Movie Review
The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (2003, Directed by Errol Morris).
The movie chronicles the major events within life and times of Robert S. McNamara in a prolonged interview interspliced with vintage footage detailing the times and the topics at hand. The primary narrator is Mr. McNamara, and while we learn a little bit about his life, he keeps primarily to the title of the movie: the eleven lessons. The DVD version also provides the true 10 lessons he prepared for the film. The film won the title of Best Documentary Feature from the Academy awards (Oscars) in 2003.
Incredibly personal, the Fog of War follows Mr. McNamara thoughts on the eleven lessons, rather than chronologically. The lessons, drawn from Mr. McNamara's time as an air force officer (1943-1946), Director (1957) and then President of Ford Motor company (1960), Secretary of Defense of the United States (1961-1968), and president of World Bank Group of Institutions (1968 - 1981). The film jumps through history, showing film, photographs and bits of taped dialog with Presidents Kennedy and Johnson to help explain Mr. McNamara's points with each lesson. To keep the dialog flowing, Errol Morris (director and interviewer) asks the occasional question. His voice sounds like it's coming from very far away, and that only adds to the drama of Mr. McNamara responses.
Mr. Morris asks many tough questions, none of which Mr. McNamara dodges. Still Mr. Morris does not trap or corner Mr. McNamara; rather he gives Mr. McNamara a chance to speak his thoughts. Cuts are obvious, often using a second of blank screen to show that something was removed. This does not distract, instead it draws the viewer into the film; making the dialog of the interview appear more plausible than any scripted session ever could.
The opening piece of dialog between McNamara and Morris is a bit of nonsense that provides a good sample for the film.
McNamara: Now I remember exactly the sentence I left off on. I remember how it started, and I was cut off in the middle. But you can fix it up some way. I don't want to go back, introduce the sentence, because I know exactly what I wanted to say.
EM: Go ahead!
We never learn what he wanted to say in this instance, but he has his say throughout on all 11 lessons.
Lesson #1: Empathize with your enemy. Lesson #2: Rationality will not save us. Lesson #3: There's something beyond one's self. Lesson #4: Maximize Efficiency. Lesson #5: Proportionality should be a guideline in war. Lesson #6: Get the data. Lesson #7: Belief and seeing are both often wrong Lesson #8: Be prepared to reexamine your reasoning. Lesson #9: In order to do good, you may have to engage in evil. Lesson #10: Never say never. Lesson #11: You can't change human nature.
The montage of old film and stills combined with Mr. McNamara's dialog and a haunting and voiceless sound track (by Philip Glass, additional music provided by John Kusiak) create a memorable and learning experience.
The special features include 24 additional scenes (that's 38 minutes of movie). Each scene is fully produced and beautifully edited. Each additional scene can be watched independently and none of them repeat the same content as in the movie (although bits of film and stills are shared).
Having heard great things about this documentary, I was curious enough to rent it. Having seen it - I am certain enough to recommend it. In the film Mr. McNamara is not apologetic, although he is occasionally repentant. He has learned much from his life but believes in what he did and why. He admits mistakes openly and candidly; speaking of things chronicled in his books ((2001) "Wilson's Ghost: Reducing the Risk of Conflict, Killing, and Catastrophe in the 21st Century", (1999) "Argument Without End: In Search of Answers to the Vietnam Tragedy" and (1996) "In Retrospect : The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam") and expands upon them. The documentary is not light and not for those who do not know their history as very little background is provided. An atlas of World History is, however, sufficient to follow the dialog and storyboards often provide the date if not the entire context for the interview segment to which they relate.
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ketherian) wrote,
