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BY STEVEN HSIEH
 

You're watching multisource entertainment video news analysis from Newsy. 

Critics claim the Obama administration is revealing too much information to Hollywood filmmakers about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

Representative Peter King – chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee – is calling for an investigation into the Obama administration’s involvement with Kathryn Bigelow’s new film about the raid on bin Laden’s compound.  

“If we can’t trust them to keep classified or sensitive information in the last 90 days, how can we trust them when they’re dealing with a Hollywood script writer, especially someone who was involved with a previous movie – Ms. Bigelow – when the Defense Department had to break off contact with her because she violated her agreement on the Hurt Locker.” (CNN)

New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd points out the release date of the bin Laden film is just weeks before the 2012 elections.  She says Mr. Obama is spilling secrets for a two hour long campaign ad.

“The moviemakers are getting top-level access to the most classified mission in history from an administration that has tried to throw more people in jail for leaking classified information than the Bush administration… The movie is…perfectly timed to give a home-stretch boost to a campaign that has grown tougher.”

Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal say their film isn’t political at all.  A writer for the Baltimore Sun agrees.

“For King...to suggest that Boal’s new script would be political or military propaganda, or that he would be unable to put together an intimate view of the Bin Laden operation without extraordinary top-down cooperation, is to insult him as an artist and underestimate his powers as a journalist.”

So what does the White House have to say about all this?  Here’s Press Secretary Jay Carney…

“The claims are ridiculous… We do not discuss classified information.  And I would hope that as we face a continued threat from terrorism, the House Committee on Homeland Security would have more important topics to discuss than a movie.”

CNN’s Barabara Starr points out -- Hollywood and the Pentagon have a working relationship-- but that doesn’t mean they share secrets.

“There’s no evidence at this point, quite frankly, that any classified information has been discussed… You know, Wolf, it might be worth remembering, the Pentagon even helped make the Transformer movies.”

But a writer for Human Events says it’s all too clear what’s going on here – just follow the money.

“The rest of us can only marvel at the stupendous value of the completely unregulated campaign contribution Hollywood is making to the failed President… I don’t know if this eleventh-hour cinematic love letter will make as much of a difference as Dowd and the White House are hoping.”

The bin Laden movie, currently untitled, is set to hit the big screen on October 12, 2012.
 

Transcript by Newsy.