The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara

Robert S. McNamara and his near confession and meditation on the events of his life. It is attractive and interesting, simply because there are not many personalities like McNamara. It's not so much about resolving the question of whether or not he really was responsible for everything; whether he was (or wasn’t) a war criminal; whether he could (or couldn’t) have prevented certain things from happening - instead it's a fascinating overview of his life (and given that he was the Secretary of Defense during the Cuban Crisis and during the Vietnam War, that he was the director of the World Bank and Ford, and that he also played an interesting role during World War 2, there is definitely a lot to reflect on). Moreover, Morris, as an experienced documentarian, knows how to pose questions; can use period footage at the right time, and edits it perfectly; and when you add Philip Glass' magnificent soundtrack as the icing on the cake, it is definitely worth taking some time to see this piece - it pays off. (03.03.2006)