list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around The Fog of War on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/The_Fog_of_War/226124/default.aspx Title: The Fog of War
Year: 2003
Director: Errol Morris
Plot: Former Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara is the sole focus of documentarian Errol Morris' The Fog of War, a film that not only analyzes McNamara's controversial decisions during the first half of the Vietnam War, but also his childhood upbringing, his education at Berkley and Harvard, his involvement in World War II, and his later years as president of the World Bank. Culling footage from almost 20 hours of interviews with the Secretary, Morris details key moments from McNamara's career, including the 1945 bombing of Tokyo, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and President Kennedy's suggestions to the Secretary that the U.S. remove itself from Vietnam. Throughout the film, the 85-year-old McNamara expounds his philosophies on international conflict, and shows regret and pride in equal measure for, respectively, his mistakes and accomplishments. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 29
Number of Lists: 32
Number of blog posts: 7
Number of discussion threads: 3
SpoutRating: 4
]]>Wed, 13 May 2009 03:16:19 GMTThe Fog of War2003Errol MorrisFormer Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara is the sole focus of documentarian <a href="/players/P___103562/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Errol Morris</a>' The Fog of War, a film that not only analyzes McNamara's controversial decisions during the first half of the Vietnam War, but also his childhood upbringing, his education at Berkley and Harvard, his involvement in World War II, and his later years as president of the World Bank. Culling footage from almost 20 hours of interviews with the Secretary, Morris details key moments from McNamara's career, including the 1945 bombing of Tokyo, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and President Kennedy's suggestions to the Secretary that the U.S. remove itself from Vietnam. Throughout the film, the 85-year-old McNamara expounds his philosophies on international conflict, and shows regret and pride in equal measure for, respectively, his mistakes and accomplishments. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide29Tag Target (>10)32734http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t42853issqp.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/The_Fog_of_War/226124/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/risselada/archive/2009/5/8/42205.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Risselada Blog
Post Date: 5/8/2009 12:29:08 PM
Body: First Person The format of the First Person series is what Errol Morris does best: finding unusual people, sitting them down in front of a camera, positioning the camera in the right way, and getting them to talk about what makes them so interesting. And then finding the right B-roll footage to splice in at the right times. Morris's invention of a camera device which he calls the "Interrotron" allows the subjects to see Morris's face as they look into the camera to make it feel more personal. As a viewer you really feel like the person is talking to you. We do see a few themes running through Morris's selection of people to interview. There are a few people involved with serial killers or murder cases. A couple lawyers with specific types of clients. A couple people who supposedly have brilliant minds but take some unexpected paths in life. I feel like Morris was a bit prescient in his choices as well. The episode "Harvesting Me" features Josh Harris who has recently been the subject of a full length documentary called We Live in Public. And it's almost impossible for me to not believe that whoever came up with the idea for the recent standardized indie flick Sunshine Cleaning didn't steal the idea directly from the First Person episode "You're Soaking In It". And I think I also read that my favorite Errol Morris film Fog of War started when Morris originally was trying to get Robert McNamara for an episode of First Person and realized this guy had enough to say to fill a full length film and win Morris an Oscar. And now it appears that Morris's next film project is actually a narrative film about cryonics, a subject that was explored in the First Person episode "I Dismember Mama" featuring Saul Kent the inventor of cryonics. There were a few episodes that were a bit less engaging than the best, but still seventeen episodes just wasn't enough. Rating: 9/10
]]>Fri, 08 May 2009 16:29:08 GMTRisseladaRisselada Blog5/8/2009 12:29:08 PMFirst Person The format of the First Person series is what Errol Morris does best: finding unusual people, sitting them down in front of a camera, positioning the camera in the right way, and getting them to talk about what makes them so interesting. And then finding the right B-roll footage to splice in at the right times. Morris's invention of a camera device which he calls the "Interrotron" allows the subjects to see Morris's face as they look into the camera to make it feel more personal. As a viewer you really feel like the person is talking to you. We do see a few themes running through Morris's selection of people to interview. There are a few people involved with serial killers or murder cases. A couple lawyers with specific types of clients. A couple people who supposedly have brilliant minds but take some unexpected paths in life. I feel like Morris was a bit prescient in his choices as well. The episode "Harvesting Me" features Josh Harris who has recently been the subject of a full length documentary called We Live in Public. And it's almost impossible for me to not believe that whoever came up with the idea for the recent standardized indie flick Sunshine Cleaning didn't steal the idea directly from the First Person episode "You're Soaking In It". And I think I also read that my favorite Errol Morris film Fog of War started when Morris originally was trying to get Robert McNamara for an episode of First Person and realized this guy had enough to say to fill a full length film and win Morris an Oscar. And now it appears that Morris's next film project is actually a narrative film about cryonics, a subject that was explored in the First Person episode "I Dismember Mama" featuring Saul Kent the inventor of cryonics. There were a few episodes that were a bit less engaging than the best, but still seventeen episodes just wasn't enough. Rating: 9/10 http://www.spout.com/blogs/atacta/archive/2008/11/28/37716.aspx Post By: atacta
