The Fog of War

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Cast & Crew

Robert S. McNamara
Himself

Lyndon B. Johnson
Himself

Errol Morris
Director

Errol Morris
Producer

Michael Williams
Producer

Julie Ahlberg
Producer

Jack Lechner
Executive Producer

Jon Kamen
Executive Producer

Frank Scherma
Executive Producer

Robert Fernandez
Executive Producer

Robert May
Executive Producer

John Sloss
Executive Producer

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Critic Reviews for The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara

Audience Reviews for The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara

• Nov 15, 2019

  McNamara clearly agreed to do this interview as a way to take control of his own legacy. As much as he tried to appear to speak honestly about his career Morris' probing revealed McNamara to be a mostly uncomplicated and desperate man. So much of what he refuses to say speaks volumes about him and the things he did.
  

  Alec B Super Reviewer
• Apr 19, 2013

  A mesmerizing, slightly offbeat documentary from the great Errol Morris ("The Thin Blue Line") concerning former Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara and his experiences in both WWII and Vietnam, and looking back on his decisions and how to pertain to the days we live in now. McNamara appears to be a very likable, flawed individual (like we all are) who seems to be historically misunderstood given his reputation that he screwed up the Vietnam War quite badly. Instead we get an honest, genuine look at a man who gives a fair look at himself and his decisions, admits to his mistakes, but remains proud of his many accomplishments. Definitely a more humanizing look at a politician, in a day and age where people love to eat these people for lunch. One of the better documentaries I can recall, and anyone from the Kennedy-Johnson era should give this a look.
  

  Dan S Super Reviewer
• Dec 10, 2012

  Robert McNamara explains his life during the two World Wars and the Vietnam War. For those of us who are students of history but didn't live during the times of the Vietnam War and WWII, this film doesn't have the resonance it might otherwise have. What I see is McNamara the apologist and McNamara the regretful soldier, personalities that he freely oscillates between almost at will. He wags his finger at the camera so many times that I felt like he was giving me, a small boy, a lecture on how to live. The film becomes a compilation of McNamara saying, "I did my best, but I fucked up, but damn it, I did my best!" Overall, I think this film is a good introduction to people who know little about the wars, but it ultimately devolves into a talking head documentary.
  Jim H Super Reviewer
• Jun 23, 2012

  It's Robert McNamara talking about his youth, his days as President of Ford and working as Secretary Of Defense for President Kennedy and LBJ. It's interesting to hear him speak and remember the turbulant times of the 1960's and even questioning his own motives of war and his controversial decisions during the Vietnam War. I particularly liked the story McNamara mentions of how America was so close to a nuclear war catastrophe and how sudden a threat like that was avoided.
  Brian R Super Reviewer

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