Film Reviews

The Fog of War

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• Details: US / 105 mins / (No Cert).

Winner of the Best Documentary Feature at this year's Academy Awards, Errol Morris' The Fog of War is a quite remarkable, gorgeously made film about the former United States defence secretary Robert S. McNamara. Essentially mediation on the lessons learnt during his time in office, McNamara served in the position under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 to 1968. A turbulent era in America's history, McNamara's actions while in office have been touted by some as having a major influence in America's participation in the Vietnam War.
Morris has a sure handed intelligence in his usage of the material at his disposal, refusing to condemn or condone, and allows McNamara's reflections to speak for themselves. For his part, although he's in the final stages of his life, McNamara doesn't attempt to write a glowing epitaph for himself. Instead he speaks candidly and freely admits that errors of judgement were made, not least on his part. Morris seems to agree, as he subtlety latches onto 11 of McNamara's points, leading the viewer to ponder the actions of those who were able to make the decision to enter the United States into conflict. Despite the fact that most of the interviews were conducted with McNamara almost three years ago, this is an incredibly thoughtful and timely movie.

Review by Garreth Murphy