Post To: atacta Blog
Post Date: 11/28/2008 3:33:41 PM
Body: My second exposure (after Fog of War) to Errol Morris. Blue Line is like a perfect mathematical sequence in its story telling and editing. Being an older film than Fog, Blue Line does lack some of the energy of the latter film but I think that has to do with limited footage. Since I knew the eventual consequences of the film it added that very interesting twist to it as well. The real culprit of the crime is a genuinely creepy dude as are the supposed "witnesses" to it. It really is unbelievable that this happened to that poor guy.In the end justice did prevail. ***1/2 / ***** The Fog of War (2003)
]]>Fri, 28 Nov 2008 20:33:41 GMTatactaatacta Blog11/28/2008 3:33:41 PMMy second exposure (after Fog of War) to Errol Morris. Blue Line is like a perfect mathematical sequence in its story telling and editing. Being an older film than Fog, Blue Line does lack some of the energy of the latter film but I think that has to do with limited footage. Since I knew the eventual consequences of the film it added that very interesting twist to it as well. The real culprit of the crime is a genuinely creepy dude as are the supposed "witnesses" to it. It really is unbelievable that this happened to that poor guy.In the end justice did prevail. ***1/2 / ***** The Fog of War (2003) http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/11/24/37595.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 11/24/2008 7:01:27 PM
Body: When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces a shortlist for one of its Oscar categories, many critics immediately focus on what titles are missing. Religulous was snubbed! Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired was punished for having a “secret” qualifying run! The Academy’s rules for eligibility must be amended! Such reactions were seen all over the web last week as awards season pundits looked at the narrowed-down list of 15 Feature Documentary hopefuls and criticized the Academy for its omissions. But the better response (which is the one SpoutBlog had) is to primarily address and celebrate the included films, not just for being contenders for the Feature Documentary Oscar but also for being showcased in general. The wonderful thing about shortlists is that they expand further the idea that it’s great just to be nominated. For feature documentaries, particularly those without a lot of media and major distributor attention, it is also great just to be shortlisted. Non-fiction film fans may now see this as an opportunity to take note of some documentaries that weren’t previously on their radar (unfortunately none of these films are actually allowed to advertise their recent achievement of being shortlisted). But the Academy Awards are, of course, still a competition. So, while we take notice of the 15 semi-finalists for the Feature Documentary Oscar, we shall also weigh their chances of being selected for the final five and predict which titles are likely to be announced as nominees on January 22. 1. Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh It’s a constant joke that any film related to the Holocaust is guaranteed an Oscar nomination. Obviously this is a generalization based on common trend, and not every Holocaust doc has in fact been recognized by the Academy, but if such a film is good enough to reach the shortlist, there is a very good chance that it will also be nominated. And since there hasn’t been a feature doc on the subject nominated since 2002, it’s probably time for a new one to get the spotlight. Blessed is narrated by Oscar-nominee Joan Allen and details the courageous life of Hannah Senesh, who took part in a mission to rescue Hungary’s Jews. If Hollywood doesn’t nominate this doc, it will probably at least use it as a springboard from which to produce an Oscar-bait dramatization about Senesh in the near future. 2. Trouble the Water Never mind the fact that it’s one of the best-reviewed films of the year, this is the Academy’s first chance to get behind the Katrina issue. Though some mistakenly see the Feature Documentary Oscar as primarily a category with which to showcase its favored causes rather than recognizing the actual best documentary filmmaking of the year, there is a miniscule amount of truth in the matter. It’s part of the reason that the Holocaust-doc joke is so often made, and it’s also why the films Born Into Brothels and An Inconvenient Truth were named winners, despite their being subject-over-style kinds of documentaries. Trouble the Water is a tad bit sloppy, but it has the subject matter and enough inspirational substance to receive a nomination. 3. Encounters at the End of the World This may be the Academy’s chance to make up for their exclusion of Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man a few years back or simply honor a filmmaker who has been important to the non-fiction genre for decades. Also, with their snub of Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, the Academy Documentary Branch could use this as more opportunity to distinguish and make an example out of the difference between a theatrical documentary and a television documentary (as David Poland recently pointed out, “if you are a TV doc, be a TV doc…if you are a theatrical doc, that is what the Oscars reward”). People who went to see Encounters recommended it on the basis that it needs to be seen on a big screen, which is not often said about documentaries. Other things it has going for it are a shared location with Oscar-winner March of the Penguins (even if Herzog starts the film addressing that this is not like that film) and a slight relevance to the global warming issue, which is one of the Academy’s currently favored issues. 