Just like I promised, I'm back with a couple more reviews. Tomorrow I head up to Chicago for the film fest. I'll be back with many movies to write about, hopefully all good. Check on back.
The Fog of War
Review by Jon Waterman
****
Former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara sits down to discuss his tenure with documentary director Errol Morris. McNamara describes the various lessons he’s learned about business and war during the tense times in which he presided. Being a key player in the Cuban missile crisis and the majority of the Vietnam War and part of the Cold War, he’s worked with many different leaders around the world and domestically. He’s learned his lessons and willing to take credit for the bad and the good.
McNamara gives us great insight into how he dealt with the problems of the day. He speaks in a very intelligent, concise and logical manner. You can tell he’s learned a lot over the years and through the harrowing experiences he helped manage. What is amazing is his willingness to talk so candidly about what could be perceived as sensitive material. He clues us in on just how close of a call the missile crisis truly was and even on how the Vietnam War might have been prevented. This once controversial official talks succinctly and honestly, in order to aide the populous’ understanding of the complexity of politics and the importance of applying historical lessons learned.
In addition to the fascinating content of the interview, Morris has a very distinct style to his films. The most obvious aspect is the subjects look directly into the camera. Not only does it connect more personally to the audience, but also you get a better sense of their internal character and emotions. It’s easier to read their eyes and body language, since it’s more conversational. Another welcomed standard of his are the great supporting visuals. Morris is not content to shoot just the interview. He uses archival footage and audio recordings to increase the credibility of McNamara’s claims. He also works with great cinematographers Robert Chappell and Peter Donahue to produce supporting visuals that either reenact moments or place the ideals in metaphorical context. We also get a typically hokey, yet surprisingly appropriate score – this time by Phillip Glass. The result is a characteristic Errol Morris film that is enthralling, informative and assuredly his own.
It struck me to see this man whose will and determination had to be so strong and rigid, sitting down and looking directly into the camera. He appeared fragile and beaten. We’re taught to respect our elders and learn from their wisdom, but how many of us actually take the time to do so? In his face and his responses there’s almost a desperation coming out for someone to listen and take advantage of his many tense experiences. For most of us watching the film, we won’t get much chance to apply these lessons to better our nation, but at least we can look for elected officials that embody these qualities.
++++++++
The Weather Underground
Review by Jon Waterman
***
In the 1960s, as the Vietnam War raged on with no end in sight, people who had never doubted their government began to. Protests became increasingly common and popular. They were mad at the leaders that sent their peers and their relatives off to what they perceived to be a senseless, un-winnable war. Small groups began to form. Amongst these groups were the Students for a Democratic Society, an organization so large that it produced offshoots. One called themselves The Weathermen, a radical thinking handful of college age students who wanted to do more. They wanted to influence the government not by protesting and talking, but by retaliating against them for the crimes against society the government was committing. All injustices would be rectified in some manner. This is their story.
The film presents a lot of information right off the bat. It bombards you with continual facts that should be absorbed in order to fully understand the background or to piece everything together contextually. Eventually it slows down to tell the chronological story behind this American terrorist group, but sometimes slips into overload mode. I feel sorry for any kids watching this at school trying to take notes. And despite the meticulous detailing of events, after 1975, it just trails off into nothingness. The group still existed into the 1980s, yet little is said of this period. It’s not even glanced over. It’s less than a flash in the pan.
The movie does a good job of putting in perspective the group’s feelings and motivations without excusing them. There were specific events that they were responding to with their bombs and damaging attacks, and it could very easily be argued that the government was in the wrong. Nowhere in the film does it pretend like the attacks were truly deserved, but rather it states that the group thought so at the time. The filmmakers create a nice unconscious effect of The Weathermen’s lack of understanding through the use of blank space, film leader and flash frames. It shows that the puzzle is incomplete even to them. The puzzle will always be incomplete.
“The Weather Underground” is a great thinking movie. It’s a great discussion movie. You see what drew some of these people in and what motivated them to such actions. Their thoughts and perspectives on the time period and what they did then and now are nicely contrasted without being shoved in your face. It provides a fascinating and surprisingly timely look at a segment of historical significance that has been greatly overlooked.
