Robert Maxwell!".
"I want the truth to be told. Now more than ever."
My take-home points: truth is stranger than fiction; freedom of conscience and freedom of speech should be cornerstones in every free society; be very, very careful about whom you date; and so far, 36 years after these events, the hero of this story is still not a free man.