4. Standard Operating Procedure The Academy Documentary Branch does seem to favor former nominees in their category, perhaps due to the number of documentarians who turn to fiction filmmaking after breaking out in non-fiction (maybe that explains their snub of Barbara Kopple recently after her attempt into fiction). So Morris, who was infamously rejected by the Academy with his monumental film The Thin Blue Line, and who later won the Oscar for The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons Learned from the Life of Robert S. McNamara, should be given another go. It also helps that Standard Operating Procedure is the sole Iraq War-relevant documentary in the bunch, an interesting fact given how many films dealing with this topic have been shortlisted in the past few years. Even though last year the Oscar was given to a similarly themed doc about torture and prisoner abuse, the issue is likely still one that the Academy feels strongly about. Of course, speaking of that film, Taxi to the Dark Side, its director’s latest film was not shortlisted. 5. Man on Wire This is the highest grossing (and best-reviewed) of the 15 shortlisted films, and that could mean a lot, even if it is only the fifth top grossing doc of the year. The Academy is hardly a sucker for popular documentaries, but most years since Michael Moore was honored in 2002 have seen at least one popular doc, such as Super Size Me, March of the Penguins and Moore’s Sicko. In fact, only four of the ten top grossing (non-IMAX, non-concert, non-compilation, non-reality TV-based) documentaries have not been nominated for an Oscar. The only drawback for Man on Wire could be that it features a very large percentage of re-enactment or dramatization, and even if the Academy’s rules have a greater permission for these kinds of documentaries than in the days of The Thin Blue Line’s snub, it’s very possible that members of the Academy Documentary Branch are more appreciable towards one of the films that aren’t so heavily dependent on re-enactments. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:01:27 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com11/24/2008 7:01:27 PMWhen the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces a shortlist for one of its Oscar categories, many critics immediately focus on what titles are missing. Religulous was snubbed! Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired was punished for having a “secret” qualifying run! The Academy’s rules for eligibility must be amended! Such reactions were seen all over the web last week as awards season pundits looked at the narrowed-down list of 15 Feature Documentary hopefuls and criticized the Academy for its omissions. But the better response (which is the one SpoutBlog had) is to primarily address and celebrate the included films, not just for being contenders for the Feature Documentary Oscar but also for being showcased in general. The wonderful thing about shortlists is that they expand further the idea that it’s great just to be nominated. For feature documentaries, particularly those without a lot of media and major distributor attention, it is also great just to be shortlisted. Non-fiction film fans may now see this as an opportunity to take note of some documentaries that weren’t previously on their radar (unfortunately none of these films are actually allowed to advertise their recent achievement of being shortlisted). But the Academy Awards are, of course, still a competition. So, while we take notice of the 15 semi-finalists for the Feature Documentary Oscar, we shall also weigh their chances of being selected for the final five and predict which titles are likely to be announced as nominees on January 22. 1. Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh It’s a constant joke that any film related to the Holocaust is guaranteed an Oscar nomination. Obviously this is a generalization based on common trend, and not every Holocaust doc has in fact been recognized by the Academy, but if such a film is good enough to reach the shortlist, there is a very good chance that it will also be nominated. And since there hasn’t been a feature doc on the subject nominated since 2002, it’s probably time for a new one to get the spotlight. Blessed is narrated by Oscar-nominee Joan Allen and details the courageous life of Hannah Senesh, who took part in a mission to rescue Hungary’s Jews. If Hollywood doesn’t nominate this doc, it will probably at least use it as a springboard from which to produce an Oscar-bait dramatization about Senesh in the near future. 2. Trouble the Water Never mind the fact that it’s one of the best-reviewed films of the year, this is the Academy’s first chance to get behind the Katrina issue. Though some mistakenly see the Feature Documentary Oscar as primarily a category with which to showcase its favored causes rather than recognizing the actual best documentary filmmaking of the year, there is a miniscule amount of truth in the matter. It’s part of the reason that the Holocaust-doc joke is so often made, and it’s also why the films Born Into Brothels and An Inconvenient Truth were named winners, despite their being subject-over-style kinds of documentaries. Trouble the Water is a tad bit sloppy, but it has the subject matter and enough inspirational substance to receive a nomination. 3. Encounters at the End of the World This may be the Academy’s chance to make up for their exclusion of Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man a few years back or simply honor a filmmaker who has been important to the non-fiction genre for decades. Also, with their snub of Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, the Academy Documentary Branch could use this as more opportunity to distinguish and make an example out of the difference between a theatrical documentary and a television documentary (as David Poland recently pointed out, “if you are a TV doc, be a TV doc…if you are a theatrical doc, that is what the Oscars reward”). People who went to see Encounters recommended it on the basis that it needs to be seen on a big screen, which is not often said about documentaries. Other things it has going for it are a shared location with Oscar-winner March of the Penguins (even if Herzog starts the film addressing that this is not like that film) and a slight relevance to the global warming issue, which is one of the Academy’s currently favored issues. 