Acting CIA Director Takes On Zero Dark Thirty: It Is A ‘Dramatization,’ ‘Not A Documentary’

Acting CIA Director Michael Morell released a statement yesterday addressing the controversy surrounding the new film “Zero Dark Thirty.” Morell says the movie, which attempts to portray the manhunt which led to Osama Bin Laden, is “not a documentary” and “takes significant artistic license while portraying itself as being historically accurate.”

Morell posted a lengthy message Friday on the CIA’s public website, underscoring that Zero Dark Thirty is a “dramatization, not a realistic portrayal of facts.” He then outlines several ways in which the film “departs from reality,” including the perception that torture techniques were “the key to finding Bin Ladin.”

Morell continues:

“CIA interacted with the filmmakers through our Office of Public Affairs but, as is true with any entertainment project with which we interact, we do not control the final product.”

Although the film has come under fire for its torture scenes, the film’s screenwriter has also publicly stated, “It’s a movie, not a documentary,” acknowledging at least some artistic liberties were taken.

MSNBC host Chris Hayes said on his show this morning that he was “horrified” by the film and would go so far as to say it “colludes with evil.” Hayes had panelists on to debate the film, but made his viewpoint clear, calling the film “objectively pro-torture,” and saying he had a “moral revulsion” to it.

Watch the full clip below, via MSNBC:

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