Looking back on some of the past posts I have done, I found myself wanting to go back in history and pick a documentary that I had previously featured as The Movie of the Day. There was one film, that above all else, is truly a work of art. The Fog of War is one of my top documentary films of all time. It is a peerless film that dives into the mindset of a polarizing individual and watch him openly discuss about the decisions he has made in his life. These are decisions that everyone faces mind you. These are the thoughts of a man who is a military strategist, leader, and sometimes, monster. Robert McNamara is fascinating as an individual, one who has lived his life in war and his openly discusses about his decisions that are often times viewed as being controversial to those in the historic community. There is a deep reflection in this documentary where we peer into the mindset of a man who has had to make some tough decisions in life, but also we come to fully understand how those choices shaped his life.
I decided to pull from original review of The Fog of War and hope that you will take the time to read and watch this documentary. Even if you aren’t a fan of documentaries, this is truly one of the masterpieces from Errol Morris’ filmography and the attention to detail and narrative unraveling of the life of Robert McNamara makes you appreciate the man behind the tough decisions in war. He isn’t well known, McNamara, but while he shows a frail, older side, the documentary unveils a hardened individual who’s face is worn with the toughest decision anyone has had to make in history. A truly mesmerizing and evocative documentary that is made all the better with the intimate filmmaking style that Morris utilizes to have look face to face with the subject at hand.
AdvertisementMcNamara is an interesting individual. You don’t see many historical figures, particularly military figures, admit that they made mistakes, that is not to say he outright admits mistakes, but rather defends his time as Secretary of Defense. The most intimate dialog takes places during the discussion of the Vietnam War and what some would call him as the architect of the war. McNamara’s brevity and insight into the side of combat, the diplomatic and strategy side, that is rarely seen to the public. His discussion about international relations during the Vietnam War shaped his views on the state of war, whether it made him humble or not is a moot point… continue reading here