4. Standard Operating Procedure The Academy Documentary Branch does seem to favor former nominees in their category, perhaps due to the number of documentarians who turn to fiction filmmaking after breaking out in non-fiction (maybe that explains their snub of Barbara Kopple recently after her attempt into fiction). So Morris, who was infamously rejected by the Academy with his monumental film The Thin Blue Line, and who later won the Oscar for The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons Learned from the Life of Robert S. McNamara, should be given another go. It also helps that Standard Operating Procedure is the sole Iraq War-relevant documentary in the bunch, an interesting fact given how many films dealing with this topic have been shortlisted in the past few years. Even though last year the Oscar was given to a similarly themed doc about torture and prisoner abuse, the issue is likely still one that the Academy feels strongly about. Of course, speaking of that film, Taxi to the Dark Side, its director’s latest film was not shortlisted. 5. Man on Wire This is the highest grossing (and best-reviewed) of the 15 shortlisted films, and that could mean a lot, even if it is only the fifth top grossing doc of the year. The Academy is hardly a sucker for popular documentaries, but most years since Michael Moore was honored in 2002 have seen at least one popular doc, such as Super Size Me, March of the Penguins and Moore’s Sicko. In fact, only four of the ten top grossing (non-IMAX, non-concert, non-compilation, non-reality TV-based) documentaries have not been nominated for an Oscar. The only drawback for Man on Wire could be that it features a very large percentage of re-enactment or dramatization, and even if the Academy’s rules have a greater permission for these kinds of documentaries than in the days of The Thin Blue Line’s snub, it’s very possible that members of the Academy Documentary Branch are more appreciable towards one of the films that aren’t so heavily dependent on re-enactments. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/the_american_dream/archive/2008/6/3/30450.aspx Post By: The_American_Dream
Post To: The_American_Dream Blog
Post Date: 6/3/2008 11:35:28 PM
Body: A truly rare and unique documentary. "Manda Bala" has about everything good about it. Everything from in depth interviews from everyone involved with the wide range of topics this documentary approaches, to just plain old good filming. But about the movie. "Manda Bala" takes an unflinching look at an ugly subject. Interestingly enough, the subject of this movie is not really one you see people yelling about in the park. "Manda Bala" is about corruption and violence in Brazil, particularly Sao Paulo. The movie makes it very clear just how broad this topic is, but this does not stop the film makers from putting together this extraordinary film. I say film for a reason, this film is more than just a documentary, I would go so far as to say that this is a stand out in its field movie, it brings together facets of documentary and marries them with cinematic principals that are easily lost in the making of documentaries. "Manda Bala" stands out as a documentary for several reasons. It has in it a few simple topics that it it calls our attention to, corruption and street violence, and presents them without fooling around or going in circles over and over again. Poignant interviews and on-the-spot photography bring the viewer into the causes and effects of the corruption and violence in Brazil. Movies in general take these themes upon themselves all the time. "Syriana", although a decent and compelling drama on a similar subject, seems to loose focus on these themes, and not just because it is a fictional movie with drama and characters. "Manda Bala" has characters and drama in the sense that there are real people that the audience follows on journeys in their lives. There is even a sense of connection, compassion even, for people concerned, all the while stressing the brutality with extreme vividness. And finally, "Manda Bala" brings the good, the bad, and the ugly right on the screen so the audience can see it. The cruelty of politicians and murderers, the compassion of doctors and police. As a strait-up movie, "Manda Bala" also excels. Brazil lends itself to some cinematic qualities, vast cities with skyscrapers reaching out of sprawling slums, mountains covered in rain-forest, all under azure skies. This imagery abounds in "Manda Bala", blues and greens of nature splashed with the ochre tones of the slums and the skyscrapers. But there is also simply good filming, the way shots are set, the juxtaposition of interviewers and translators. Beautiful photography, with even quirky scenarios. It is strangely elegant. The film also uses its status as a documentary to punctuate this beauty with stark, edgy, stock footage. It is good to have these qualities in a documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth", even though it is a good documentary, gets boring. "Manda Bala" also holds its own. "The Fog of War", another great documentary, it just one interview. Both of these movies are equally insightful, but "Manda Bala" has them beat in some way as documentaries, in addition to its cinematic qualities. Also as a documentary, "Manda Bala" is not for the fait of heart. It is one that can turn your stomach, but the audience of a documentary knows that this is the world. The audience faces the brutality of a movie like this for a reason. The fact that this movie pulls it off is truly a mark of great documentary film making. This is something to look for in the best of movies, stories, and particularly, documentaries. This is a great film. Well worth the while of any audience. But part of this fact is that it cannot be taken lightly, even when this movie has irony or dark-humor. "Manda Bala" is a wonderful portrait of the world we sometimes have to face. Directed by Jason Kohn Not Rated
