Why I'm interested in Fog of War (and my reservations)
As I write hours before seeing the film, I'm actually skeptical about what I'll get out of it, quite frankly. Then why am I going? Because a friend invited me and because the film-maker (Errol Morris) seems to have a great reputation. And maybe the film is more significant than I suspect right at this moment. McNamara and Morris were actually on the Berkeley campus on Feb 5, 2004. The event was ![[WWW]](/www/moin/htdocs/classic/img/moin-www.png){kind=small}
covered by the Berkeley Newscenter along with an archived webcast. (Watching the webcast might be interesting after seeing the movie.)
A good outcome of seeing the movie for people would be somehow if we learn from the past. I guess my relationship with documentaries need not be so pragmatic. How about just learning about the Vietnam War? I've become so cynical about the possibility of TruthBearingInPublicSphere that my views on the film are already colored.
Looking forward to seeing friends, though, and reflecting on the film together -- and on coming back to write later today or tomorrow.
Post-movie thoughts
First reaction: I'm glad I went. Second reaction: I was seduced by Robert McNamara. I'm not sure whether it was against my better judgement. Before I went into the film, based primarily on a superficial read of a review or two in the NewYorkReviewOfBooks of his book about Vietnam (what's the title?), I had formed the image of an incompetent man (though he was one of the "best and brightest") who dragged American into the diastrous Vietnam War -- and who then out to resuscitate his image through a self-justifying book. After the film, I am open to reading his book, to hear more of his side of the story (as well as many other viewpoints -- since I'm woefully lacking in knowledge in that area). Moreover, I'm now willing to entertain the possibility that McNamara, talented but fallible human, did as well as one could expect. Everyone makes mistakes; when you are in power, your mistakes happen to cost thousands, if not, millions of lives. Even writing these last two sentences made me feel queasy. Does the man just say "oops, I made a mistake -- I'm fallible" and everything is wiped clean?
Now was it only me -- but I swear that the young McNamara had a I-know-best smirk that reminded me so much of the present Secretary of Defence, Mr. Rumsfeld. I just hope that twenty years from now, the Errol Morris of the next generation won't be filming a reprise of Fog of War with a then-92 year reflective Rumsfeld.
Invitation (more or less) that I sent out
I'm going to see Fog of War this coming Saturday (Feb 28, 2004) and want to invite others. Let me pull together some reviews/commentary:
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Fog of Power (SF Chronicle)
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reviews from
rottentomatoes.com
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Documentary expert Errol Morris directs THE FOG OF WAR, a captivating look at Robert S. McNamara, who served as the Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. The movie does not exclusively focus on this part of McNamara's career, however, and instead gives a broad overview of the man he was, his multitude of roles--a Harvard Business School graduate, a Colonel in the Air Force during WWII, president of Ford Motor Company--and his opinions on a variety of historical topics. Inspired by two books written by McNamara--IN RETROSPECT (1995) and WILSON'S GHOST (2001)--Morris gives McNamara a forum to talk about the decisions he made and the influence he had during his career. At the age of 85, McNamara has gained necessary perspective to do just that. Sharp as a tack, packed with charisma, and generally fascinating, McNamara easily carries the film with his revealing interviews. Meanwhile, Morris' use of archival footage along with with maps and other effective visual aids add context to McNamara's commentary. Finally, Philip Glass's ominous pulsing score gives the film's important subject matter the gravity it deserves.
This movie screened in October 2003 as part of the 41st New York Film Festival organized by the Film Society of Lincoln Center.
