Who's seen it? What did you think? Personally, it was Morris' best work since Thin Blue Line. There will never be another Blue Line, but this was pretty damn close. Its great to really see introspective documentary film making about Vietnam, and Morris really brought something new to the table in the way he went about interviewing McNamara.

I remember seeing The Trials of Henry Kissinger doc a few months earlier, and these two movies couldn't be further apart conceptually. Kissinger was condemning and had every right to be, but Morris and McNamara bring out some questions about the ambiguity of nation states' agendas.

Definately one of the top dozen documentaries I've seen to this day, Fog of War coached the issues with questions and not just answers, and then proceeded to place McNamara in front of the camera and struggle with providing answers to those questions. And when McNamara didn't want to answer them, he didn't, but Morris kept his eye trained on himm even in moments of denial, so those moments in themselves provided insight into the WWII, Vietnam, Korea, general cold war politics, and even today's conflicts.

Excellent doc.

Great documentary.

McNamara has a huge ego and that helps. He talks in great detail about a lot of things. Some guys would be very tight lipped and protective, but ol' Bob loves the spotlight.

Interesting how important he was to US history from 1940-1970. Very few guys had the impact he did without being a President.

The Fog of War was on a lot in the last couple of months (Starz or Encore). Did anyone else see it?

Errol Morris is up there for the best documenteror ever, imo. He's really extraordinary. I would put Fog of War second to Only Thin Blue Line. also, it might be better actually, but Thin Blue Line changes the face of court cases for eternity, so I give it extra nerve for that. Fog of War wasn't far off though. Very sort of calm and building it's own narrative, rather than just jumping on the political-doc bandwagon that was all of 2004.

I thought this documentary by Errol Morris ("Thin Blue Line") was really stunning. I didn't know all the history of the Vietnam war, esp. Robert McNamara's role in it all, but the guy's clearly a super-genius - whether he's an evil super-genius or not is the subject of this film. It is essentially an interview with McNamara in the present day - he's 85 now and sharp as a razor - intercut with lots of amazing historical footage. I found it very enlightening historically, as well as about the nature of "civilized" man in general. It is a great documentary by a great filmmaker.

I actually almost rented this a few days ago. I will now, maybe this weekend.

Really? I don't even think the subject was evil or not at all. I think the eleven lessons were supposed to be McNamara's insight into today's arms-race and wars. Sort of insight from a man who was considered one of the grande-minds of a couple past atrocities, but fell from grace, and kind of spent decades contemplating his own actions. I think he had some intense stuff to say about Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Prtty much he condemns atomic weapons because they are so irreversible.

It wa sinteresting for him to say what everyone is thinking. "Does quantity count"? As in, is it allright to kill 10,000 people but not 6 million? He had a very interesting response actually. He said war crimes are when the actions over step the need. He said Japan had already been 50% firebombed by the time they even bothered to drop the atomic. To him, considering their ultimate goal there had been just to "subdue" Japan, means they crossed the line. Japan had been subdued long before then, and had even acknowledged it.

It was interesting to say that they would have been tried and lost at the international tribunal had they not been the winners. SO he also pointed out alot of war crimes is about who comes out victorious. And he never officially gives a number dead as being bad. Just says often people far over step what is required.

I thought it was some brilliant insight into today, and a mix of a man having some determination in his past but also some misgivings. Morris did a superb job with this film.

The interesting thing about him was that he also will potentially save millions of lives now and in the future by helping Ford introduce the first line of automobile saftey belts.

I think it's silly to use the word "evil" in this kind of world anymore. That's not an excuse, it's just complicated. He wasn't responsible for the war, he just occupied a position of power and followed the chain of command... in a different world and a different time.

Morris did a good job but it was really McNamara himself who should be credited. Errol definately tried to steer the conversation towards current, modern day issues, but even McNamara issued restraint in comparing his past to current issues. I actually sensed a bit of tension between Morris' wants and McNamara's, and that's what made it engaging. It also reminded me that documentarians have political agendas and Morris' was a bit transparent.

On the DVD McNamara goes into a little detail. The eleven lessons are NOT his, they are MORRIS' interpretation of the conversation. McNamara gives his thoughts on the DVD side (I think 12 lessons?). I respect Morris... I actually thought Fast, Cheap & Out of Control was more interesting and A Brief History of Time equally engaging.

You're right of course, even that Hitler dude was a 'complicated' guy - which reminds me, I've got to still get out to see Downfall...