The Lessons from The Fog of War - Movie Review Example

Jerry Ciacho November 2, The Lessons from The Fog of War The Fog of War is a documentary film that concentrates on filmmaker and documentarian Errol Morris’ chronicles on the Former United States Secretary of Defense Robert Strange McNamara together with his opinions, reflections and the lessons that he has learned concerning the characteristics of modern-day combat and warfare. He states these lessons from the experiences he had during his participation and involvement during the Second World War and the Vietnam War. The movie scrutinizes not only McNamara’s actions and decisions throughout the Vietnam War, but also delves into his youth, schooling, and participation in the Air Force during the Second World War and his posterior years as he took on the role as the fifth president of the World Bank Group from 1968 to 1981. Documentarian Errol Morris particularizes momentous moments during the time McNamara was under President Lyndon B. Johnson and President Kennedy as the Secretary of Defense. This comprises his decisions regarding the bombarding of Tokyo in 1945 and the Cuban Missile Crisis to name a few. Through the movie, McNamara illustrates and explains his viewpoints on transnational clash and warfare, and expresses his compunction for the mistakes he has made in his career. However, at the same time, he also shows his pride and joy at the things he has accomplished. In the film which consisted of interviews with McNamara who was at the time already eighty five years old and taped footage of the bombings and attacks during World War II, Morris selected eleven lessons out of McNamara’s series of explanatory notes regarding the true nature of war and peace. In my opinion, the lessons that The Fog of War provides elicit imperative issues and questions and expresses answers that are very controversial and questionable. At one point, he says that, “In order to do good, you may have to engage in evil.” He says, “‘War is cruel. War is cruelty.’ That was the way LeMay felt. He was trying to save the country. He was trying to save our nation. And in the process, he was prepared to do whatever killing was necessary. Its a very, very difficult position for sensitive human beings to be in. Morrison was one of those. I think I was.” The idea is considerably disputable in the situation of the Second World War and the indubitably iniquitous and unjust actions that the Allies decided upon. In my personal opinion, much more problems and negative effects came out from the American involvement in the Vietnam War than any ‘good.’ Nonetheless, McNamara verbalizes this statement after he has comprehensively discoursed his involvement during the Vietnam War years. In spite of that McNamara also seems to support and justify that two wrongs don’t make a right. Accordingly, he then makes this ninth lesson a mysterious and contradicting irony and never gives a conclusive statement or explanation to this lesson. While there were quite a number of lessons that were highly contentious, there were many that had extremely well said points and lessons. One of my favorites from the twelve that was mentioned throughout the documentary film was the eighth lesson: “Be prepared to reexamine your reasoning.” In this lesson, he makes an excellent point. He says, “What makes us omniscient? Have we a record of omniscience? We are the strongest nation in the world today. I do not believe that we should ever apply that economic, political, and military power unilaterally. If we had followed that rule in Vietnam, we wouldnt have been there. None of our allies supported us. Not Japan, not Germany, not Britain or France. If we cant persuade nations with comparable values of the merit of our cause, wed better reexamine our reasoning.” In McNamara’s concluding statement, possibly the 12th and final lesson he explains, he expounds on the "fog of war." He voices out that warfare almost always implicates uncalled-for killing because the whole war business is extremely complicated and knotty, with exceedingly numerous changeable things. Just before the film ends, McNamara is asked if he feels even remotely guilt-ridden or remorseful for the incidents in Vietnam and he replies by saying quickly, "I dont want to go any further with this discussion. It just opens up more controversy.” His answer would cause more controversies and issues, but one must ask, “Wouldn’t argument and issues be one step closer to the near exactness of the truth?” Morris then asks him if he feels that he would be damned if he answers and damned if he didn’t. McNamara then responds to Morris saying, “Yeah, thats right. And Id rather be damned if I dont.” Personally, this made me feel as though McNamara had some kind of control or manipulation over the interview. He gave no answer whenever the questions were becoming too hard to answer. I believe that Morris should have pressed harder so that the ‘truth’ might be revealed little by little. However, Morris did not look as though he was interested much in the truth especially a impenetrable charge, but instead, he was more intrigued by the personality of McNamara and I believe that he did a good job in doing so. He was extremely wise and intelligent, had a great hungriness and a keen eye for proof and statistics. He also had the strong belief and confidence that logical consideration and analysis would always win and supersede emotion, feeling and presumptions. As a Harvard graduate, McNamara demonstrated the unruffled, analytical use of preparation and examination to commerce. He was able to prove the importance of such methods and ways of thinking to the managing of Ford Motor Company. However as he reluctantly accepted the job as the Secretary of Defense in 1961, McNamara made an effort to apply the same ways of thinking and managing the battles fought by the United States of America, but unfortunately, failed. The final question whether McNamara was a great and effective leader or a failure and disaster remains to be a question that is up for dispute and disagreement. There are many sides to his character and personality as there are many sides to his ideals and principles. I believe that McNamara had great potential to become a successful leader but failed to do so due to the wrong decisions and actions that he made while he was sitting as the U.S. Secretary of Defense. Works Cited The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara. Dir. Errol Morris. Perf. Robert McNamara. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2004. DVD. Read More