The Fog of War

Morris has given us such classic documentaries as ‘The Thin Blue Line’, ‘Gates of Heaven’ and ‘Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control’.   Here he turns his attention to the career of noted cold warrior/war criminal, Robert S. McNamara, who presents 11 lessons from his life.   McNamara was defense secretary for Kennedy and Johnson and is considered the “architect” of the Vietnam War (which he now admits was a mistake).   Some critics have said that Morris lets McNamara get away with too much “hemming and hawing” and is overly fair to his subject.   Granted, but it’s still a fascinating look at the quintessential intellectual in the service of power.

-- Feb 3, 2004