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Movies / On DVD / The Fog of War
The Fog of War

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The Fog of War (2003)

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Reviews Counted:133

Fresh:130

Rotten:3

Average Rating:8.4/10

Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins

Genre: Education/General Interest

Synopsis: Documentarian 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... Documentarian 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, loaded with charisma, and generally fascinating, McNamara easily carries the film with his revealing interviews. Meanwhile, Morris's use of archival footage--along with maps and other effective visual aids--add context to McNamara's commentary, and Philip Glass's ominous, pulsing score gives the film's important subject matter the gravity it deserves. [More]

Starring: Robert S. McNamara

Starring: Robert S. McNamara

Director: Errol Morris

Director: Errol Morris
Producer: Michael Williams, Julie Ahlberg
Composer: Philip Glass
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

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Reviews for The Fog of War

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61 - 80 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
02/14/04
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

McNamara's a slippery guy, and you can see Morris trying to pin him down (on the subject of personal accountability) throughout the movie.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Daily News | comment Comment
02/13/04
Gary Thompson
Gary Thompson
Philadelphia Daily News

An insanely timely cautionary tale about American omniscience and the fallible belief that rationality will always win out.

Full Review Source: Miami Herald | comment Comment
02/13/04
Rene Rodriguez
Rene Rodriguez
Miami Herald

A fascinating ride through U.S. war history's choppy waters.

comment Comment
02/13/04
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

In terms of entertainment value, 'The Fog of War' may not stand out among Morris' rich resume of the humorous and bizarre. But it certainly has its place as a closer look at a man who wielded great power during one of our country's most tumultuous times.

Full Review Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel | comment Comment
02/12/04
Laura Kelly
Laura Kelly
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

McNamara, a robust conversationalist, is so lively that he bursts out of what is essentially a talking-head documentary.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
02/12/04
Carrie Rickey
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer

Awash in artsy-farsty tinsel, The Fog Of War is full of shiny surfaces and missed opportunities. It's the cinematic equivalent of a Sharper Image catalog.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Weekly | comment Comment
02/11/04
Sean Burns
Sean Burns
Philadelphia Weekly

Disturbing.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
02/06/04
John Hartl
John Hartl
Seattle Times

A stethoscope on the heartbeat of history.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
02/06/04
Geoff Pevere
Geoff Pevere
Toronto Star

History needs to be re-examined, but it is rare for a filmmaker to have unfettered access to a reclusive figure who was so crucial in making history.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
02/06/04
Bruce Kirkland
Bruce Kirkland
Jam! Movies

Essentially McNamara's version of himself through history, and he is such a persuasive figure.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
02/06/04
Liam Lacey
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail

[A] perversely enthralling documentary.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
02/05/04
William Arnold
William Arnold
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

[Morris] gave him a stage -- and Mr. McNamara took it -- to chart the tragedy of Vietnam and prove that war is too complex, too dangerous for fallible human beings in power to know what they're doing.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
02/05/04
Jane Sumner
Jane Sumner
Dallas Morning News

Offers a fascinating history lesson -- and one you'll probably never read in any book.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
02/05/04
Bill Muller
Bill Muller
Arizona Republic

Morris' smart, argumentative film is deceptively simple.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
02/05/04
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

The interviews were filmed a year before the war in Iraq. That so many of McNamara's lessons have come into play imbue The Fog of War with an eerie clarity.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
02/05/04
Jeff Strickler
Jeff Strickler
Minneapolis Star Tribune

It is a riveting reminder for those who remember; a required history lesson for those who don't.

Full Review Source: San Diego Metropolitan | comment Comment
01/31/04
Jean Lowerison
Jean Lowerison
San Diego Metropolitan

[McNamara's] humility is that of a player who has decided to keep certain hole cards his own, forever. We could think about this movie for just about as long.

Full Review Source: San Diego Union-Tribune | comment Comment
01/30/04
David Elliott
David Elliott
San Diego Union-Tribune

An important and compelling film about the hubris of fallible men with unlimited power -- at once an eye-opening exploration of 20th-century history and a grippingly cautionary manifesto about current events.

Full Review Source: Oregonian | comment Comment
01/29/04
Shawn Levy
Shawn Levy
Oregonian
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
01/24/04
Boston Phoenix
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
61 - 80 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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