The film deals with the story of the CIA where this issue is addressed according to the perspective of one man. The film deals with these full events where there is an idea of the Cold War as this man tries to sacrifice his duty.
No previous American film has ventured into this still largely unknown territory with such authority and emotional detachment. For this reason alone, The Good Shepherd is must-see viewing.
As a punishingly ambiguous and astonishingly thorough tragedy, "The Good Shepherd" shows that emotions as human as any errors can undermine intelligence and questions whether God and country alone can be enough for a man's soul.
A isappointing hybrid that's too bloated, diffuse and tedious to work as a regular length movie -- yet has not enough emotional range or narrative focus to be considered a great epic drama.