]]>Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:35:28 GMTThe_American_DreamThe_American_Dream Blog6/3/2008 11:35:28 PM A truly rare and unique documentary. "Manda Bala" has about everything good about it. Everything from in depth interviews from everyone involved with the wide range of topics this documentary approaches, to just plain old good filming. But about the movie. "Manda Bala" takes an unflinching look at an ugly subject. Interestingly enough, the subject of this movie is not really one you see people yelling about in the park. "Manda Bala" is about corruption and violence in Brazil, particularly Sao Paulo. The movie makes it very clear just how broad this topic is, but this does not stop the film makers from putting together this extraordinary film. I say film for a reason, this film is more than just a documentary, I would go so far as to say that this is a stand out in its field movie, it brings together facets of documentary and marries them with cinematic principals that are easily lost in the making of documentaries. "Manda Bala" stands out as a documentary for several reasons. It has in it a few simple topics that it it calls our attention to, corruption and street violence, and presents them without fooling around or going in circles over and over again. Poignant interviews and on-the-spot photography bring the viewer into the causes and effects of the corruption and violence in Brazil. Movies in general take these themes upon themselves all the time. "Syriana", although a decent and compelling drama on a similar subject, seems to loose focus on these themes, and not just because it is a fictional movie with drama and characters. "Manda Bala" has characters and drama in the sense that there are real people that the audience follows on journeys in their lives. There is even a sense of connection, compassion even, for people concerned, all the while stressing the brutality with extreme vividness. And finally, "Manda Bala" brings the good, the bad, and the ugly right on the screen so the audience can see it. The cruelty of politicians and murderers, the compassion of doctors and police. As a strait-up movie, "Manda Bala" also excels. Brazil lends itself to some cinematic qualities, vast cities with skyscrapers reaching out of sprawling slums, mountains covered in rain-forest, all under azure skies. This imagery abounds in "Manda Bala", blues and greens of nature splashed with the ochre tones of the slums and the skyscrapers. But there is also simply good filming, the way shots are set, the juxtaposition of interviewers and translators. Beautiful photography, with even quirky scenarios. It is strangely elegant. The film also uses its status as a documentary to punctuate this beauty with stark, edgy, stock footage. It is good to have these qualities in a documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth", even though it is a good documentary, gets boring. "Manda Bala" also holds its own. "The Fog of War", another great documentary, it just one interview. Both of these movies are equally insightful, but "Manda Bala" has them beat in some way as documentaries, in addition to its cinematic qualities. Also as a documentary, "Manda Bala" is not for the fait of heart. It is one that can turn your stomach, but the audience of a documentary knows that this is the world. The audience faces the brutality of a movie like this for a reason. The fact that this movie pulls it off is truly a mark of great documentary film making. This is something to look for in the best of movies, stories, and particularly, documentaries. This is a great film. Well worth the while of any audience. But part of this fact is that it cannot be taken lightly, even when this movie has irony or dark-humor. "Manda Bala" is a wonderful portrait of the world we sometimes have to face. Directed by Jason Kohn Not Rated http://www.spout.com/blogs/cinemarian/archive/2008/5/13/28988.aspx Post By: CinemaRian
Post To: CinemaRian Blog
Post Date: 5/13/2008 8:02:45 PM
Body: The Fog of War is one of Errol Morriss better films, but I found it frustrating because it sends out reminders of his masterpiece, The Thin Blue Line. This movie could have been so much better if Morris had just restrained itself at times. The documentary is a study of Robert McNamara, the controversial Secretary of Defense for all of Kennedys and most of Johnsons term. McNarma is and was a controversial figure- some (such as Oliver Stone) consider him to be evil, imperialist and borderline fascist, others, a sympathetic guy who had some major successes and major errors. Tellingly, when asked by Morris, McNamara denies responsibility for most of his policies, saying that he was just executing what the Presidents he worked for wanted. Where the film is really compelling is when McNarmara honestly (or seemingly honestly) recounts the tough reality of war. Everyone makes mistakes, he says, and there is no military commander who has not made a mistake, and often those mistakes cost lives. He is upfront when he states that he and the Johnson administration completely misread the Vietnamese leadership, believing that the Soviets or Chinese were involved when there was no such involvement. In other words, the domino theory was wrong. Its impossible to know what, if anything, the secretary is lying about, but he seems honest. Where the film goes wrong is when Morris tries to make the film a psychological profile of McNamara with overly simplistic cinematic devices (he makes the same error in Mr. Death). For example, Morris makes a big deal out of the fact that McNamaras middle name is Strange- so, in a really obvious metaphor, McNamara is strange. Lame. Also, there is a of pointless information about the mans childhood and personal life that seem to be overly selective. The epilogue, in which the director exploits his subjects old age to make him look weak and lonely, comes off as overly manipulative. The Thin Blue Line did not have a single unnecessary scene or shot. It was about a man who was wrongfully committed of murder and sentenced to death, but Morris knew the right device- he simply told the tale, with all of its legal and philosophical implication, and showing us the odd dichotomy of the innocent man, who is not very sociable, and the real killer, who is so disturbingly likable and friendly. He didnt need stupid metaphors or waste time with endless stock footage. With about twenty minuets taken out of it, The Fog of War could have been a masterpiece, and considering the importance of its subject, really should have been. The Fog of War (2003)
