What did everyone here think of "The Fog of War"?

[MessiahRp]

I don't know how many of you watched it... I love the movie.. I think there are a lot of people that come down hard on McNamara but if his Presidents had listened to him we wouldn't have stuck it out in Nam...

I'm kinda curious what many of you thought of the movie...

Rp

[punpirate]

1. I thought his change of heart came...

... four decades too late. McNamara does a pretty good job of covering his ass in the movie--he gives away the things that make him seem a sympathetic character. But, he was the person down on Capitol Hill right away about the Gulf of Tonkin evidence, which was bullshit then, and an even bigger pile of bullshit today, now that we know the translations were fudged and then covered up. He facilitated that war, and then watched it go sour for years.

Not much sympathy for McNamara.

Cheers.

[Make7]

2. I loved it.

Edited for clarity.

I think it was unique by the very fact that it had someone that was that high up in the power circles of the American government talking relatively candidly about some of the policy decisions that were made in the past.

But regarding McNamara, if you truly believe the policy is wrong, I think you must divorce yourself from its implementation, or realize that you will be partially responsible for any consequences that may occur.

-Make7

[DemoTex]

3. Very important film ..

I've watched it several times. The Phillip Glass music during the segment on McNamara-planned Japan fire-bombing during WW-2 was perfect. Read The Living and the Dead too.

[GR]

4. Fantastic....And A Fine Exploration Of WWII Atrocities, Too...

The quote from LeMay, I believe:"If the other side had won the war, we would have been on trial for war crimes."

[MessiahRp]

6. That part was the most stirring to me...

emotionally I just about cried when I watched that and realized just how many Japanese people we slaughtered. The Japanese really shouldn't be our friends today for those actions. And to think, we A-Bombed them twice after burning half of their population to death.

That type of thing, which isn't exactly well circulated to the American people, is exactly why so many foreign citizens think we are terrorists.

Rp

[Straight Shooter]

5. As for McNamara, Lord Byron once responded to someone's excuses thus:

Your letter of excuses has arrived. I receive the letter but do not admit the excuses except in courtesy, as when a man treads on your toes and begs your pardon -- the pardon is granted, but the joint aches, especially if there is a corn upon it.

The movie was well done, but I would grind my teeth whenever McNamara attempted to paint himself as a sympathetic character. Every time I watched him in those old film clips from the Vietnam era, all I could see was Rumsfeld's face.

[Lisa]

7. the scene where the names of targeted Russian cities ...

... are replaced with those of American cities (more familiar to audiences over here) -- always gives me chills.