The Fog of War
In this grimly compelling film, documentary filmmaker Errol Morris tackles one of his most perplexing and ambiguous subjects: former defense secretary Robert McNamara, widely identified (and in many quarters reviled) as the architect of the Vietnam War. The octogenarian McNamara, a former head of Ford Motor Co. whose government service began during World War II, is filmed via Morris’s invention, the “Interrotron,” a device that allows interviewer and subject to look into each other’s eyes while also staring directly into the camera lens. This enables the subject to maintain eye contact with the audience, and given the frequently disturbing nature of McNamara’s revelations, it makes for quite an eerie viewing experience. He discusses at length the Allied campaign against Japan in WWII, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the costly, protracted conflict in Vietnam. From his musings Morris extrapolates 11 “lessons,” which are presented one at a time to impose film structure.
Watch the full documentary now
The film gives former US secretary of defence Robert McNamara a chance to explain some of the controversial decisions made during his political career and the consequences that lead from them.
He comes across as a man who has many regrets, and at certain points some very dark regrets. His discussion of the incendiary bombing of Japan revels a dissonance that while not quite denial, leaves me with the impression that he does feel a heavy responsibility for what happened in Japan.
He does not cover the Vietnam war in as much detail as WWII or Cuba. Which does not help his case.
In the end I feel that the film is an attempt at some kind of confession by McNamara, in these his final years. It is hard to not feel a certain empathy and respect toward him as a man who has learned from his mistakes. But what great mistakes he made.
A great insight into what it means to be human.
This is so disturbing to me. It goes to show that wars go on, because of misconceptions..basically it’s all in their heads. Unfornately, the carnage is not. Though McNamara makes some important statements, and admits mistakes, I don’t think he really feels bad.
Of course, no one can truly know what another thinks or feels (one of the points in the film), but I do not see evidence of true remorse. Sociopaths can intellectually understand wrong doing, but do not feel empathy. I don’t know if McNamara is one, but I am guessing he probably is to some degree. Look at the way he gets so emotional when talks about Kennedy compared with the way he talks about burning thousands of men, women, and children to death as they slept.
I’m sickened to say the least. I really think there is a very grim future ahead for the US. If you believe in karma, the US is in big trouble. When are people going to realize, if we don’t stop using war to resolve conflict, we are all going to wind up dead?
…and what was that whole bit about agent orange?! He didn’t authorize it?! What?!!! He was the secretary of defense. Of course, he did. Whether he realized what he was doing or not, is a different story.
In addition, why is it that warmongers refer to what is legal for guidelines as to what is “wrong” or “right” in a war? I don’t care whether it was legal or not. It is irrelevent! What is relevant is the damage it caused, and for what gains?
McNamara says evil is sometimes necessary for good. That is extremely dangerous thinking. It is the same type of thinking that allows for prisoners to be tortured at Guantanamo Bay. If you have to commit an act of evil to do “good”, I think you seriously need to reevaluate your definition of “good” and your value system!
well, lisa, I agree with you that war is hell and great evils have been made, for example in vietnam and iraq. but I have to disagree with you on mcnamara. to me (just from watching this film) he seems like a reasonable guy who found himself in a organism that was on the wrong path. of course he bares his part of the responsibility for being on the boat, and carrying out the policies, but I think the president who decided the main direction. neither do I think that mcnamara is a sociopath, we all feel much strongly about people we know, than faces on a screen, or numbers on a paper. again, I guess that’s human nature, with all the evils it can bring
strange its hard to know what to think after watching that. I noticed, like lisa o, how mcnamara could hardly hold the tears back thinking of jfk, but the dead of vietnam seemed to stop at johnson’s door. I think the scariest thing is how fallible, human beings can reach such high office with such potential for damage.
In a way i feel that i would prefer if he still thought war in vietnam was right rather than claim he went against his better judgement but still helped unleash hell on so many people not least his own countrymen