]]>Wed, 14 May 2008 00:02:45 GMTCinemaRianCinemaRian Blog5/13/2008 8:02:45 PMThe Fog of War is one of Errol Morriss better films, but I found it frustrating because it sends out reminders of his masterpiece, The Thin Blue Line. This movie could have been so much better if Morris had just restrained itself at times. The documentary is a study of Robert McNamara, the controversial Secretary of Defense for all of Kennedys and most of Johnsons term. McNarma is and was a controversial figure- some (such as Oliver Stone) consider him to be evil, imperialist and borderline fascist, others, a sympathetic guy who had some major successes and major errors. Tellingly, when asked by Morris, McNamara denies responsibility for most of his policies, saying that he was just executing what the Presidents he worked for wanted. Where the film is really compelling is when McNarmara honestly (or seemingly honestly) recounts the tough reality of war. Everyone makes mistakes, he says, and there is no military commander who has not made a mistake, and often those mistakes cost lives. He is upfront when he states that he and the Johnson administration completely misread the Vietnamese leadership, believing that the Soviets or Chinese were involved when there was no such involvement. In other words, the domino theory was wrong. Its impossible to know what, if anything, the secretary is lying about, but he seems honest. Where the film goes wrong is when Morris tries to make the film a psychological profile of McNamara with overly simplistic cinematic devices (he makes the same error in Mr. Death). For example, Morris makes a big deal out of the fact that McNamaras middle name is Strange- so, in a really obvious metaphor, McNamara is strange. Lame. Also, there is a of pointless information about the mans childhood and personal life that seem to be overly selective. The epilogue, in which the director exploits his subjects old age to make him look weak and lonely, comes off as overly manipulative. The Thin Blue Line did not have a single unnecessary scene or shot. It was about a man who was wrongfully committed of murder and sentenced to death, but Morris knew the right device- he simply told the tale, with all of its legal and philosophical implication, and showing us the odd dichotomy of the innocent man, who is not very sociable, and the real killer, who is so disturbingly likable and friendly. He didnt need stupid metaphors or waste time with endless stock footage. With about twenty minuets taken out of it, The Fog of War could have been a masterpiece, and considering the importance of its subject, really should have been. The Fog of War (2003) http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/4/8/27100.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 4/8/2008 2:00:41 PM
Body: It didn’t work out so well for Michael Moore, but who is to say other documentarians can’t succeed in fiction filmmaking? Recent notables to make the switch have included Nick Broomfield (whose unscripted yet dramatized Battle for Haditha opens at New York’s Film Forum next month), Barbara Kopple, Andrew Jarecki and Seth Gordon, who originally seemed to be crossing the line to remake his own The King of Kong as a narrative feature but has instead become attached to other fiction projects. The latest, though, is a bit of a shocker, even if he is famous for making a dramatization-heavy doc. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Errol Morris’ next project is a comedy, which he’s currently writing. Titled The End of Everything, the script is at least based on a true story and Morris says the film will be, “a new idea of how to blend drama with reality.” Fortunately, Morris isn’t simply whoring himself out to some Hollywood romcom, as his other quote would suggest: “I’m a funny guy, and I’d like to make something funny now,” he said. “I can’t see myself making one political film after another. I’m glad I made these two movies, but I’d like to do something different.” Doesn’t that sound like the defense of someone suddenly going from Oscar-winning drama to kid-friendly slapstick? But since this is the guy who made a riveting film out of a 95-minute interview with a single subject — an unpopular one at that — we’re probably in for something brilliant. Or else something a thousand times more disappointing than Canadian Bacon, Havoc and The Beverly Hillbillies combined. Anyway, I guess with so many people making docs these days, we need someone to make fiction films. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:00:41 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com4/8/2008 2:00:41 PMIt didn’t work out so well for Michael Moore, but who is to say other documentarians can’t succeed in fiction filmmaking? Recent notables to make the switch have included Nick Broomfield (whose unscripted yet dramatized Battle for Haditha opens at New York’s Film Forum next month), Barbara Kopple, Andrew Jarecki and Seth Gordon, who originally seemed to be crossing the line to remake his own The King of Kong as a narrative feature but has instead become attached to other fiction projects. The latest, though, is a bit of a shocker, even if he is famous for making a dramatization-heavy doc. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Errol Morris’ next project is a comedy, which he’s currently writing. Titled The End of Everything, the script is at least based on a true story and Morris says the film will be, “a new idea of how to blend drama with reality.” Fortunately, Morris isn’t simply whoring himself out to some Hollywood romcom, as his other quote would suggest: “I’m a funny guy, and I’d like to make something funny now,” he said. “I can’t see myself making one political film after another. I’m glad I made these two movies, but I’d like to do something different.” Doesn’t that sound like the defense of someone suddenly going from Oscar-winning drama to kid-friendly slapstick? But since this is the guy who made a riveting film out of a 95-minute interview with a single subject — an unpopular one at that — we’re probably in for something brilliant. Or else something a thousand times more disappointing than Canadian Bacon, Havoc and The Beverly Hillbillies combined. Anyway, I guess with so many people making docs these days, we need someone to make fiction films. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/FilmCouch/Re_FilmCouch_18_Sympathy_for_the_Devil_what_mak/302/8515/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: porcupine
Post To: FilmCouch
Post Date: 5/10/2007 1:50:58 PM
Body: Here's a twist: What about the documentay villain? What comes to my mind is a redeemed villain of sorts, Robert McNamara in Fog of War.Also, did anybody watch Lost last night? My wife and I are hooked. Every episode they do flashbacks of one character, and this time it was Ben, the super creepy and evil leader of the "Others." It was interesting to see their take on the classic question of a villain's origins. It was not terribly original (small spoiler here): His dad abused him! But his level of evil in that show doesn't even make me begin to seriously ask the question, "is he just a product of his environment?" No, Ben. You are not. You are just plain evil.