The Fog of War
Review by Jon Waterman
****
Former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara sits down to discuss his tenure with documentary director Errol Morris. McNamara describes the various lessons he’s learned about business and war during the tense times in which he presided. Being a key player in the Cuban missile crisis and the majority of the Vietnam War and part of the Cold War, he’s worked with many different leaders around the world and domestically. He’s learned his lessons and willing to take credit for the bad and the good.
McNamara gives us great insight into how he dealt with the problems of the day. He speaks in a very intelligent, concise and logical manner. You can tell he’s learned a lot over the years and through the harrowing experiences he helped manage. What is amazing is his willingness to talk so candidly about what could be perceived as sensitive material. He clues us in on just how close of a call the missile crisis truly was and even on how the Vietnam War might have been prevented. This once controversial official talks succinctly and honestly, in order to aide the populous’ understanding of the complexity of politics and the importance of applying historical lessons learned.
In addition to the fascinating content of the interview, Morris has a very distinct style to his films. The most obvious aspect is the subjects look directly into the camera. Not only does it connect more personally to the audience, but also you get a better sense of their internal character and emotions. It’s easier to read their eyes and body language, since it’s more conversational. Another welcomed standard of his are the great supporting visuals. Morris is not content to shoot just the interview. He uses archival footage and audio recordings to increase the credibility of McNamara’s claims. He also works with great cinematographers Robert Chappell and Peter Donahue to produce supporting visuals that either reenact moments or place the ideals in metaphorical context. We also get a typically hokey, yet surprisingly appropriate score – this time by Phillip Glass. The result is a characteristic Errol Morris film that is enthralling, informative and assuredly his own.
It struck me to see this man whose will and determination had to be so strong and rigid, sitting down and looking directly into the camera. He appeared fragile and beaten. We’re taught to respect our elders and learn from their wisdom, but how many of us actually take the time to do so? In his face and his responses there’s almost a desperation coming out for someone to listen and take advantage of his many tense experiences. For most of us watching the film, we won’t get much chance to apply these lessons to better our nation, but at least we can look for elected officials that embody these qualities.
++++++++
The Weather Underground
Review by Jon Waterman
***
In the 1960s, as the Vietnam War raged on with no end in sight, people who had never doubted their government began to. Protests became increasingly common and popular. They were mad at the leaders that sent their peers and their relatives off to what they perceived to be a senseless, un-winnable war. Small groups began to form. Amongst these groups were the Students for a Democratic Society, an organization so large that it produced offshoots. One called themselves The Weathermen, a radical thinking handful of college age students who wanted to do more. They wanted to influence the government not by protesting and talking, but by retaliating against them for the crimes against society the government was committing. All injustices would be rectified in some manner. This is their story.
The film presents a lot of information right off the bat. It bombards you with continual facts that should be absorbed in order to fully understand the background or to piece everything together contextually. Eventually it slows down to tell the chronological story behind this American terrorist group, but sometimes slips into overload mode. I feel sorry for any kids watching this at school trying to take notes. And despite the meticulous detailing of events, after 1975, it just trails off into nothingness. The group still existed into the 1980s, yet little is said of this period. It’s not even glanced over. It’s less than a flash in the pan.
The movie does a good job of putting in perspective the group’s feelings and motivations without excusing them. There were specific events that they were responding to with their bombs and damaging attacks, and it could very easily be argued that the government was in the wrong. Nowhere in the film does it pretend like the attacks were truly deserved, but rather it states that the group thought so at the time. The filmmakers create a nice unconscious effect of The Weathermen’s lack of understanding through the use of blank space, film leader and flash frames. It shows that the puzzle is incomplete even to them. The puzzle will always be incomplete.
“The Weather Underground” is a great thinking movie. It’s a great discussion movie. You see what drew some of these people in and what motivated them to such actions. Their thoughts and perspectives on the time period and what they did then and now are nicely contrasted without being shoved in your face. It provides a fascinating and surprisingly timely look at a segment of historical significance that has been greatly overlooked.
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