While packing for our upcoming move, Kris and I managed to lose the remote control for the DVD player. This causes problems because only about half of all DVDs can be played without the remote. The only Netflix DVD we could get to play tonight was The Fog of War. It wasn't the what I wanted to watch, but it turned out to have been perfect.
The Fog of War is a documentary featuring two people: the interviewer (and filmmaker) Errol Morris, and the subject, Robert McNamara. Robert Strange McNamara was the Secretary of Defense under Kennedy and Johnson. He presided over the early stages of the Vietnam War. Prior to that he was an effiency expert, then the first non-family member President of Ford Motor Company. He is a deep thinker, a complex man, a loyal citizen of the United States. He's responsible for the deaths of thousands of people, both U.S. soldiers and enemy soldiers (and civilians). He may or may not have been responsible for firebombing Tokyo during the second world war.
The film is structured so as to convey eleven lessons McNamara has learned from his life. These lessons are:
- Empathize with your enemy.
- Rationality will not save us.
- There's something beyond one's self.
- Maximize efficiency.
- Proportionality should be a guideline in war.
- Get the data.
- Belief and seeing are both often wrong.
- Be prepared to reexamine your reasoning.
- In order to do good, you may have to engage in evil.
- Never say never.
- You can't change human nature.
Donald Rumsfeld and George W. Bush would do well to view this film, but one wonders if their minds are open enough to hear what McNamara has to say about his choices, about his mistakes. (Read Ebert's review for more on this subject.)
The Fog of War received numerous awards last year, including the Oscar for Best Documentary. The critics adored it, and rightly so. It is by no means a pro-war film; but neither is it anti-war. It's complex, as is McNamara, as are the situations he describes. It's a shame that more people have not seen this film, especially given today's global political climate.
I encourage you — nay, implore you — to see this film. (Wikipedia entry, a review, another review, Ebert's review)
On this day at foldedspace.org
2005 — Revenge of the Sith You might expect that I'd wait to see (or even skip) the final installment, Revenge of the Sith. Who are we kidding? The first thing I did after work today was stop for a matinee.
— One Foot in Front of the Other A lot of turning things around in your life is simply choosing the right thing and then exercising patience. I still have days of doom and gloom, but I can feel my attitude improving.
2003 — Twenty-two Year Reflection I still don't understand the lyrics, but I think, perhaps, I understand their meaning. I understand what Dad heard, I understand what he was doing that morning, staring out at the darkness, listening to the shepherdess sing.
2002 — Media Consumption Despite my growing anti-corporate ideals, there are times that I succumb, join the American mind. This weekend was one of those times. Is this hypocrisy? Probably.
As a political junkie of sorts I had been waiting for this movie to come out for quite a while. McNamara doesn't give interviews and the fact that this movie was made at all was very surprising. Watching it stunned me.
One thing that struck me after watching this movie was how much McNamara was motivated by "the big picture" in a way that it seems like current politicians have overlooked. When I say "current", I mean for at least the last 15 years. He also seemed to be blunt about the fact that had we lost WWII, the things we did to Germany and Japan would, without question, have earned him and other top leaders a series of war crimes convictions. At the same time, although he seemed to express regret over that, I don't think that he would have done much, if anything, differently.
For those not familiar with the Cuban Missile Crisis, this is an excellent introduction. It will also scare the shit out of you. For those who are familiar with the Cuban Missle Crisis it will make you wonder how we managed to live through it.
After watching this movie She Who Must Be Obeyed and I walked out and were very quiet for a while except for the simultaneous query, "Should we send a copy of this movie to the President?" This was easily the best movie I've seen in a very long time and like JD, I implore you to see it. There are times that it is hard to sit through, but that's because it so bluntly challenges your thoughts on many different issues and does so in a way that will take you aback with it's scope and insight.