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"Who Might The Real
Evildoers Be?" |
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Directed by Eugene
Jarecki - Written by
Eugene Jarecki
Starring John McCain,
Karen Kwiatkowski,
Wilton Sekzer, Dwight
Eisenhower
Distributed by Sony
Classics -
2006 - 98mins - Rated
PG13 |
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It is nowhere written that the American empire goes on forever. |
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Why DO we fight?
What makes the United States, the land of the free and the home of the
brave, so damn convinced that we must serve as the neighborhood police
for the entire world?
Are we genuinely concerned with evildoers? Are we, in fact, serving as
the defender of the oppressed and downtrodden?
OR is there an agenda? Are we, in fact, increasingly acting upon an
almost blind vision for world domination? Do we wish to become the
Rome of the 21st century?
Your answer to these questions may, in fact, determine just how much
you are able to enjoy Eugene Jarecki's latest documentary, "Why We
Fight," a film that essentially builds itself around former President
Eisenhower's last address warning that America was headed towards
becoming a nation of war dominated by its military industrial complex
at the cost of true democracy.
Much like Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11," "Why We Fight" takes
sides on the issue. Unlike Moore's film, Jarecki's film lacks the
energy, insight and urgency necessary to effectively argue for a
change in American culture that is, quite honestly, almost
incomprehensible. In essence, "Why We Fight" is a kindler, gentler
"Fahrenheit 9/11" ever so slightly mixed with the political tone of
"Control Room." "Why We Fight" is not as effective as either film, yet
compelling enough to please most liberals and further irritate
supporters of the our current administration's supporters.
Despite its overwhelming obsession with the military industrial
complex, "Why We Fight" is most effective when Jarecki focuses on the
personal side of creating a culture of war.
Jarecki brings to life the grief journey of Wilton Sekzer, a retired
New York City cop and Vietnam Veteran, whose son was killed on 9/11 in
the attack on the World Trade Center. Vacillating between grief and
rage, Sekzer begins exploring outlets for his grief and wants revenge,
clear and simple. When Bush clearly identifies Iraq as the target of
our wrath, Sekzer begins e-mailing the powers that be asking to have
his son's name written on a bomb to be dropped in the Iraq war.
He accomplishes his mission.
Then,
Bush, MUCH later acknowledges that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11.
The grief flows again.
We are introduced to Lt.Gen. Kwiatkowski, a 20-year military veteran
who retires from the Pentagon after becoming disillusioned with the
growing influence of big business and think tanks over actual military
personnel. It is, ultimately, her viewpoints on "why we fight" that
Jarecki builds his film around. They are simple, plainly presented but
almost undeniable as presented by Jarecki.
The rest of the film, sadly, doesn't live up to the emotional draw of
the personal experiences provided by Jarecki. Too often, Jarecki
simply presents well known facts and chooses to draw his own
conclusions from them.
Whether you agreed with his conclusions or not, Michael Moore would
take "well known facts" and go beyond drawing his own conclusion.
Moore takes these basic "facts", finds new arguments, illustrations to
support his arguments and, ultimately, offers solutions to support his
notions.
Jarecki, on the other hand, offers very little in the way of new
information in "Why We Fight," titled after the World War II
propaganda films by Frank Capra.
Is it really news, or particularly film-worthy, that Vice-President
Cheney had ties to Halliburton and now seems to channel business their
way?
While Jarecki does have the decency to provide both the liberal and
conservative perspectives on this issue, his slant is clear and quite
intentional. Interviews with John McCain, the Eisenhower family,
Chalmers Johnson and Richard Perle among others others serve primarily
as an advancement of his argument.
"Why We Fight" is not going to change your mind. In fact, it may make
you feel like giving up. The overall tone for Jarecki's film seems to
be resignation. This is the way it is, and our "empire" is headed for
destruction if we don't change our course. Because he's so busy
proving that we are on the course, Jarecki offers little or no hope
that we can, in fact, change the course. "Why We Fight" is content to
prove that Eisenhower was right and the military industrial complex is
now dominating American culture, politics and, yes, foreign relations.
Why do we fight? Is it truly to survive? In the end, Jarecki dares to
imply that, perhaps, it is because we fight that we will not survive.
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© Written by Richard :Propes |
TC Candler's Comment
n/a
Jacob
Hall's Comment
n/a
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