]]>Thu, 10 May 2007 17:50:58 GMTporcupineFilmCouch5/10/2007 1:50:58 PMHere&#39;s a twist: What about the documentay villain? What comes to my mind is a redeemed villain of sorts, Robert McNamara in Fog of War.Also, did anybody watch Lost last night? My wife and I are hooked. Every episode they do flashbacks of one character, and this time it was Ben, the super creepy and evil leader of the "Others." It was interesting to see their take on the classic question of a villain&#39;s origins. It was not terribly original (small spoiler here): His dad abused him! But his level of evil in that show doesn&#39;t even make me begin to seriously ask the question, "is he just a product of his environment?" No, Ben. You are not. You are just plain evil. http://www.spout.com/blogs/jimbell/archive/2007/5/2/7965.aspx Post By: JimBell
Post To: JimBell Blog
Post Date: 5/2/2007 3:04:00 AM
Body: The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (2003) The people who are most likely to appreciate Erroll Morris’ documentary are those who know quite a bit about American involvement in WWII, the Cold War, the Cuban missile crisis, and, later, Viet Nam. I found the documentary sad. McNamara, the Secretary of Defense under Kennedy and under Johnson, was so bright, so earnest, and so important; yet when we meet him at 85 years of age, he has paid a huge price. Errol Morris, the maker of the powerful documentary The Thin Blue Line, largely lets McNamara sit there and talk straight into the camera. On some issues, such as firebombing Japan, McNamara sounds confident and certain, but his body language often reveals him to be a man at odds with himself at some deeper level. The documentary does not knock you for a loop. It is too subtle for that.Jim Bell
]]>Wed, 02 May 2007 07:04:00 GMTJimBellJimBell Blog5/2/2007 3:04:00 AMThe Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (2003) The people who are most likely to appreciate Erroll Morris&rsquo; documentary are those who know quite a bit about American involvement in WWII, the Cold War, the Cuban missile crisis, and, later, Viet Nam. I found the documentary sad. McNamara, the Secretary of Defense under Kennedy and under Johnson, was so bright, so earnest, and so important; yet when we meet him at 85 years of age, he has paid a huge price. Errol Morris, the maker of the powerful documentary The Thin Blue Line, largely lets McNamara sit there and talk straight into the camera. On some issues, such as firebombing Japan, McNamara sounds confident and certain, but his body language often reveals him to be a man at odds with himself at some deeper level. The documentary does not knock you for a loop. It is too subtle for that.Jim Bell http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Movie_To_Suprise_You_In_A_Good_Way/190/7910/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: porcupine
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 5/1/2007 4:17:52 PM
Body: MattyPro, I agree about Hitch, it shouldn't have been good, but it's surprising watchable and entertaining. So here's my list (not including Hitch)1. Big Trouble in Little China. Hilarious! i thought i would only laugh at it, which i did, but i also laughed with it.2. Pan's Labrynth. I saw this one a few months before its wide release at the Denver Film Fest. they were doing a series of midnight showings, mostly horror. all i knew about it was an image i saw in the program of the demonic-looking pan. i was expecting a slasher, what i got was amazing.3. Smiley Face. i'm not a stoner, nor am i an afficianado of the stoner film genre, but this was hilarious. go see it.4. The Fog of War. i thought, ok, i might get bored, but i need to watch this film and be educated, it will make me a better person. wow was i wrong. educated, yes, but i was also on the edge of my seat.5. Rush Hour. another that may be easy to pick apart, but you have to much fun watching it to dwell on its faults.
]]>Tue, 01 May 2007 20:17:52 GMTporcupineTop 55/1/2007 4:17:52 PMMattyPro, I agree about Hitch, it shouldn&#39;t have been good, but it&#39;s surprising watchable and entertaining. So here&#39;s my list (not including Hitch)1. Big Trouble in Little China. Hilarious! i thought i would only laugh at it, which i did, but i also laughed with it.2. Pan&#39;s Labrynth. I saw this one a few months before its wide release at the Denver Film Fest. they were doing a series of midnight showings, mostly horror. all i knew about it was an image i saw in the program of the demonic-looking pan. i was expecting a slasher, what i got was amazing.3. Smiley Face. i&#39;m not a stoner, nor am i an afficianado of the stoner film genre, but this was hilarious. go see it.4. The Fog of War. i thought, ok, i might get bored, but i need to watch this film and be educated, it will make me a better person. wow was i wrong. educated, yes, but i was also on the edge of my seat.5. Rush Hour. another that may be easy to pick apart, but you have to much fun watching it to dwell on its faults. http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_NEW_Group_Top_5_current_directors/190/3392/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 10/23/2006 3:41:40 PM
