neumu [ cinematronic ]




	The Fog Of War
	Errol Morris Robert S. McNamara 2003		Errol Morris makes documentaries that challenge your perceptions and pose tough questions. His films, such as "The Thin Blue Line" and "Mr. Death," are renowned for their unflinching approach to volatile issues and situations. Now comes "The Fog of War," a potent, biographical exegesis of the life and times of former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. It allows Morris, using newsreel footage, archival stills, rare recordings and McNamara's on-camera accounts, to address major flashpoints of America's social and geopolitical history. Age, hard-earned lessons and hindsight awareness of his actions and their consequences have lent dignity and insight to McNamara, who, in his mid-80s, is lucid, articulate and less circumspect than one might expect. His military experience in Pacific Theater strategy during World War II, his run as CEO of Ford Motors and his service in the cabinets of John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson put McNamara at the nexus of watershed events. In the process of recalling the Cuban Missile Crisis and the quagmire of Vietnam, McNamara outlines his ideals and personal code. His ruminations on war, diplomacy, nuclear arms and global responsibility have special resonance now that the U.S. is again embroiled in questionable overseas conflicts. "The Fog of War" is enveloping and difficult to dispel.