The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the life of Robert McNamara is not a movie for everyone. I get the feeling that it all depends on your political point of view. If you are a fan of our current president, you might not enjoy what this documentary has to offer. If you are a fan of John Kerry, Democratic hopeful, it just might tickle your fancy.
That's not to say that this is a film about specific current political figures. Nor is it to say that you shouldn't see the movie. What I mean is you may walk away from this movie and not like the lessons imparted to you by former United States Secretary of the Defense Robert McNamara.
McNamara is a man best known for helping to start the Vietnam War, as well as quell the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. The documentary, produced and directed by famed filmmaker Errol Morris, is mostly about this hectic 8-year period of McNamara's life, his decisions, choices, and thoughts.
I came in to this movie, worried that I'd be bored because, essentially, the movie is McNamara talking directly at us. However, it's a vastly entertaining, eye-opening history lesson. Watching this in our troubled time of war is especially intriguing. McNamara was interviewed in late 2001, yet his comments seem to have an oddly accurate feel about them, as if they were directed at the conflict in Iraq.
The eleven lessons that McNamara tries to teach us have to do with Cuba and Vietnam. In telling us to empathize with the enemy, he talks about how the Cuban missile crisis was averted because an ambassador to Russia advised former President John F. Kennedy to think about things from the perspective of Nikita Khruschev. McNamara makes sure to emphasize how close we were to the brink of nuclear war and destruction. He then moves on to other lessons, mostly about Vietnam and his life right before it.
For years, many people have thought McNamara was, in his own words, a son of a bitch. This is the guy who started the Vietnam War and brought us to an era of great turmoil. But thanks to some taped conversations shown in the movie, during both the presidencies of JFK and Lyndon B. Johnson, we see how McNamara waffled in the later years of his time as Secretary of the Defense.
McNamara is, at all times, charismatic and dynamic; a real joy to listen to. Only a couple of times does he show emotion; when he speaks of finding out JFK died, we see him break up, but other than that, he's simply telling us the truth.
Morris has hit a bulls-eye with this movie; it's truly interesting, harrowing stuff. The cliché may be worn out, but if you thought you knew everything about the Vietnam War, think again. Check out The Fog of War, whether or not you agree with the words of Robert McNamara.
Josh Spiegel is an entertainment reporter for the Web Devil. Reach him at Joshua.Spiegel@asu.edu