Body: 1. Joel and Ethan Coen 2. Jim Jarmusch 3. Hal Hartley 4. Tsai Ming-Liang 5. Terry Gilliam Gilliam was actually hard to say because I haven't seen several of his movies. Anyone seen Tideland yet? Werner Herzog is another one I thought of as well, but there are so many of his movies I haven't seen either. I also thought about Terry Zwigoff, but still haven't seen Art School Confidential yet either. And I almost wanted to say Aki Kaurismäki just based on The Man Without a Past. I haven't seen a single one of his other movies because they all seem to difficult to be able to find, but if most of them rival this film, he'd definitely be up there. [quote user="paul"]Terrence MallickWong Kar WaiTsai Ming LingTodd SolondzErrol MorrisI think Scorsese has run his course. It's fascinating Coppola or Ang Lee didn't make this list and there's some angst around Soderbergh. It makes me wonder if their whole "I'll make one for them and one for me" approach to the Business kills longevity.Tarantino, Park Chan Wook, Wes Anderson, and Jim Jarmusch—and I go on the record here and now—I don't think they'll stand the test of time. Not enough substance to hold up their reliance on style.[/quote] Paul, this is a really cool list! I'm surprised someone else listed Tsai Ming-Liang. Badlands is one of my aboslute most favorite films. And Days of Heaven is extremely good. I just saw The Thin Red Line for the second time recently and didn't find it as good as I had remembered it. Mallick is such a mysterious figure. Have you seen The New World? A friend of mine said it was the most like a film representation of a poem than any other movie he'd seen. We've talked about Solondz elsewhere, and I hope to see more of his films. Morris is amazing. I saw Fog of War at a really cool movie theater in St. Louis with Adam (SkyPilot). I've rented more of his movies since, some better than others. He seems to do best when focusing on one person. Have you seen his series First Person? It sounds just like this kind of thing. As for Wong Kar Wai, the only film of his I've seen is Chungking Express. I actually saw that one with Adam (SkyPilot) and Kevin (Porcupine) at Adam's house. He rented it because it was released by Tarantino's Rolling Thunder distribution. He thought it was some kind of Chop Socky movie. It seemed to be largely a ripoff of Godard's Breathless, a movie I already don't really like. I think I heard the song California Dreamin' enough for a lifetime. What's your appeal to this guy? Maybe I need to see another one of his films. I don't see why it matter whether or not we think these directors will stand the test of time. If they are good and affecting enough to us right now, that's good enough to put on our top 5 of current directors. I'm sure there are plenty of forgotten directors that I would have highly enjoyed if I had lived and been interested in cinema in an earlier era. Maybe I would find them irrelevent today. There may also be older directors that I like now that I wouldn't have liked back then.
]]>Mon, 23 Oct 2006 19:41:40 GMTRisseladaTop 510/23/2006 3:41:40 PM1. Joel and Ethan Coen 2. Jim Jarmusch 3. Hal Hartley 4. Tsai Ming-Liang 5. Terry Gilliam Gilliam was actually hard to say because I haven't seen several of his movies. Anyone seen Tideland yet? Werner Herzog is another one I thought of as well, but there are so many of his movies I haven't seen either. I also thought about Terry Zwigoff, but still haven't seen Art School Confidential yet either. And I almost wanted to say Aki Kaurismäki just based on The Man Without a Past. I haven't seen a single one of his other movies because they all seem to difficult to be able to find, but if most of them rival this film, he'd definitely be up there. [quote user="paul"]Terrence MallickWong Kar WaiTsai Ming LingTodd SolondzErrol MorrisI think Scorsese has run his course. It's fascinating Coppola or Ang Lee didn't make this list and there's some angst around Soderbergh. It makes me wonder if their whole "I'll make one for them and one for me" approach to the Business kills longevity.Tarantino, Park Chan Wook, Wes Anderson, and Jim Jarmusch—and I go on the record here and now—I don't think they'll stand the test of time. Not enough substance to hold up their reliance on style.[/quote] Paul, this is a really cool list! I'm surprised someone else listed Tsai Ming-Liang. Badlands is one of my aboslute most favorite films. And Days of Heaven is extremely good. I just saw The Thin Red Line for the second time recently and didn't find it as good as I had remembered it. Mallick is such a mysterious figure. Have you seen The New World? A friend of mine said it was the most like a film representation of a poem than any other movie he'd seen. We've talked about Solondz elsewhere, and I hope to see more of his films. Morris is amazing. I saw Fog of War at a really cool movie theater in St. Louis with Adam (SkyPilot). I've rented more of his movies since, some better than others. He seems to do best when focusing on one person. Have you seen his series First Person? It sounds just like this kind of thing. As for Wong Kar Wai, the only film of his I've seen is Chungking Express. I actually saw that one with Adam (SkyPilot) and Kevin (Porcupine) at Adam's house. He rented it because it was released by Tarantino's Rolling Thunder distribution. He thought it was some kind of Chop Socky movie. It seemed to be largely a ripoff of Godard's Breathless, a movie I already don't really like. I think I heard the song California Dreamin' enough for a lifetime. What's your appeal to this guy? Maybe I need to see another one of his films. I don't see why it matter whether or not we think these directors will stand the test of time. If they are good and affecting enough to us right now, that's good enough to put on our top 5 of current directors. I'm sure there are plenty of forgotten directors that I would have highly enjoyed if I had lived and been interested in cinema in an earlier era. Maybe I would find them irrelevent today. There may also be older directors that I like now that I wouldn't have liked back then. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Loved-It/MemberTagFilms.aspxLoved-It
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